Match Preview - Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, Asia Cup 2022, Super 4

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Sri Lanka can breathe easy. Or can they?

Having been blown away by Afghanistan and then having to use every ounce of firepower to get past Bangladesh, they will once again face a trial by spin. Against the Rashids and the Mujeebs. However, the current Afghanistan team is beginning to establish a new bowling order. Their fast bowlers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen ul Haq have been the perfect prelude to the spin superstars. So as a batting unit, there's unlikely to be any respite.

Does the current line-up have the confidence to take on bowling straightaway? In their virtual knockout, Sri Lanka had to go for broke, for a flight was waiting to take them home otherwise. Can they replicate a similar mindset with the stakes significantly higher?

Chris Silverwood's focus is on bringing back Sri Lanka to their refreshing approach to white-ball cricket that revolutionised the ODI game in the 1990s, the kinds that gave opponents nightmares when Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana destroyed attacks with disdain.

However, that is easier said than done. The proof lies in the pudding. Saturday will be another opportunity to test that.

Afghanistan have proved they're giant killers no more. UAE conditions are as good as home conditions. Most players are residents here, and train and play all year round on pitches such as these, and in weather far more oppressive. What they will want to guard against is complacency.

So far, they haven't been tested while batting first. How they approach it - should this scenario play out on Saturday - will be interesting to watch.

Afghanistan have the edge but having just about stopped the door from shutting them out of their own party, they will now want to barge it open.

Form guide

Pakistan: WLWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Hong Kong: WWLWW

In the spotlight

On T20I debut, Asitha Fernando won Sri Lanka game that even his teammates thought had slipped away. His 10 out out of three balls helped clinch a thriller to put Sri Lanka in the Super 4s. Against Bangladesh, Asitha seemed a tad nervous and sprayed the ball around even as the Bangladesh top order took him on. He finished with 1 for 51 off his four overs. Now, he'd be looking to impress with the new ball, which is his primary skillset.

Can Fazalhaq Farooqi repeat his Group B performance?•AFP via Getty Images

Afghanistan are slowly beginning to establish an identity beyond their globetrotting T20 superstars. Among those who putting themselves high on the radar of franchises around the T20 circuit is Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The hard-hitting 20-year-old was given out on zero in the Asia Cup opener but overturned the lbw call on review and went on to take Sri Lanka's attack to the cleaners by making an 18-ball 40 in a low-key chase. Can he rise to the occasion? Now the stakes are high, and a Super 4 game win first up could set them on the road to the final.

Pitch and conditions

The surface in Sharjah will be the same as the Pakistan v Hong Kong game. There is likely to be some rough patches and dry spots that could aid the spinners. That said, the ground dimensions are significantly smaller than Dubai, and both sides have batters than can take surfaces out of the equation. So far, there hasn't been any dew across both venues. Toss should not be a deciding factor.

Team news

Both sides have a fully fit squad of players to choose from. They are unlikely to make changes.

Sri Lanka: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Danushka Gunathilaka, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Dilshan Madushanka.

Afghanistan: 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Najibullah Zadran, 5 Mohammad Nabi (capt), 6 Karim Janat, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Naveen-ul-Haq, 10 Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Stats and trivia

Hazratullah Zazai and Gurbaz are the second-most prolific pair for Afghanistan in T20Is. They have eight fifty-run stands in just 21 innings together, including a 37-ball 83 against Sri Lanka last week.

In 13 T20Is this year, Sri Lanka have conceded runs at 8.21 during the powerplay at an average of 42.73. While this average is the worst among all Full Members, their economy is third worst, behind England and West Indies.

Mujeeb ur Rahman has a prolific record in Sharjah: 10 wickets in four T20Is.

Quotes

"Chris Silverwood is trying to bring back the positive, aggressive brand of cricket we used to play a couple of decades back. He has given us the freedom to think as adults and not be pampered." - Bhanuka Rajapaksa on Sri Lanka wanting to channel their 1990s brand of cricket

"The way the boys have performed, the way they have adjusted and taken the responsibility upon themselves has been great to see. In the Super 4s too, our focus is on playing the same brand of aggressive cricket, but also learn from the mistakes we made and not repeat it." - Rashid Khan on Afghanistan's simple mantra going forward

Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Asia Cup 2022 - Ban vs SL - Shakib Al Hasan

Among Bangladesh's several errors, Shakib Al Hasan rued Mahedi Hasan's no-balls the most in their two-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka that knocked them out of the Asia Cup.

Mahedi's first no-ball allowed Kusal Mendis, who was reprieved on four occasions, to bat beyond the seventh over. Kusal who opened the innings, top scored with a 37-ball 60 to lay the foundation for Sri Lanka's 184 chase.

His second no-ball came in the last over when Sri Lanka needed three runs off four deliveries. In a comical turn of events, as soon as Asitha Fernando and Maheesh Theekshana ran two, they heard the buzzer that pointed to Mahedi's no-ball. Soon enough, the giant screens flashed the replay and Bangladesh knew their fate had been sealed. This moment was particularly disappointing for Shakib as he reflected on the team's performance under pressure, and their early exit from the competition.

"No captain wants no-balls from their team," Shakib said. "It is a big crime when a spinner bowls a no-ball. We bowled a lot of wides and no-balls today. We were not disciplined. We didn't know what to do when we were under pressure. We knew Kusal (Mendis) plays spin really well, so if we could get him early, it would have set platform for our spinners to come into the game.

"But till he was there, it was hard for our spinners to bowl. He was dropped on two, and then when he was out, it was a no-ball. The spinner bowling a no-ball is a big no-no. Our spinners usually don't bowl no-balls, but today it was proved that we break down under pressure. We are losing in crunch moments. If we won 50 per cent of the close matches, we would have a better record in this format."

