Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka in the opening match of the 14th edition of the Asia Cup Cricket at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the UAE today (Saturday).
The Group 'B' match of the six-nation tournament will begin at 5:30 pm Bangladesh time.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka both plagued with injuries, are looking for a winning start.
With Afghanistan the third team in the group, both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will try to make a good start in the tournament and make sure they do not fall behind in the race for the Super Four.
In Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's Bangladesh camp, all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan needs a surgery on his left little finger, but has pushed it back till after the Asia Cup. Senior opener Tamim Iqbal has a swollen right ring finger and off-spinner Nazmul Hossain also has an injury in his bowling hand.
In Sri Lanka camp, Danushka Gunathilaka has returned home even before the start of the tournament with a lower back problem, and has been replaced by off-spinning all-rounder Shehan Jayasuriya, reports UNB.
Before the Gunathilaka-Jayasuriya swap came the news that Dinesh Chandimal was out with a finger injury -- wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella replaced him.
"It's not an ideal situation for either team, but Bangladesh do not worry too much about things what they cannot control", said Bangladesh manager Khaled Mahmud on Thursday, "I don't think injuries will have a big effect on us."
Hosts for the last three successive times, Bangladesh reached the final of the 50-over Asia Cup in 2012 and the T20 version in 2016, but they missed out titles, losing to Pakistan and India by two runs and eight wickets respectively.
With Chandimal out, Sri Lanka cannot quite make the same claim, but their squad looks strong on papers too.
Angelo Mathews has tremendous experience and class, qualities that are not lacking in the core of Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Suranga Lakmal or returning Lasith Malinga either.
The return of Malinga, indeed, has been one of the stories in the lead-up to the event, with the pace bowler not having played any international cricket since September last year.
Despite the presence of Lakmal and Malinga, Akila Dananjaya, the off-spinner with a big bag of tricks, could well be the front man of the bowling attack on the slowish tracks.
It is expected to be bright and sunny in Dubai through the day, and warm -- perhaps humid too -- in the evening.
Among their 44 ODIs, Bangladesh only have six wins against Sri Lanka.
Squads: Bangladesh: Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Kumar Das, Ariful Haque, Mominul Haque, Abu Hider, Rubel Hossain, Tamim Iqbal, Nazmul Islam, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat and Nazmul Hossain.
Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews (captain), Amila Aponso, Dushmantha Chameera, Akila Dananjaya, Niroshan Dickwella, Shehan Jayasuriya, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Kusal Mendis, Dilruwan Perera, Kusal Perera, Thisara Perera, Kasun Rajitha, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva and Upul Tharanga.
