India Clinched Asia Cup 2010 Title after Defeating Sri Lanka by 81 Runs

India pulled off an enormous 81-run victory over Sri Lanka to win the Asia Cup 2010 title. Chasing a fighting total of 269, Sri Lankan batsmen agonizingly failed to show any resistance against the Indian pacers, more specifically Ashish Nehra. In reply to India’s 268 runs for 6, Sri Lanka got all out only for 187 runs with 32 balls remaining in their innings.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni decided to bat first after winning the toss. However, India lost their in-form opener Gautam Gambhir at 38, but his opening partner Dinesh Karthik, who was deputizing for injured Sehwag, scored a well-played half century which turned out to be a match-winning innings and earned him the man of the match award.

However, small contributions from all the middle order batsmen guided India towards a 250-plus score. Most notably, Dhoni’s 50-ball 38 and Rohit Sharma’s 52-ball 41 kept India in the right track after the dismissal of Karthik. Kohli’s 28, Raina’s 29 and Jadeja’s 25 also proved to be handy for India.

Pacer Lasith Malinga and occasional spinner Thilina Kandamby shared 2 wickets each for Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka did not have a good start in their chase as they lost 5 top order batsmen at 51. Kapugedera and Kandamby tried to build up a resistance, but all their efforts went in vain as no other Sri Lankan batsman could accompany them in their pursuit of a successful fight back.

Kapugedera remained not out at 55, while Kandamby got out for 35. The third highest score in Sri Lankan innings is 20 which came from Kulasekara.

Nehra, who has just returned after recovering from injury, was in dominating form in the game. The left arm pacer picked up 4 wickets including those of Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Matthews. Zaheer Khan and Jadeja bagged 2 wickets each.

In Asia Cup 2008, Sri Lankan defeated India by 100 runs in the tournament final to clinch the title. Now, India has taken a sweet revenge of their humiliating defeat and got back the Asia Cup title.

India vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup Final 2010: Time and Live Score

In the final of Asia Cup 2010, India takes on Sri Lanka on 24 June at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla. While India would be looking to avenge for their 100-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2008 final, Sri Lanka would be like to defend the Asia Cup title in front of home fans.

Time

The match kicks off at 09:00 GMT and 14:30 local time (Sri Lanka time). Cricket fans in India can also watch the match from 14:30. According to Bangladesh time, the match begins at 15:00 and as per Pakistan time, the match starts at

Live Score

To get the live score of the match, visit the following link:

http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/scores/live.html

India started off the tournament with a 6-wicket victory over Bangladesh before defeating Pakistan by 3 wickets. Sri Lanka got off to a winning start with a 16-run victory over Pakistan, followed by a 126-run win over Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka would be full of confident after winning all the matches so far in the tournament, while India would look to bounce back from Tuesday’s heavy defeat to the Sri Lanka. The players, who were rested for Tuesday’s match, would return for the final match.

Sri Lankan pacers Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga would come back along with spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, while Farveez Maharoof has an edge over Welegedara following his 5-wicket haul against India. Thilan Samaraweera would most probably come back in place of Kandamby.

Sri Lanka’s batting line up looks pretty strong in the presence of Tharanga, Dilshan, Jayawardene, Sangakkara, Matthews, Samaraweera and Kapugedera. Matthew and Maharoof, the two all rounders, provides extra options for Sri Lanka in both batting and bowling.

Sri Lanka’s spin attack would feature Muralitharan and it is less likely that the hosts would play more than 1 specialist spinner. They would play with four pacers: Kulasekara, Malinga, Matthews and Maharoof.

Indian batting line up agonizingly failed to show any resistance against Sri Lankan bowlers, more specially Farveez Maharoof. In the absence of Sehwah, Dinesh Karthik along with Gambhir would have to take the responsibility of bringing a good start for the middle order batsmen. In the middle order, Kohli, Sharma and Raina would have to pull the strings, while all rounder Jadeja is now under pressure to perform with bat.

Pacer Ashok Dinda would make way for Nehra who has just recovered his injury. In the presence of Zaheer, Praveen and Nehra India has a good pace attack, while their spin department features Harbhajan Singh and Jadeja.