What also hurt Bangladesh was Ebadot Hossain's inconsistency in his final two overs which went for 38. The penultimate over, especially, turned the tide Sri Lanka's way as he conceded 17, including a no-ball and a wide. This undid all his good work until then. At the end of his first two overs, he had unreal figures of 3 for 13.

Ebadot Hossain had mixed returns on T20I debut•Getty Images

"Ebadot has never played a pressure game like this, regardless of his experience," Shakib said. "He has a lot to understand. He brought us into the game after his first two overs. We thought it was going to be his day. You expect a bowler to have good rhythm and be positive when he has taken three wickets in his first two overs. It wasn't to be. He can learn a lot from this game.

"Our plan was to get their batsmen out. That's exactly what we did. They needed 25 or 26 in the last two overs. Eight wickets down, you back your main bowlers to defend those runs against their tail."

Looking ahead to the World Cup, Shakib underlined the importance of having to identify the best fast bowlers soon. "This was an eye-opener to see how we bowl in pressure situations," he said. "You can expect good 10-12 overs of fast bowling in this type of pitch. Only those who can deliver will be in the team.

"It is simple math. We looked at four fast bowlers here, and we will look at more in the tri-series in New Zealand so that we have a clearer idea who can do well in Australia."

Shakib then focused on the few positives from the tournament. Like how the move to bump up Mehidy Hasan Miraz to open the innings in his first T20I in nearly four years, worked.

Mehidy responded with an aggressive 26-ball 38, hitting two fours and as many sixes. Shakib said this was something they had contemplated against Afghanistan too, before going in with regulars Mohammad Naim and Anamul Haque.

"He has done well in our domestic tournaments, so we had faith in him," Shakib said of Mehidy's promotion. "Even in the first game, he was in the mix to bat in the top-order. He didn't play the first game. He showed his character today. He wasn't nervous. He was playing after three years so it wasn't easy for him. You have to give him a lot of credit, the way he handled the pressure in the first six overs."

Shakib also asked for a bit of patience from everyone as they try to work out plans going into the T20 World Cup. For starters, he was encouraged by the team's attitude and body language.

"I have returned to T20I captaincy with these two matches. We have a lot in mind when we make a new beginning. Our planning started with the game against Afghanistan, so there will be right and wrong.

"We have a plan in place. We want to reach a goal slowly. But if you notice our attitude and body language in these two games, despite the poor approach in batting in the first game, I think we have improved from our last three or four series."

Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84

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ICC Rankings - 2022 Asia Cup

Hardik Pandya's all-round performance in India's opening game of the 2022 Asia Cup has helped him jump eight places on the T20I allrounder's rankings to a career-best fifth position.

Hardik was instrumental in India's five-wicket victory against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. Hitting the hard lengths consistently, Hardik picked up 3 for 25 in his four overs to help India dismiss Pakistan for 147 in 19.5 overs. He then shepherded a tricky chase, smashing an unbeaten 33 off 17 balls to take India over the line with two balls to spare.

Hardik has had a successful year with both bat and ball. He led Gujarat Titans to the title in their maiden season in the IPL, and he's taken his all-round form into international cricket as well.

Since the end of IPL 2022, Hardik has played 14 T20Is, scoring 314 runs at an average of 34.88 and taking 11 wickets with best figures of 4 for 33 against England. He also captained India in three T20Is - two against Ireland and one against West Indies - and won all three matches.

"In bowling, my plans were pretty simple," Hardik told Star Sports after the India-Pakistan clash. "I always tell the same thing. It's just how I use it. I tell that it's important to kind of assess the situation and conditions, and use your weapon which I feel, you know, hard lengths and hitting the length is my strength. But I make sure I use it very wisely, put some doubt in the batter and ask them to play the wrong shot."

About his batting form, Hardik said, "In batting, over the years, I have understood [that] the calmer I can stay, it's going to help me execute all the plans. Those executions, the 50-50 chances that I take, if I am calmer, it helps me to pull it off. Chases like this, you always plan overs."

There were gains for Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the T20I rankings for bowlers after Afghanistan became the first team to qualify for the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup. Rashid's 3 for 22 against Bangladesh helped him jump two spots over fellow wristspinners Adil Rashid and Adam Zampa on the list of T20I bowlers. He is now No. 3 with only Tabraiz Shamsi and Josh Hazlewood ahead of him.

Mujeeb is ranked ninth - having moved up seven places - after taking five wickets in the first two games at the Asia Cup.

In the Test rankings, Ben Stokes' efforts in England's win over South Africa in Manchester, saw him move up in all three rankings list. He is now 18th in the Test rankings for batters, 38th among bowlers, and second among allrounders.

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Pakistan flood created a 100km-wide lake, satellite images show

Swaths of the country are now underwater, after what United Nation officials have described as a "monsoon on steroids" brought the heaviest rainfall in living memory and flooding that has killed 1,162 people, injured 3,554 and affected 33 million since mid-June.

The new images, taken on August 28 from NASA's MODIS satellite sensor, show how a combination of heavy rain and an overflowing Indus River have inundated much of Sindh province in the South. In the center of the picture, a large area of dark blue shows the Indus overflowing and flooding an area around 100 kilometers (62 miles) wide, turning what were once agricultural fields into a giant inland lake. It's a shocking transformation from the photo taken by the same satellite on the same date last year, which shows the river and its tributaries contained in what appear by comparison to be small, narrow bands, highlighting the extent of the damage in one of the country's hardest-hit areas.

This year's monsoon is already the country's wettest since records began in 1961, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, and the season still has one month to go. In both Sindh and Balochistan provinces, rainfall has been 500% above average, engulfing entire villages and farmland, razing buildings and wiping out crops. While mostly dry weather is expected in the region in coming days, experts say the water will take days to recede.

