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Change Your Life! |
Final battle of Asia Cup today |
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News |
June 7, 2000
Dhaka, UNB)- The curtain falls on the region’s biggest cricket carnival after the final battle between Sri Lanka and Pakistan here today.
The final match of the Seventh Pepsi Asia Cup Cricket Tournament, which began on May 29, starts at 2:30pm at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
Defending champions Sri Lanka will fight for retaining their pride while Pakistan, who are yet to earn the feat appearing on five occasions, come out to fulfill their dream in the Asia Cup.
The seventh version of the prestigious tournament started with an uncertainty due to torrential rain, which forced open the tourney a day later from the scheduled inauguration.
But surprisingly the tournament is now on the brink of successful ending as all preliminary matches were held without curtailing any over excepting interruption in the first two matches.
Pakistan gained a morale booster beating their ultimate rival on Monday to set their feet in finale with unbeaten note while Sri Lanka confirmed their final berth beating hosts Bangladesh and India.
Pakistan skipper Moin Khan said that they are looking forward to the final and determined to beat holders Sri Lanka to clinch the first ever Asia Cup title for his country.
The wicket-keeper batsman Moin expressed his satisfaction over the team performance and believed they are in top form at the moment.
The 1992 world champions earned many feathers on their cap excepting the Asia Cup, but this time they are undoubtedly meet the final as a “favorite”.
They already proved in their preliminary matches that they are now in pick form to remove their drought in the region’s prime tournament.
New faces of the Pakistan squad produced magnificent job and gave superb services in every department including improvised fielding, which was one of their weak points in the past.
Specially, Imran Nazir, the promising teenage opener, showed brilliant job in the field along with his sparkling willow.
Yousuf Youhana, who proved himself a hero for Dhaka ground hitting a ton and two handsome fifties, will look forward to display another knock in the final to entertain the country’s cricket crazy fans.
Apart from spirited Youhana, the Pakistan team has a strong batting order with veteran Saeed Anwar recovering from his injuries and dependable Inzamamul Haq, known as the “crisis man”.
Although Anwar, the world record holder of highest individual run in an ODI match, is now not in his best form, he is considered a class batsman and has the ability to spark in right time.
But the real weapon of the Pakistan team is their aggressive bowling attack led by ace Wasim Akram, the highest wicket-taker in the one-day cricket.
Everything favors Pakistan to smile in the last moment but this is cricket, a game of glorious uncertainty, and only a magical performance by opposition could change the whole scenario.
The right-handed stylist batsman Aravinda de Silva, who has over 8,000 ODI runs in his pocket, is the key man for the islanders with the ability to bring a match in his team’s favor.
Veteran de Silva, who failed in previous two matches with his new role as an opener, is still considered a danger man of “big occasions”. So a different de Silva may appear in the final as he did in 1996 World Cup.
Skipper Sanath Jayasuriya, the left-handed glittering batsman, is another master bluster having capability to play dominating role in any match to raze the opposition to the ground.
Holders Sri Lanka lost their dress rehearsal match against Pakistan on Monday but they have a professional attitude, which would help them to fight back in the final.
The Sri Lankan captain also expressed his optimism that they would click in the final recovering from the huge defeat in the last league match against Pakistan.
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