India XI (Probable)

MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh

Sri Lanka XI (Probable)

Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Farveez Maharoof, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga

Cricket fans are expecting a highly entertaining match. Both sides have some top class performers who can do the job even single handedly for their sides. Both sides would be under pressure to perform at their best. So, the team, who would be able to hold their nerve, would have better chances in the match.

Asia Cup 2010 Final Match Live on NEO Cricket TV Channel

In a repeat of Asia Cup 2008 final, India and Sri Lanka are going to face each other in the final of Asia Cup 2010 on 24 June in Dambulla. Asian cricket fans are eagerly waiting for this match.

Sri Lanka is full of confident after winning all 3 preliminary round matches including Tuesday’s 7-wicket victory over India. Except the match against Sri Lanka, India won the other two matches.

Live on NEO Cricket TV Channel

Like the other matches of the tournament, NEO Cricket Television channel would telecast the tournament final live for its viewers. Cricket fans from South Asian countries including India and Sri Lanka would be bale to watch the match live on NEO Cricket.

NEO Cricket is one of the most popular sports channels in this region. They have a team of cricket experts who will be sharing their expertise with the cricket fans during the match. The channel has covered many important cricket events in the past. So, South Asian cricket fans can expect a highly quality coverage of the Asia Cup 2010 final.

India would like to take revenge of their humiliating 100-run defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in the final of the previous Asia Cup tournament in Pakistan. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, would look to defend the Asia Cup title successfully.

India vs Sri Lanka Time and Live Score: Asia Cup Cricket 2010

India and Sri Lanka face each other in a dead rubber on 22 June at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla. Both sides already progressed to the tournament final after winning over Pakistan and Bangladesh. So, on pen and paper, the match has no significance.

Time

The match starts at 09:00 GMT and 14:30 local time (Sri Lanka time). In India, cricket fans can watch the match on TV from 14:30. As per Bangladesh time, the match kicks off at 15:00.

Live Score

To get the live score of the match visit the following link:

http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/scores/live.html

Coming off a disappointing Zimbabwe tour, India started off pretty well in the tournament, winning the first match over Bangladesh by 6 wickets. That victory was followed by a 3-wicket win over arch-rival Pakistan.

Sri Lanka also started the tournament in the similar fashion, defeating Pakistan by 16 runs. Then the hosts clinched a dominating 126-run victory over Bangladesh.

With Tuesday’s match having apparently no importance, both sides would like to bring in some bench players who did not get enough chances so far in the tournament, and in the process, some senior players would get a necessary rest ahead of Thursday’s final at the same venue.

India would miss injured opener Virender Sehwag for the remaining two matches. Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has been called in as his replacement. So, along with in-form opener Gautam Gambhir, Karthik would open Indian innings.

There is a possibility India would hand young batsman Saurabh Tiwary his ODI debut. Tiwary has been in impressive from recently in domestic cricket with a batting average of over 50 in first class cricket. If he plays on Tuesday, Rohit Sharma would most probably make way for him.

India could also rest Harbhajan Singh and feature off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. There is also a slight possibility India could play two spinners with Pragyan Ojha being the second. In that case, all rounder Ravindra Jadeja would have to make way for Ojha.

Sri Lanka would also bring some changes in the squad. Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan could be rested and off spinner Suraj Randiv would take his place. In place of Thilan Samaraweera, Sri Lanka may play Kandamby. There is also a possibility pacer all rounder Farveez Maharoof would be brought in by resting Lasith Malinga.

India XI (Probable)

MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Virat Kohli, Saurabh Tiwary, Zaheer Khan, Ashok Dinda, Praveen Kumar, R Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha

Sri Lanka XI (Probable)

Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Angelo Mathews, Thilina Kandamby, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Chanaka Welegedera, Farveez Maharoof, Suraj Randiv

Both sides would like to go into the tournament final on the back of a victory. Sri Lanka is the defending champion and they would like to defend the title successfully in front of the home fans. India, who had some poor performances in international cricket recently, would like to boost up their confidence level by winning the tournament ahead of next year’s ICC World Cup which would be hosted jointly by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Dinesh Karthik to Replace Injured Virender Sehwag in Asia Cup Cricket 2010

Indian batsman Virender Sehwag would not be able to play any part in the remaining Asia Cup 2010 matches against Sri Lanka after suffering a hamstring injury during India’s win over Pakistan last Saturday.