Pakistan's climate change minister Sherry Rehman said Sunday that parts of the country "resemble a small ocean," and that "by the time this is over, we could well have one-quarter or one-third of Pakistan under water."

'Flood of apocalyptic proportions'

In a interview with CNN Tuesday, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said he had visited Sindh and seen first-hand how the flooding had displaced entire villages and towns. "There is barely any dry land that we can find. The scale of this tragedy ... 33 million people, that's more than the population of Sri Lanka or Australia," he said. "And while we understand that the new reality of climate change means more extreme weather, or monsoons, more extreme heat waves like we saw earlier this year, the scale of the current flood is of apocalyptic proportions. We certainly hope it's not a new climate reality." Satellite images from Maxar Technologies from other areas of the country show how entire villages and hundreds of plots of verdant land have been razed by the rapidly moving floods. Images from Gudpur, a locality in Punjab, show how the floods have damaged homes, and replaced land with snaking trails of of bare Earth. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday to inspect its flood damage. The province has logged most of the latest deaths after water levels rose exponentially, said the country's National Disaster Management Authority.

Sharif said Tuesday the flooding was the "worst in Pakistan's history" and international assistance was needed to deal with the scale of the devastation.

Additional reporting from CNN's Rachel Ramirez, Angela Dewan, Paul P. Murphy and Jan Camenzind Broomby.
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Match Preview - Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2022, 5th Match, Group B

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It is a knockout match, so perhaps we should ask the tough question. Is this a real rivalry? Pull on your criss-cross deerstalker hats, Sherlocks. Get your magnifying glass. Clasp your notebooks tight. We about to investigate.

To understand what happened between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the 2018 Nidahas trophy, we must roll the clock back to the previous Bangladesh Premier League, where Nazmul Islam, an unassuming slow left-arm bowler, sought to sex up his workaday act by adding a fun celebration. This is the birth of the now-infamous "Nagin dance". In Nazmul's hands, it was joyful. Innocent even. Little did he know how this was all about to blow up.

When he claimed wickets against Sri Lanka in a limited-overs series early in that year, he busted out his celebration again. Hands cocked above his head, like a cobra, a little body-thrusting action. Why wouldn't he? But then, drama. Danushka Gunathilaka did an imitation of the dance when he got a wicket in that series.

Gunathilaka might say it was all just a little bit of fun, sir, and he didn't mean anything by it. But then you can also see from the Bangladesh perspective, how it might have seemed a mockery.

So when Mushfiqur Rahim hit the winning runs in a big chase against Sri Lanka in Colombo, he did the mock-Nagin dance at Gunathilaka, who was walking past him. Other Sri Lankan players then started doing it to mock Mushfiqur, I guess? Then the whole Bangladesh team started doing it, almost in solidarity with Nazmul and Mushfiqur.

Towards the business end of the series, there was a tense game between the two sides, and after some truly wild gesticulating and on-field arguments, the Bangladesh dressing room door at the Khettarama stadium was left shattered, when they won.

If this sounds like grown men acting childish, like a little celebration being blown way out of proportion, like fans getting riled up over meaningless theatrics, or if you've got dumber reading this preview until now, all of the above are valid feelings

But we are chroniclers here at ESPNcricinfo. It is our job to present facts. Even when the facts are stupid.

But we're in sports media, so I guess we should try hype this up. It could be close? If nothing else, these teams are evenly matched. Between Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Mohammad Saifuddin, Bangladesh certainly have a more experienced seam attack. Sri Lanka perhaps have the better spinners in Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. On the batting front, Bangladesh have the experience of Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, and Mushfiqur. But the likes of Charith Asalanka and Kusal Mendis have prospered against Bangladesh in the past. There's not a lot to separate the teams

Either way, whoever wins this game advances to the Super 4 round. Whoever loses returns home much earlier than their fans would have hoped.

Celebrations in the Bangladesh dressing room in Colombo went a bit too far in 2018•Andrew Fernando/ESPNcricinfo

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first) Sri Lanka LWLLL Bangladesh LLWLL

In the spotlight

Kusal Mendis has been in excellent Test-match form recently, before extending that to the shortest format, when he dominated Sri Lanka's premier T20 domestic tournament this year, shortly before setting off to the Asia Cup. He seems to have been sent up the order to open the batting in this series. Although his T20I stats are otherwise modest, this is a position he enjoys, striking at 137 when he opens, averaging 32 (career numbers are 121 and 20). He is auditioning to play this role in the T20 World Cup in October.

Amid Bangladesh's struggle in T20s over the last 12 months, Mahedi Hasan has been one of the rare consistent performers. He has the best economy rate in world cricket among bowlers who have played at least 25 innings, proving once again that orthodox offspin can still work. He brings out the side-arm deliveries from time to time, but is generally quite tight with his orthodoxy. Mahedi is also a decent hitter, and could even be used as an opener.

Pitch and conditions

It seems likely that the match will be played on a used surface, which means it might be a little more spin-friendly than tracks we have seen at this tournament. Temperatures will be scorching - likely in the low 30-degree celsius range, even in the evening.

Team news

Sri Lanka might just go in with the same XI, despite the big loss against Afghanistan. They may consider bringing the in-form Ashen Bandara into the middle order, however, perhaps in place of Danushka Gunathilaka. Or they might move Gunathilaka back up to the top of the order, and leave Pathum Nissanka out.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 5 Danushka Gunathilaka, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Matheesha Pathirana, 11 Dilshan Madushanka

Bangladesh have a batting quandary which could see them change the opening pair again. Mushfiqur Rahim was talked about as one of those options although he would have to agree to this unusual role. Bangladesh also could revisit their bowling attack.

Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mohammad Naim, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 4 Afif Hossain, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Mohammad Saifuddin, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman/Nasum Ahmed

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have won eight of the 12 completed matches between these teams, but lost two of the last three.

