However, if one was observant, he would have read between the lines and seen that the dynamics which ruled Asian cricket for so long are now changing with Pakistan and India close to losing their status as powerhouses of the region.
Afghanistan and Bangladesh did not get their hands on the winner’s trophy but throughout the tournament they acted like teams which questioned and challenged the status quo. Bangladesh, from the word go, showed how badly they wanted to win the trophy — or for that matter any trophy — since they were kicked out of the 2015 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan, the new rising star in the cricketing world, showed what team effort can do. They revived the concept of backing one another up in order to pull off miraculous wins or at least present a formidable challenge to their oppositions — teams which are bigger, better and more experienced than them.
Meanwhile, for Asian giants like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka there were lessons even in defeat. India realised their middle order needed working, Pakistan realised they can’t just rely on pure and raw youngsters to win every tournament and need experienced players too, while Sri Lanka were shaken out of their slumber by chastening defeats against Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
With the World Cup just eight months away, Asia Cup was an eye-opener for some while a confidence booster for the others, as they will be vying against the world to bring the most coveted trophy in cricket to Asia.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2018.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