Wicketkeeper batsman Dinesh Karthik has been called up as his replacement. Karthik will join the Indian team in Sri Lanka upon receiving the clearance from Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

Sehwag returned to Indian team with this tournament after being rested for India’s recent Zimbabwe tour. However, it is not yet confirmed how long it would take him to recover from the injury. Sehwag would now return home and go through a rehabilitation process.

Dinesh Karthik was dropped from the Asia Cup squad following his poor show in Zimbabwe. Now, it could be a good opportunity for the diminutive batsman to show his mettle and cement his place in the Indian squad.

India defeated both Pakistan and Bangladesh in the tournament and has ensured their progress to the final. They would now face Sri Lanka in their last preliminary round match on 22, before facing the same team on 24 June in the tournament final.

Missing hard-hitter opener Virender Sehwag would be a big blow for Team India, but they have a number of quality batsmen like Gambhir, Dhoni, Raina, Kohli and Rohit Sharma who are expected to fill up the gap.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Time and Live Score: Asia Cup Cricket 2010

With the hopes of a consolidating victory over Bangladesh, Pakistan heads into their last match of Asia Cup 2010 on 21 June at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla. After losing 2 back-to-back matches against India and Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh have already got out of the tournament.

Time

The match kicks off at 09:00 GMT and 14:30 local time. According to Bangladesh time, the match begins at 15:00. Cricket fans in Pakistan can watch the match from 14:00.

Live Score

Cricket fans can get the live score of the match from the following website link:

http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/scores/live.html

Pakistan may have lost both of their previous matches, but their performance was not overly disappointing. Pakistan could have won both the matches if they could hold their nerves till the end. In their opening game, Pakistan made an excellent fight back led by captain Shahid Afridi, but eventually lost the match by 16 runs.

Pakistan’s hopes to play in the final were finished after losing to India by 3 wickets on Sunday. Pakistan had enough chances to win the match. First of all, Pakistan failed to score a 300 plus score, despite having a good start from the openers. Later on, their bowlers could not keep the pressure on Indian batsmen.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, failed to live up to the expectations. They were not favorite, but many people thought Bangladesh would give some scary moments to the favorites. However, they were severely defeated by India and Sri Lanka. Now, they would like to prove that they are capable of creating upsets.

The match does not have any significance as far as the impact of its result on the tournament is concerned. So, both sides could opt to play some new players who could not play so far in the tournament.

Afridi confirmed that Shoaib Akhtar would be rested for the match and there is a possibility Asif could play in his place. Pakistan may like to play left arm spinner Abdur Rehman in place of Saeed Ajmal. There is also a possibility Pakistan could hand 24-year-old batsman Asad Shafiq his debut against Bangladesh.

Bangladesh would also like to test their squad strength by giving Jahurul Islam his ODI debut. Jahurul is a top order batsman and wicketkeeper. Bangladesh could also play pacer Rubel Hossain in place of Syed Rasel.

India Defeated Pakistan by 3 Wickets in Asia Cup Cricket

India clinched a thrilling 3-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday in Asia Cup 2010. Batting first, Pakistan got all out for 267 runs with three balls in hands. The match was decided in the last over when India overcame Pakistan’s total with a ball to spare after losing 7 wickets.

Pakistani openers brought a good start through their 71-run opening stand. It looked Pakistan would cross the 300-mark when Shoaib Malik and Salman Butt were batting during their 73-run partnership for the second wicket. Highest 74 runs came from Butt’s willow.

Pakistan lost wickets regularly thereafter, but Kamran Akmal’s 41-ball 51 in the lower middle order guided Pakistan towards a descent total of 267 runs. Malik and Afridi scored 39 and 32 runs respectively.

Praveen Kumar was the most successful Indian bowler with 3 wickets to his credit. Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan picked up 2 wickets each.

India did not have a very good start in their chase as they lost their shaky-looking opener Sehwag at 47. However, his opening partner Gautam Gambhir led India’s successful chase contributing 83 runs off 97 balls. Along with Dhoni, Gambhir made a 98-run partnership for the third wicket. Dhoni scored 56 runs.