Kusal Mendis has scores of 53, 10, 57, and 11 against Bangladesh, striking at 169 across those four innings. He has opened the batting on all those occasions, twice in Bangladesh, and twice in Colombo.

In five innings in the UAE so far, Mahedi Hasan hasn't been particularly penetrative, taking just three wickets. But he has been economical, even if not quite up to his standards elsewhere, conceding 7.45 an over.

Quotes

"Our opening pair isn't clicking at all. We are missing Litton Das who is injured. I am hopeful the openers can bat to a plan. You can get out trying to hit the first ball, but it hurts us when nobody shows the intent. I want to see the intent. I want to see the change in mindset."
Bangladesh team director Khaled Mahmud, when asked about the possible batting improvements against Sri Lanka.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf

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Taiwan fires warning shots at unidentified drone near Kinmen County

All three drones later flew back toward the Chinese mainland, according to the Defense Command. Kinmen County is governed by the self-ruling island of Taiwan, which Beijing views as its territory despite never having controlled it.

It was not clear who was flying the unidentified drones.

On Tuesday, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen said during a troop inspection that she had ordered the island's Defense Ministry to take "necessary and forceful countermeasures as appropriate" against what she called Chinese grey zone warfare tactics, including "drone harassments."

"We will not give China the pretext to create conflict. We will not provoke disputes and we will be restrained, yet that does not mean we will not counteract," Tsai said.

The Chinese government has not yet commented on the incident. However, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs was asked Monday about previous reports of private drones flying in the area and responded: "I have seen the videos too. Chinese drones flying over China's territory -- what's there to be surprised at?"

Kinmen County is made up of several islands and islets between the mainland coastal Chinese city of Xiamen and Taiwan's main island.

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Asia Cup 2022 - India vs Hong Kong

Ravindra Jadeja was at his jovial best at Tuesday's optional training session, ahead of India's final group game against Hong Kong in Dubai. And when he rather unexpectedly came for the pre-match press conference, he was greeted with a huge cheer from the room.

"Bakra mil gaya kya?," (Have you guys found your sacrificial lamb) Jadeja laughed as he settled into his chair. And over the next 10 minutes, his answers alternated between dry humour and insight into India's strategies at the Asia Cup.

"Aapka sawaal mere book se baahar hai," (your question is out of syllabus) he joked when asked whether Rishabh Pant would continue to be benched.

"Aap zyada sochte ho, main itna nahi sochta," (you seem to think a lot, I don't think so much) he quipped when asked about his role of primarily being a bowler in Test cricket vis-a-vis his role in the white-ball teams.

Chuckles turned into full-blown laughter when Jadeja responded to a question on how he dealt with rumours about his sudden injury during the IPL and the possibility of him not being selected for the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup.

"Once I heard news that I was dead, it can't bigger than that," he responded. "I don't think too much about it. I just focus on my work, try to play well and perform."

Jadeja's answers were quick. He can go through half a dozen questions in the time he takes to bowl an over.

With Pakistan playing a legspinner in Shadab Khan and a left-arm spinner in Mohammad Nawaz, Jadeja was sent up the order to negate the threat of a right-hand batter having to face a ball turning away from him. Jadeja responded with a 29-ball 35 and his partnership with Hardik Pandya helped India win the game with three balls to spare. He revealed that he's been preparing to bat anywhere in the order, and that the decision to move up was something he had expected.

"If you play for India, there will be pressure always. You need to play with responsibility sometimes. When you get a chance to bat when the team is in trouble and then you have to win it from there, it's challenging."

Ravindra Jadeja

"Definitely, sometimes it happens if a left-arm spinner or legspinner is bowling, it's easier to have a left-hander," Jadeja said. "In the top-seven I was the only left-hander. I knew there would be such situations, where they have a left-arm spinner and legspinner so I may have to bat up.

"I was preparing myself mentally for it. Luckily, I got the runs, and whatever I did, it was crucial. I can't say [the same will happen against all teams]. Every opponent has different bowlers, we'll plan from that point of view."

Jadeja rued not finishing the game off but expressed satisfaction at having delivered a key performance in a pressure situation. "If you play for India, there will be pressure always," he said. "You need to play with responsibility sometimes. When you get a chance to bat when the team is in trouble and then you have to win it from there, it's challenging.

"You can sometimes come to bowl in similar situations. If you perform well in such situations, it gives you satisfaction and confidence as a player."

And how would Jadeja bowl to a batter like Jadeja? "If there's someone like that in T20s, I'll look at the areas the batter plays in, what his strong zones are, which end I'm bowling from, and which part of the outfield is bigger."

In 2018, the Asia Cup was Jadeja's launchpad for a comeback after he fell out of favour for close to a year. Four years on, Jadeja and Hardik Pandya are key pieces of India's T20I puzzle as they look to win a tournament - the T20 World Cup - they haven't won since 2007.

Jadeja isn't focused on Australia just yet. He's looking to do his best against Hong Kong, and then take the Super 4s as it comes.

"One game at a time, one game at a time," he laughed, before coolly walking off, sipping ice-cold water.

Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Match Preview - India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2022, Group A

Big picture

Every time there is an Asia Cup around, its relevance is brought into question. Is it not enough that it brings together India and Pakistan for an actual game of cricket outside the World Cup and Champions Trophy? This edition has the potential of as many as three matches between them. It is not the case but even if the rest of the tournament is a facade to just find a way to have these teams play, it is worth it.

Since their last bilateral engagement in the first week of 2013, the two sides have faced each other only 12 times, four of them in the Asia Cup. Among Full Members, they have played only Afghanistan and Ireland less frequently in this period.

To have them play frequently is important because the more India and Pakistan play each other, the less jingoistic the fans' reaction becomes, the less the chances of a repeat of what Mohammed Shami had to face the last time these two teams played.

