Arafat Hasan: Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will kick off the latest edition of the Asia Cup today, with injuries ahead of their game in Dubai.
Unfortunately for Bangladesh, all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan needs a surgery on his left little finger, but has pushed it back till after the Asia Cup; Tamim Iqbal, the senior opener, has a swollen right ring finger; Nazmul Hossain, the off-spinner, also has an injury in his bowling hand.
Meanwhile for Sri Lanka, Danushka Gunathilaka has returned home even before the start of the tournament with a lower back problem, and has been replaced by Shehan Jayasuriya, the off-spinning all-rounder. Before the Gunathilaka-Jayasuriya swap came the news that Dinesh Chandimal is out with a finger injury – Niroshan Dickwella, the wicket-keeper batsman, has since replaced him.
Overall, it’s not an ideal situation for either team. Nevertheless, Bangladesh manager Khaled Mahmud said on Thursday, “I don’t think injuries will have a big effect on us.”
Bangladesh will come into the tournament on the back of a 2-1 series win over the Windies in the Caribbean, while Sri Lanka’s lost their last assignment, a five-match home series against South Africa, but have some momentum after having won the last two games of that series and then the one-off Twenty20 International.
According to recent bilateral history, the team currently coached by Chandika Hathurusingha beat the team formerly coached by the same man twice in a row to win the triangular series in Dhaka – with Zimbabwe as the third team – in January. However, the Tigers had their revenge in the Nidahas Trophy against the hosts, and will come into this tournament as the higher-ranked of the two teams.
Bangladesh have a full-strength side to pick from, fitness permitting, with the mainstays Shakib, Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mustafizur Rahman. With Chandimal out, Sri Lanka can’t quite make the same claim, but their squad looks just as strong on paper.