Later, Raina’s 34 off 27 and Rohit Sharma’s 22 brought India very close to the target, but it was Harbhajan Singh who ensured India’s victory with an over boundary off Aamer in the penultimate ball of the Indian innings. Harbhajan scored 15 runs off 12 balls.

Pakistani off spinner Saeed Ajmal picked up 3 wickets for Pakistan. Gambhir was named man of the match for his match-winning innings.

India vs Pakistan Time and Live Score: Asia Cup 2010

After about nine months cricket fans are going to experience another cricketing clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan as they are going to face each other on 19 June in Asia Cup 2010 which is currently going on in Sri Lanka. The match will take place at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla.

Time

As per GMT time, the match starts at 09:00, while in Sri Lanka it begins at 14:30. According to Pakistan time, the match starts at 14:00.

Live Score

Live updates of the match will be available in the following link:

http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/scores/live.html

Pakistan did not have a good start in the tournament as they lost to Sri Lanka by 16 runs in their first match. However, the match had some positives for Pakistan. First of all, they showed their ‘never give up’ mentality. Chasing a target of 242, Pakistan lost 4 wickets at 32 before captain Shahid Afridi led Pakistan’s fight back.

When Afridi and Razzaq were batting, it looked Pakistan would win the match easily. Though they were stopped 16 runs short of Sri Lanka’s total, Pakistani fans are happy to see Afridi in his usual self after a long time. The century came as a big relief for the hard-hitter as he reached three figures after 5 years.

India got off to a winning start as it defeated Bangladesh by 6 wickets. However, they know that the task would not be as easy as it was against Bangladesh. Despite the return of Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra, India’s pace attack could not dominate over the Bangladesh top order. However, their spin attack looked very good in the presence of Harbhajan, Jadeja and occasional spinner Sehwag.

India’s batting line up is pretty much strong with the return of Sehwag, Gambhir and Dhoni. India would most likely retain the same eleven for the Pakistan match, though there is a slight possibility pacer Ashok Dinda could replace Nehra.

Pakistani opener Shahzaib Hassan failed in his debut against Sri Lanka. There are reports indicating that Imran Forhat could come in place of Shahzaib to partner Salman Butt in Pakistan’s opening slots.

Shoaib Akhtar made a strong come back picking up 3 wickets against Sri Lanka. In the presence of Shoaib, Aamer, Asif and Razzaq, Pakistan has a very strong pace attack, while Afridi and Shoaib Malik can do the job for Pakistan with their spin. There is little chance Pakistan would opt to play Saeed Ajmal against India.

Both India and Pakistan have pretty strong batting line up. India has the batsmen like Sehwag, Gambhir, Raina, Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Dhoni and Jadeja, while Pakistani batting line up features Butt, Afridi, Malik, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal and Razzaq.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Time and Live Score: Asia Cup 2010

Defending champion Sri Lanka faces Pakistan in the first match of the Asia Cup Cricket 2010 on 15 June at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla. Both sides look to have a winning start in the tournament.

Time

This opening match of Asia Cup Cricket 2010 kicks off on 09:00 GMT and 14:30 Sri Lanka time. Pakistani cricket fans can watch the match from 14:00.

Live Score

To get the live score of the match, visit the following link:

http://www.cricinfo.com/asia2010/content/current/series/424694.html

Sri Lanka is pretty much confident after their recent success in Tri-nation Series in Zimbabwe. Having a good start is important for Sri Lanka in their pursuit of defending the Asia Cup title.

The tournament seems to be even more important for Pakistan. The significance of the Asia Cup to Pakistan goes beyond their on-field performance. Discipline has become a big issue for Pakistan in the recent time. With Shoaib Akhtar and Shoaib Malik coming back to international cricket in this tournament, it would be interesting to see if Pakistani players can maintain discipline and perform at their best in Sri Lanka.

Shahid Afridi has been appointed captain of Pakistan’s ODI team recently. So, the series is important for the all rounder too. However, he knows it very well that anything less than an appearance in the tournament final would be considered as a failure.

Sri Lanka has an experienced batting line up that features captain Sangakkara, Dilshan, Jayawardene, Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews and Upul Tharanga who could pull the string for the hosts.

Sri Lanka may feature 3 pacers and 2 spinners against Pakistan. Muralitharan and Randiv would fill in the spinner’s slots, while their pace attack could include Kulasekara, Mathews and Malinga. However, Sri Lanka may also play Maharoof in place of Malinga.