Among the players themselves, distance has made their hearts grow fonder. Just look at the concern India's players have for the fitness of Shaheen Shah Afridi, their wrecker the last time they played, in the video that has gone viral.

Since that match, India have shed a lot of their inhibition with the bat. Pakistan have shed some ageing batters, but they are still anchor-heavy, which works only in great bowling units. And their bowling is not the same as the last time around. Apart from Afridi not being there, Imad Wasim is missing, and Hasan Ali is back at the last minute only because Mohammad Wasim got injured. That points to the ordinary form of Hasan.

India, too, will be missing Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel, but they still look more settled coming into the Asia Cup. They are tactically much more switched on than they were earlier. However, come match day in T20 cricket, these things can all be blown out of the park. Especially when you play each other as infrequently as these teams do.

Form guide

India WWWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Pakistan LWWWW

In the spotlight

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. We don't yet know if they are peas from the same pod but the spotlight is sure to follow them wherever they go. Kohli has bought into the team philosophy of taking more risks even though he has himself not been getting the runs. Forget the external noise, it can be silenced, but is the trust the team is putting in him despite an extended dry run now becoming a bit of pressure?

Since their last bilateral series in 2013, Pakistan and India have faced each other only 12 times•AFP/Getty Images

Babar continues to be the run machine but does he trust the batters after him sufficiently to play a more enterprising game? It will be in sharp focus now that their bowling attack doesn't look as strong as it did last year. Especially if Pakistan are sent in to bat first at a chase-friendly venue.

Team news

It is incredible that India could be going into the match with the same top seven as last year but still hold a completely different outlook and threat. It is not likely that they take a player of Kohli's stature into the squad and then make him sit. That leaves Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik for one slot. Pant is a more all-round batter and is the only left-hand batter in the top six; Karthik is a specialist finisher. Tough choice.

India (probable): 1 KL Rahul 2 Rohit Sharma (capt) 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rishabh Pant/Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 R Ashwin/Avesh Khan, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Pakistan's top seven is more or less settled, leaving some debate over the bowlers. With Shadab Khan being the vice-captain, it is unlikely they will be going for two wristspinners, so Mohammad Nawaz is likely to pip Usman Qadir. With Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah providing high pace, they could pick the control of Shahnawaz Dahani over Mohammad Hasnain.

Pakistan (probable): 1 Babar Azam (capt), 2 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Asif Ali, 5 Iftikhar Ahmed, 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Mohammad Nawaz/Usman Qadir, 9 Shahnawaz Dahani/Mohammad Hasnain, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Naseem Shah

Pitch and conditions

The World Cup last year and all the IPLs in the UAE, where matches began at 6pm, are a clear indicator that Dubai tilts the scales heavily in favour of the chasing side. There is some tackiness early on, and there is dew to contend with for only one side, as opposed to both teams in case of late starts.

Other than that, keep an eye out for the oppressive heat. Even during the night, the temperatures are expected to hover around 35°C.

Stats and trivia

• India lead Pakistan 8-5 on head-to-head in the Asia Cup, both formats put together. They are on a three-match winning streak.
• This will be Kohli's 100th T20I, making him only the second player after Ross Taylor to play 100 international games in all three formats.

Quotes

"When there is an opportunity to try different combinations, we will try. Along the way, if we make mistakes or face difficulties, we're okay with that. We have spoken about it as a group, and there is nothing to fear."
Rohit Sharma says India will keep experimenting in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup

"Honestly, that [last World Cup] game is a thing of the past now. It won't have an impact on Sunday's match. I am completely focused on tomorrow's game. The teams are kind of different, the conditions are different. Although as a side we are confident, we won't talk big ahead of the game. We wish to prove it on the field." Babar Azam doesn't want to be drawn into the hype of the last year's World Cup win

Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Match Preview - Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2022, Group B

Big picture

It's a very 2022 thing to say, but it's possible that Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are pretty evenly matched sides.

Hear me out.

Of the two sides, Afghanistan tend to play weaker teams, of course, but since 2020, they have won a T20I series against Ireland, won two against Zimbabwe, and drawn one against Bangladesh.

By comparison, Sri Lanka have won just one T20I series since 2020. This was against India. That sounds impressive. Until you remember this was the series in which an already depleted India team (their Test side was on tour on some other continent, playing England) trounced Sri Lanka in the first match, before no fewer than seven of their players contracted Covid-19, and they barely managed to put an XI on the field, packing the side out with bowlers, including net bowlers.

Sri Lanka may be a resurgent team on the whole. They have got something cooking on the Test front. Their ODI form hasn't been terrible lately. But in T20Is? There are some stars in the team now, but certainly no consistent results. They have won just two of the last 11 T20Is they have played.

The batting is where Sri Lanka will feel they have more quality than the opposition. Kusal Mendis is in excellent form, across formats. Charith Asalanka was terrific in the UAE during last year's World Cup. Najibullah Zadran and Hazratullah Zazai have been good for Afghanistan this year, but can they do it against high-quality spin?

This is another opportunity for Afghanistan to show they deserve to play tougher opposition more often. And Sri Lanka to show that while they struggle against the top teams, they can still beat the sides they have historically dominated.

Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, still a spin duo to reckon with•AFP/Getty Images

Form guide

Sri Lanka WLLLL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Afghanistan LWWLL

In the spotlight

Dasun Shanaka's last T20I innings was essentially a miracle. At one stage in the third T20I against Australia in Pallekele, Sri Lanka needed 59 runs from 18 balls, with only four wickets in hand. Shanaka took the side home in a hail of sixes, making 54 not out off 25 balls. Although his ODI form has been modest, Shanaka's T20I form has been excellent this year - he's hit 302 runs at a strike rate of 145, across 11 innings. Sri Lanka have been found wanting for death-overs fireworks for years now. They need Shanaka to carry his 2022 form through.

