Asia Cup 2023: Bangladesh faces Sri Lanka challenge in Pallekele; Shakib, Shanaka downplay rivalry 

While rain clouds cling heavy over the much-anticipated India versus Pakistan match on Saturday, one other intense rivalry, set to unfold on the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, reveals that the winds of change are blowing.

Signalling a multipolar cricketing world order, the Asia Cup is ready so as to add one other chapter to an more and more storied tussle between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Taking a cue from the platitudes that usually precede a slugfest, captains Dasun Shanaka and Shakib Al Hasan sought to downplay the non-cricketing pleasure surrounding the occasion.

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“I don’t think it’s a rivalry, it’s just that we play very good cricket whenever these two countries meet. It’s good for the crowd and the broadcasters,” Shakib mentioned on the eve of the match.

“It’s the noise outside. Between the players, the relations are good. We have a good brotherhood,” Shanaka chimed in.

Ironically, the bourgeoning Sri Lanka-Bangladesh squabble has extra to do solely with the sport than the Indo-Pak or the Afghanistan-Pakistan friction – each of that are underpinned by geopolitical tensions and cross-border bitterness.

While the ‘Naagin Dance’ – a puerile creation that regressed right into a full-blown present of animosity – is as far-removed a factor from cricket as could be, it was nonetheless conceived between the 22 yards. It is one other factor that followers took it past the boundary ropes!

The shifting of the stability of energy additionally fed into the lore of the ‘serpent dance’ because it coincided with a interval the place Bangladesh had began tasting success towards Full Members at an alarming frequency.

Shanaka resonated with this when explaining the newfound rivalry.

“It’s about the dominance in Asia. We know how dominant India and Pakistan are. When we come to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka has a history of playing good cricket – in World Cups and Asia Cups we have proven that we are a good side. Bangladesh also is a good team but unfortunately, they haven’t won the Asia Cup or any of the World Cups. They have good potential.

“Before heading into the World Cup, it is very important to play against Sri Lanka or any of the other countries (in Asia Cup). So. That’s where the rivalry begins – they need to start from somewhere. Earlier, Sri Lanka was playing mainly against India, and we came most of the time ahead. But now it’s different. So, Bangladesh wants to beat us first and move on from there. It’s the nature of the game,” he mentioned.

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The acrimony reached a crescendo throughout final yr’s Asia Cup when each groups have been pushed to the brink of a first-round elimination after shedding to an opponent they wouldn’t wish to lose to – Afghanistan.

United in misery, they relied on the opposite failing after they met of their final group match.

Shanaka appeared to suppose that Bangladesh lacked ‘world-class’ bowlers, barring Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan and that Afghanistan was a more durable nut to crack. The remark wasn’t obtained effectively by the Bangladeshis, however the Lankans had the final giggle, and the ‘ Naagin Dance’ bragging rights, as they sneaked into the subsequent spherical.

A yr later, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are united once more, this time depleted nearly equally resulting from accidents.

The host has misplaced three key pacers in Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Madushanka and Lahiru Kumara and talismanic all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga.

The quartet has been changed by the trio of Binura Fernando, Pramod Madushan and Dushan Hemantha, who’ve a mixed expertise of seven ODIs. It doesn’t encourage confidence that Sri Lanka has largely ridden on the robustness of its bowling for its victories of late.

Bangladesh is at sea within the batting division, having misplaced its highest ODI run scorer since 2022, Litton Das, resulting from a viral fever. His absence, coupled with Tamim Iqbal’s harm, means Bangladesh should deal with the uncertainty of an undercooked opening pair in Mohammad Naim and Anamul Haque, who was drafted rather than Litton.

With critical doubts lingering about its batting depth, the flexibleness lent by all-rounders Shakib and Mehidy Hasan Miraz might be compromised.

On the opposite, Sri Lanka is top-heavy, with its openers Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne averaging in extra of 60 in ODIs this yr. A brittle middle-order will welcome Kusal Perera, who will return to the format after greater than two years topic to his restoration from a COVID-19 an infection, and likewise financial institution on Shanaka’s ending touches.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have additionally not had the perfect preparation for the match. Nine of Bangladesh’s 12 ODIs this yr have been towards Ireland and Afghanistan, and it misplaced a house collection 1-2 towards the latter.

Sri Lanka is on a successful run of 10 matches, but it surely straddles over a bilateral collection towards the Afghans and a World Cup Qualifier, the place it confronted considerably weaker oppositions.

However, comparable fates and trajectories make this a tantalising contest, performed on an equal footing in a match which Shakib says is “very important” and which he’s “taking very seriously”.