Pakistan’s batting relies on the likes of Butt, Akmal brothers, Shoaib Malik and Afridi. Afridi and Ajmal would lead their spin attack, while their pace attack would most probably feature Asif, Aamer, Shoaib Akhtar and Razzaq. It is less likely that Pakistan would play any of their three uncapped players: Asad Shafiq, Shahzaib Hasan and Umar Amin- against Sri Lanka.

Asia Cup Cricket 2010: List of Live TV Channels

Asia Cup Cricket 2010 begins on 15 June in Sri Lanka. Four test playing Asian teams: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh- are taking part in the tournament. Sri Lanka is the reigning champion and would defend their title, while India and Pakistan are also favorites to win the Asia Cup 2010 title.

Asian fans are currently excited with the ongoing World Cup football, but it is less likely that Asia Cup would be affected by the football fever. All of the four participating countries are from Indian Sub-continent where cricket is the most popular sports. So, it is expected that fans would pay their due attention to Asia Cup.

The participating countries are considering the tournament as part of their preparation for next year’s ICC World Cup. Following some poor performance recently, India and Pakistan would like to boost up their confidence level winning the Asia Cup title, while Sri Lanka would try their best to capitalize on their home advantage, and thus, defending the tournament title. Bangladesh would look to cause one or two upsets following their recent poor performance in England.

Fans would like to enjoy some nail-biting matches. All of the 7 matches in the tournament would take place at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla. A number of TV channels would telecast the matches live for its viewers. Following TV channels are going to cover Asia Cup Cricket 2010:

NEO Cricket

NEO Cricket television channel is going to bring the live action of the Asia Cup matches for the cricket fans of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea.

Some other TV channels would also cover the tournament. These are: Doordarshan (only India’s matches), Setanta Sports (Australia), ESPN3 (USA) and CBN (Canada).

This would be the 10^th edition of Asia Cup cricket. India and Sri Lanka won the tournament 4 times each, while Pakistan won the title once. Sri Lanka defeated India in the 2008 final to clinch their 4^th Asia Cup title.

India last won the title 15 years back in 1995. Sri Lanka has been very successful in Asia Cup in the recent years as they won 3 out of last 4 Asia Cup tournaments.

Shahid Afridi: Asia Cup Cricket 2010 will not be Affected by Soccer Fever

Shahid Afridi, the captain of Pakistan cricket team, has recently revealed that the World Cup football would not affect the upcoming Asia Cup Cricket 2010 starting from 15 June in Sri Lanka.

Four Asian teams including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are going to participate in the tournament. Sri Lanka, the defending champion, would like to retain the title, while Pakistan and India are expected to give tough competition to Sri Lanka.

World Cup Football has kicked off on Friday and Asian football fans are pretty much excited with the tournament. So, there are fears among the organizers that Asia Cup may attract less attention due to the prevailing football fever. However, Afridi does not quite agree with that.

Shahid Afridi said to AFP, "Football is huge, but I hope after the 90 minutes of excitement (of a World Cup game) fans will give cricket its due attention and follow the Asia Cup.”

Pakistan team set out for Sri Lanka on Saturday. Pakistan cricket fans are expecting some good performances from Afridi and his teammates. Pakistan’s form in the recent tournaments was poor and fans are pretty much disappointed with it. So, Asia Cup is a big opportunity for Pakistan team to show that they still have the guile for winning matches for their country.

Sri Lankan 15 Men Squad for Asia Cup Cricket 2010

Sri Lankan selectors have recently announced the 15-member Sri Lanka squad for the Asia Cup Cricket 2010. The tournament is going to take place in Sri Lanka from 15 June to 24 June. All of the 7 matches in the tournament will be held at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.

Sanath Jayasuriya and Ajantha Mendis have been excluded from the squad, though for different reasons. Chief selector of Sri Lanka Cricket, Aravinda de Silva, has revealed that the veteran batsman was dropped due to his poor form over the last one year, while Mendis lost his place due to ‘tactical’ reason which de Silva did not want to reveal to the media.