Afghanistan's captain, Mohammad Nabi, has not had so much T20I fun with the bat recently. In the recent series against Ireland, he was out five times and made a top score of 9. But then that's just one series (he'd had good batting outings against Zimbabwe earlier in the year). And his bowling continues to be effective, particularly on the kinds of pitches the UAE is likely to throw up, and with which he is familiar.

Pitch and conditions

Conditions have been hot and dry in Dubai, with the playing surface covered for large parts of the day. With training entirely held at the ICC Academy nearby, curators have had enough time to water the surface and ensure moisture content is maintained. On each of the last four evenings, there hasn't been much dew at night. This is something teams will gladly welcome because it will minimise the toss advantage. It will also make for an even contest between bat and ball.

Team news

Shanaka was guarded about the make-up of his XI ahead of the match, but suggested there would be a left-arm seamer in operation, which means Dilshan Madushanka may be in line for a debut. He's likely to have sling-arm seamer Matheesha Pathirana for company. Sri Lanka have decisions to make on the batting front, though. Ashen Bandara has been in good domestic form. But Dhananjaya de Silva has more all-round appeal. And then there's Pathum Nissanka. If they are to accommodate Nissanka in the XI, Mendis may move down the order.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva/Ashen Bandara, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Matheesha Pathirana, 11 Dilshan Madushanka

Dushmantha Chameera will be missed, his presence could have made Sri Lanka the favourites•BCCI

If the pitch is turning, Afghanistan may stack their side with spinners. Between Rashid, Mujeeb, left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad, and Nabi's darts, they could have a lot of slow-bowling options.

Afghanistan (possible): 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Najibullah Zadran, 5 Mohammad Nabi (capt), 6 Samiullah Shinwari, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Karim Janat, 9 Naveen-ul-Haq, 10 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 11 Noor Ahmad

Stats and trivia

• Incredibly, these teams have only played one T20I against each other, in the 2016 World Cup. Sri Lanka won that match with seven balls to spare.
• Nabi has played more T20Is in the UAE than anywhere else, with 35 appearances. His stats on both fronts are impressive. He's made 593 runs here, striking at 138. And he's taken 31 wickets, with an economy rate of 7.09.
• Shanaka's 2022 form is a huge improvement on previous years. He's not only never hit more than 224 runs in other years (he has 308 so far this year), he'd also not struck at more than 135 in any year in which he'd hit more than ten runs.

Quotes

"We're hoping to use a familiar combination. We'll have two main fast bowlers, and an allrounder in Chamika Karunaratne. And we might have a left-armer too."
Sri Lanka captain Shanaka on the seam attack's likely make-up.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf

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Hasan Ali in Pakistan Asia Cup squad after Mohammad Wasim is ruled out

PCB confirmed that the team management had asked for Hasan as a replacement and chief selector Mohammad Wasim accepted the request. When the 16-man squad had been announced earlier this month, Naseem Shah had been called up to replace Hasan. Now, with Afridi and Wasim out, Pakistan's pace-bowling unit has Haris Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shah and Hasan. Their campaign at the Asia Cup starts on August 28 against India.

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Thailand has suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan O-cha. What happens next?

The unusual leadership reshuffle follows a ruling by the Constitutional Court of Thailand on Wednesday, which ordered Prayut to stand aside while it considers if he breached the eight-year term limit recently written into the constitution.

Prayut took the role of prime minister after a military coup in 2014 before winning a controversial general election in 2019.

In the meantime, he ordered the kingdom's constitution to be re-written, banning the prime minister from serving more than eight years in office. But the question now is whether Prayut has breached his own limit. Earlier this week the court accepted a petition signed by 172 opposition lawmakers that claims Prayut's rule started in 2014, when he took power in the coup. The court will also likely consider if his term officially began in 2017, when the constitution was rewritten, or even 2019, after the election.

Five out of nine constitutional court judges agreed on Wednesday that Prayut should be suspended while the court considers the matter, but didn't provide a timeline for the ruling. The court gave Prayut 15 days to submit a counter statement as to why he should keep the job, once he formally receives the court paper. In a statement, Prayut's office said he respects the court's decision. The order "will not affect the administration of the nation, work carried out by civil servants or the government's ongoing policies," the statement said.

Who is in charge now?

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan will step in acting as prime minister while the court mulls its final verdict, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri told reporters on Wednesday. Prawit himself is former army chief and a longtime supporter of the Thai monarchy. Fresh elections are due by May next year under the constitution, but the sitting prime minister still has the power to call early elections by dissolving the elected House of Representatives. Prayut has survived four no-confidence votes in the past months, and looked set to cling on to power until the elections, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

But critics say it is time for him to go. "There have been some economic mismanagement, politics is still polarized, since over the past eight years since he's been prime minister -- or since he's been called as the prime minister -- Thailand has not done well," Thitinan said.

While youth-led protests seem to have died down as of late, he said this was because some of the movement's leaders had been prosecuted and grievances over the Prayut's government remain.

Why is Prayut unpopular?

Prayut's rule as a military coup leader turned prime minister has been marred with growing authoritarianism and widening inequality.

The former military chief came to power in a bloodless coup in 2014 that overthrew Yingluck Shinawatra's scandal-laden government following six months of civil unrest and violent street protests.

But shortly after taking over, Prayut banned all political campaigning including political gatherings of more than five people. During his leadership, hundreds of activists have been arrested and charged under draconian laws such as sedition or the lese majeste -- which prohibits criticism of the royal family.

In 2020, young people across the country defied threats from the military-backed government to take to the streets and call for Prayut's resignation. The mass protests stemmed from failed promises to restore democracy, and what activists say is a repression of civil rights and freedoms.

