Asia Cup, Sri Lanka’s litmus test for the World Cup 

• Batting and runs on the board are the key

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

For co-host Sri Lanka, Asian Cup 2023 will be the litmus test of how good an ODI side they are ahead of the Cricket World Cup in India.

If ICC ODI team rankings are anything to go by, Sri Lanka is currently ranked eighth, with Bangladesh seventh and Afghanistan ninth. The two top-ranked teams in the Asia Cup are host Pakistan who are first and India third. Newcomers Nepal are ranked 15th.

While Sri Lanka has shown improvements in the Tests and T20I formats their ODI success has been rather inconsistent which sees them in eighth position. They have been languishing between 7-10 positions for quite a long time which is why they failed to gain automatic qualification to play in the 2023 Cricket World Cup. They had to go through a Qualifier played in Zimbabwe in July to earn themselves a place in the main tournament.

Sri Lanka came through the Qualifier unbeaten winning all eight matches including the final against Netherlands. That alone should give them confidence, but against bowling inferior to what they should expect at the Asia Cup and World Cup, Sri Lanka’s batting frailties were on display.

In the group match against Scotland, they lost their last six wickets for just 42 runs and in the Super Six game against the Netherlands they were 96-6 at one stage. Against the same opposition in the final they were 180-3 in the 36th over, but managed only 233 all out in 48 overs. Over the past four years, it has been Sri Lanka’s mishap with the bat that has led to their poor rankings and having to play a qualifier to get into the Cricket World Cup. Their run rate throughout the innings has been very poor and the middle order has been rather inconsistent for them to make any impact against stronger sides. That is why the Asia Cup is so important to them ahead of the World Cup. How they perform here will indicate where they stand at present as an ODI side.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and India are not going to be easy beats in the Asia Cup. The way Pakistan and Afghanistan are faring in their recent ODI series in Sri Lanka indicates it is not going to be an easy ride against those two sides. India with Jasprit Bumrah back in the fold is going to be quite a handful. Sri Lanka may be playing under home conditions (they have one game against Afghanistan in Lahore) and with home support, but that does not guarantee them a place in the Asia Cup final. For Sri Lanka to succeed their top and middle order batting must fire and put up decent totals in excess of 300 runs on the board to allow their bowlers (seamers and spinners) to operate with success. Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Bangladesh have been to Sri Lanka enough and more times and will know the type of pitches and conditions to expect like the back of their hand. So playing at home does not give Sri Lanka an advantage, but only added pressure with expectations being high to try and retain the Asia Cup they won last year in the UAE played under the T20I format.

Even before the first ball has been bowled Sri Lanka has lost two of their best white-ball bowlers Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga through injuries, while a third pacie, Lahiru Kumara has fitness issues and is also unavailable. The absence of Chameera and Hasaranga would certainly have a telling effect on the bowling line-up and alter drastically whatever plans Sri Lanka had for the Asia Cup because they are two bowlers who can win matches for the team. There is always the saying that their absence would give someone else to put their hands up and deliver, but often does that happen? There is no substitute for experience. 

The Asia Cup offers Sri Lanka a new challenge. That against adversity they are still a force to be reckoned with. It is testing time for Dasun Shanaka’s men to hold onto the trophy that they won last year in the UAE when it was played in the T20 format.