There are three spinners in the squad in Muralitharan, Suraj Randiv and Rangana Herath. Herath last represented Sri Lanka in ODI back in 2004. So, his selection has come as a surprise for many. Mendis was pretty much impressive in Sri Lanka’s recent success in Tri-nation series in Zimbabwe. However, selectors decided to experiment with the spin attack ahead of next year’s World Cup.

There are two all rounders in Angelo Mathews and Farveez Maharoof. Pacer all rounder Maharoof has come back after recovering from his long-term injury.

The batting line up is strong enough to provide a tough competition to India and Pakistan. Senior players like Sangakkara and Jayawardene returned after missing the Zimbabwe series.

Here is the Sri Lanka squad announced for the Asia Cup 2010:

Sri Lanka Squad

Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Muttiah Muralitharan, Upul Tharanga, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedara, Thilan Samaraweera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Chanaka Welegedara, Thilina Kandamby, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath

Two young players Dinesh Chandimal and Jeevan Mendis who looked impressive in Zimbabwe have failed to retain their spots as selectors decided to send them to Australia with the Sri Lanka A team.

Indian Squad for Asia Cup Cricket 2010

Indian squad for the upcoming Asia Cup Cricket 2010 has announced today (8 June). In a surprise move, Indian selectors left out Yuvraj Singh from India’s 15-man Asia Cup squad. Sachin Tendulkar was not considered for selection for the tournament at his personal request.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was rested for the Tri-nation Series in Zimbabwe, has returned to lead India in the tournament starting from 15 June in Sri Lanka. Some other regular players, who also missed the tournament in Zimbabwe, including opening pair Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have been included in the squad.

Saurabh Tiwary, the promising Jharkhand batsman, has earned his first call-up to the national team. His recent performance in domestic circuit impressed the selectors. The 20-year-old has scored 1579 runs at an average over 50 from 19 first class matches with 6 centuries to his credit. Moreover, his performance in limited over cricket is also impressive. His hard-hitting batting helped Mumbai Indians reach the final of IPL 2010.

However, the biggest surprise is the omission of Yuvraj Singh. The batsman has been suffering from a wrist injury over the last few months and struggling for form in the recent tournaments.

All rounder Yusuf Pathan also failed to make the cut for the Asia Cup squad following his recent poor form. He failed to continue his impressive IPL form in international circuit. His exclusion has left India with one all rounder in Ravindra Jadeja.

India will feature their first choice pace attack in Asia Cup as Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar and Ashish Nehra have come back. Praveen Kumar was forced to go back home after sustaining abdominal muscle tear during Twenty20 World Cup 2010. However, the pacer has shaken off the injury and is ready to take part in Asia Cup.

Praveen’s replacement in T20 World Cup, Umesh Yadav, who also played in the recent Tri-nation series, has failed to keep his place following a poor show in Zimbabwe. Pacer Pankaj Singh was also dropped from the squad for the same reason.

However, Bengal pacer Ashok Dinda and off spinner R Ashwin were included in the squad, despite India’s frustrating performance in Zimbabwe. Dinda and Ashwin starred in this year’s IPL.

India’s spin attack would be led by Harbhajan Singh, who has also returned after missing the Zimbabwe tournament. Pragyan Ojha, Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be there to support Harbhajan. Amit Mishra, following his frustrating performance in Zimbabwe, has been excluded.

Chief of the Indian selectors, Kris Srikkanth, has said that fitness, fielding ability and consistency were at the core of their mind while selecting the squad.

Ambati Rayudu and Robin Uthappa could not earn the call, despite having an impressive domestic performance recently. There are some who believe that Uthappa should have been included in T20 World Cup squad following his excellent performance for Bangalore in IPL 2010.

Roles	Players
Batsmen	MS Dhoni (wk), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Saurabh Tiwary
Bowlers	Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Ashok Dinda, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, R Ashwin
All rounders	Ravindra Jadeja,

Pakistan Squad for Asia Cup Cricket 2010

Pakistan selectors announced 15-man Pakistan squad for the upcoming Asia Cup Cricket 2010 which begins on 15 June in Sri Lanka. Selectors recalled veteran pacer Shoaib Akhtar and former captian Shoaib Malik, whose one year ban has recently been revoked by PCB following a trail.