The military government's mismanagement in handling of the coronavirus pandemic and economy, nepotism and lack of transparency and accountability, also amplified calls for Prayut to step down.

Dissatisfaction over the military government and the kingdom's monarchy continued well into 2021.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who assumed the throne in 2016 and was crowned in May 2019, is believed to spend much of his time overseas and has been largely absent from public life in Thailand as the country grappled with the coronavirus pandemic.

Since becoming King, billions of dollars worth of assets held by the Thai Crown have been transferred to Vajiralongkorn, asserting his control of royal finances and vastly increasing his personal wealth, which drew ire among the public who are required to revere the monarchy.

CNN's Helen Regan contributed reporting.
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Woman arrested after racist rant, assault in restaurant lot

PLANO, Texas -- A woman has been arrested and faces a possible hate crime charge after she was captured on video in a racist rant and assault on women of South Asian descent in a suburban Dallas parking lot, officials said Thursday.

Plano police said in a statement Esmeralda Upton, 58, of Plano, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and terroristic threat charges. She remained in city jail Thursday with bond set at $10,000.

The statement said the incident also was being investigated as a hate crime. Jail officials had no attorney listed for Upton.

The incident happened shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday outside a Plano restaurant. A widely-circulated video recorded by the women of Indian descent showed Upton unleashing a profanity-laced rant on them, challenging their presence in the United States, threatening to shoot them and physically assaulting the woman shooting the video.

It was unclear from the video what, if anything, triggered the rant and assault.

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Japan police chief to resign over Abe shooting death

TOKYO -- Japan's national police chief said Thursday he will resign to take responsibility over the fatal shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a campaign speech last month.

National Police Agency Chief Itaru Nakamura's announcement came as his agency released a report on how it failed to protect Abe's life on July 8 when he was assassinated in Nara in western Japan.

The police report found holes in Abe's police protection that allowed the attacker to shoot him from behind.

Nakamura said he took the former prime minister's death seriously and that he submitted his resignation to the National Public Safety Commission earlier Thursday.

“In order to fundamentally reexamine guarding and never to let this happen, we need to have a new system,” Nakamura told a news conference as he announced his intention to step down.

Nakamura did not say when his resignation would be official. Japanese media reported that his resignation is expected to be approved at Friday's Cabinet meeting.

The alleged gunman, Tetsuya Yamagami, was arrested at the scene and is currently under mental evaluation until late November. Yamagami told police that he targeted Abe because of the former leader's link to the Unification Church, which he hated.

Abe sent a video message last year to a group affiliated with the church, which experts say may have infuriated the shooting suspect.

Abe's family paid tribute to him in a private Buddhist ritual Thursday marking the 49th day of his assassination.

In Nara, prefectural police chief Tomoaki Onizuka also expressed his intention to step down over Abe's assassination.

The church, which was founded in South Korea in 1954 and came to Japan a decade later, has built close ties with a host of conservative lawmakers, many of them members of Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party on their shared interests of anti-communism.

Since the 1980s, the church has faced accusations of problematic recruiting and religious sales in Japan, and the governing party’s church ties have sent support ratings of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet into a nosedive even after its recent shuffle.

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Asia Cup 2022 - Wasim Akram worried about Pakistan's middle order, says they can compete with India 'day in and day out'

Wasim Akram believes Pakistan's win over India in the 2021 T20 World Cup has made them believe "they can compete against India day in and day out". He feels what was once a one-sided rivalry at World Cups has suddenly come alive.

"Pakistan team is on the rise for the past couple of years," Akram said during a media session organised by Star Sports. "They've been consistent, and I think the win against India, although that was a year ago during the World Cup, gave them a bit of confidence that they can compete against India day in and day out."

When Pakistan won their opening game of the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE by ten wickets, it was their first win against India in six attempts at the competition. It was also the first time Pakistan had won a men's World Cup fixture in any format against India, across 13 matches. It was a win that spurred their impressive run to the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual champions Australia.

As they look to finetune their preparations for this year's T20 World Cup in Australia, Pakistan will look to channel that spirit of 2021. This weekend, India and Pakistan will lock horns for the first time in a year when they meet in the Asia Cup in Dubai. In fact, over the next two weeks, they could potentially meet three times, ahead of their high-stakes T20 World Cup fixture in Melbourne on October 23.

Akram is optimistic of Pakistan's chances, but is aware that the team's strength - the top order - could become a weakness. Since the start of last year's T20 World Cup, Pakistan's top three have scored 67.53% of all the runs made by the team in T20Is. This has largely been down to Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman.

"The only thing I'm worried about is the middle order," Akram said. "There is no experience apart from Iftikhar Ahmed coming in at No. 4, and then you'll have probably Haider Ali, a young sensation who hasn't been consistent. Babar Azam and Rizwan are the key as far as the T20 format is concerned.

"I think in general they're confident, but it depends on how they feel or what sort of mindset they're in when they arrive before the India-Pakistan game because that game can make or break the Asia Cup for either side."

Akram agreed that comparisons between Babar and Virat Kohli were inevitable, given the kind of impact they have had on their respective teams, but it's best avoided. To him, Babar is not yet there, but has all the makings of being a modern-day great.

"It's only natural," Akram said of the comparison. "When we played, people compared Inzamam-ul-Haq with Rahul Dravid or Sachin Tendulkar. Before that, it was Javed Miandad versus Sunny [Sunil] Gavaskar. Gundappa Viswanath and Zaheer Abbas. So [the comparison] is only natural.

"Babar has been very consistent because he has the right technique. He enjoys his batting, is still very hungry, physically fit, still young and is the captain across formats. He's learning and learning very quickly. As far as comparisons go, he's on the right track to be where Virat Kohli is. It's a bit too early to compare him to Kohli at this stage, but he's on track to be one of the modern greats."

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/asia-cup-2022-wasim-akram-worried-about-pakistans-middle-order-says-they-can-compete-with-india-day-in-and-day-out/?feed_id=14978&_unique_id=6305986074e1e

Asia Cup 2022 - Sri Lanka news

A calf strain has put Dushmantha Chameera, Sri Lanka's premier short-format quick, out of the Asia Cup. A member of the Sri Lanka team management told ESPNcricinfo that Chameera picked up the injury "three-or-four days ago" and will not recover in time for the Asia Cup.

A doctor working with the team confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Chameera's ankle injury, which has to do with his achilles tendon, has now moved up into the calf. While the injury has not been fully assessed yet, it is thought he can regain fitness in time for the T20 World Cup which begins mid-October.

On Saturday, Chameera had been named in Sri Lanka's 18-man squad for the Asia Cup despite not completing a full recovery from an ankle injury. At the time, it was understood that Chameera would be given as much time as possible to regain full match fitness. This will no longer be the case.

Right-armer Pramod Madushan, who had been part of the standby list when the squad was announced, has been added to the main squad as Chameera's replacement.

Chameera's absence will put additional pressure on an inexperienced Sri Lankan seam-bowling attack at the Asia Cup. Their fast-bowling contingent now has Dilshan Madushanka, Madushan, Asitha Fernando and Matheesha Pathirana - all uncapped in T20Is - with allrounders Chamika Karunaratne and Dasun Shanaka as the other options. Binura Fernando and Kasun Rajitha are also unavailable because of injuries.

Their spin attack, however, wears a more potent look, with Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Praveen Jayawickrama and Jeffrey Vandersay in the mix. Still, Sri Lanka will need to find alternative options to deliver the new-ball and death overs Chameera frequently delivered.

Sri Lanka's campaign begins on August 27 against Afghanistan in Dubai.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/asia-cup-2022-sri-lanka-news/?feed_id=14614&_unique_id=63047dde0a2ab

Bangladesh appoint S Sriram T20 consultant for Asia Cup, T20 World Cup

"We are not a strong side when it comes to T20 matches, and to do something about that, we have decided to bring drastic changes in our thought process and mentality," Hassan said. "'We want to start anew from the Asia Cup, and if we don't do it now, we will face even worse results in the World Cup. We have done appallingly in the last T20 World Cup. We don't know if we can get out of the circle of substandard results in T20 games. Since the Asia Cup is the biggest stage after the World Cup, we will try to change our way of playing and bring results."

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China is seeding clouds to replenish its shrinking Yangtze River

Several regions on the Yangtze have launched weather modification programs, but with cloud cover too thin, operations in some drought-ravaged parts of the river's basin have remained on standby.

The Ministry of Water Resources said in a notice on Wednesday that drought throughout the Yangtze river basin was "adversely affecting drinking water security of rural people and livestock, and the growth of crops."

On Wednesday, central China's Hubei province became the latest to announce it would seed clouds, using silver iodide rods to induce rainfall.

The silver iodide rods -- which are typically the size of cigarettes -- are shot into existing clouds to help form ice crystals. The crystals then help the cloud produce more rain, making its moisture content heavier and more likely to be released.

Cloud seeding has been in practice since the 1940s and China has the biggest program in the world. It used seeding ahead of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 to ensure dry weather for the event, and the technique can also be used to induce snowfall or to soften hail.

At least 4.2 million people in Hubei have been affected by a severe drought since June, Hubei's Provincial Emergency Management Department said Tuesday. More than 150,000 people there have difficulties accessing drinking water, and nearly 400,000 hectares of crops have been damaged because of high temperatures and drought.

The Yangtze is just one of many rivers and lakes across the northern hemisphere that are drying up and shrinking amid relentless heat and low rainfall, including Lake Mead in the US and the Rhine River in Germany. These extreme weather conditions have been supercharged by the human-induced climate crisis, driven by burning fossil fuels.

Communities often rely on these bodies of water for economic activity and governments are having to intervene with adaptation measures and relief funds, costing huge amounts of money.

China is deploying such funds and developing new supply sources to deal with the impacts on crops and livestock. Some livestock has been temporarily relocated to other regions, the Ministry of Finance said earlier this week, adding it would issue 300 million yuan ($44.30 million) in disaster relief.

To boost downstream supplies, the Three Gorges Dam, China's biggest hydropower project, will also increase water discharges by 500 million cubic meters over the next 10 days, the Ministry of Water Resources said Tuesday.

The heat also forced authorities in the southwestern province of Sichuan -- home to around 84 million people and a key manufacturing hub -- to order the shutdown of all factories for six days this week to ease a power shortage.

'Longest' and 'strongest' heat wave on record

China issued its highest red alert heat warning for at least 138 cities and counties across the country on Wednesday, and another 373 were placed under the second-highest orange alert, the Meteorological Administration said.

As of Monday, China's heat wave had lasted 64 days, making it the longest in more than six decades, since full records began in 1961, the National Climate Center said in a statement. It also said it was the "strongest" on record and warned that it could worsen in the coming days.

"The heat wave this time is prolonged, wide in scope, and strong in extremity," the statement read. "Taken all signs together, the heat wave in China will continue and its intensity will increase."

The heat wave has also registered the largest number of counties and cities exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) since records began, according to the statement. The number of weather stations recording temperatures of 40C and above has reached 262, also the highest. Eight have hit 44C.

Persistently high temperatures are forecast to continue in the Sichuan Basin and large parts of central China until August 26.

A "special case" of high pressure from the West Pacific subtropical high, stretching across much of Asia, is likely to be the cause of the extreme heat, said Cai Wenju, climate researcher with CSIRO, Australia's national scientific research institute.

CNN's Larry Register, Angela Dewan and Laura He contributed to this report.

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