Shahid Afridi, who recently captained Pakistan in Twenty20 World Cup 2010, has been appointed captain for all three formats for the Asia Cup and Pakistan’s England tour. Opener Salman Butt has been appointed Afridi’s deputy for the upcoming two tours.

Speculations were rife in the media claiming Butt to become Pakistan’s new captain for the Test and ODI formats. However, the selectors changed their decision after Afridi had come out of his retirement in test cricket.

Chief selector Mohsin Khan has said that the selection process involved selectors as well as the coach Waqar Younis and captain Shahid Afridi. Afridi recently called for more young players in the squad and the inclusion of two new faces in the squad is reflective of his wish.

Two new players called up for the Asia Cup Cricket 2010 are Umar Amin and Asad Shafiq. Both of them impressed the selectors with their domestic performance in the recent years.

Umar Amin has a very good domestic record with an average of 42.00 in the first class cricket. Asad Shafiq, at 24, has 8 centuries in his 35-match first class career and has maintained an average of over 43. Asad can also keep wickets. So, he could be a back up for Kamran Akmal as far as wicket keeping is concerned.

There are many who were surprised by the selection of Shoaib Malik who few months back was banned by PCB for a year on disciplinary ground. His strained relation with Captain Shahid Afridi is no more a secret and many think it could have a negative impact in Pakistan’s on-field performance.

Two former Pakistan captains: Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf are not available for the upcoming tours. Both of them were banned for an indefinite time by PCB for breaching team discipline. Yousuf then suddenly announced his retirement from international cricket.

Pakistan cricket has suffered a lot over the last few years due to the country’s security condition and indiscipline among the players. They were stripped out of hosting rights of ICC World Cup Cricket 2011 following the bomb attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in March 2009.

Pakistan cricket is going through a very tough phase. They were whitewashed in Australia recently, and then failed to retain their Twenty20 World Cup title. Afridi’s appointment as captain came as a shock to many who are doubtful about Afridi’s ability as a test cricketer. He has been in international cricket since 1996, but could earn only 26 caps in test cricket against his 293 appearances in ODI format. However, Pakistani fans are expecting that Pakistan team would perform better under his captaincy.

Another young batsman in the squad is Shahzaib Hasan who represented Pakistan in their triumph in Twenty20 World Cup 2009. However, the 20-year-old, who can also keep wicket, has not yet played any ODI or test match.

Shoaib Akhtar earned the recall based on his impressive recent form in the Pentangular tournament. Both Akhtar and Malik had to go through fitness tests before getting the final nod from the selectors.

Besides Shoaib Akhtar, Pakistan squad includes four other pacers: Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Abdur Rehman and Abdul Razzaq. Spin attack includes Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik.

Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq, the two specialist all rounders, could be very effective for Pakistan in Asia Cup. Sri Lankan condition would help Afridi and Ajmal as wickets may offer assistance to the spinners.

Batting line up is a blend of experienced as well as young batsmen. Imran Farhat, Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Afridi and Abdul Razzaq are experienced members in their batting line up, while Umar Amin, Asad Shafiq and Shahzaib Hasan are young but talented batsmen who may have to wait for a while to get into the first eleven.

Umar Akmal, on the other hand, may not be that much experienced, but has already cemented his place in the first eleven within a very short time.

Here is the Pakistan squad announced for Asia Cup Cricket 2010:

Role	Pakistan Squad
Batsmen	Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Kamran Akmal (wk), Umar Akmal, Shahzaib Hasan (wk), Asad Shafiq (wk), Umar Amin
Bowlers	Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Akhtar, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal
All rounder	Shahid Afridi (c), Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik

Asia Cup Cricket 2010 Schedule

Asia Cup Cricket 2010 kicks off from 15 June in Sri Lanka. Four test playing countries from Asia: Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh- will take part in the tournament. Though the tournament is named Asia Cup, all the participating teams are particularly from South Asia. Asia Cup 2010 will be the 10^th edition of the tournament since its inception in 1984.

Four teams will play against each other once in a round robin league system. Two teams in terms of highest points achieved would progress to the final which is scheduled to take place on 24 June. All the matches of the tournament will be day-night and held at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is the defending champion for the 2 tournaments now, and another success this year will make it a hat-trick of Asia Cup title. India and Sri Lanka both won the tournament on 4 occasions each, and thus, becoming the most successful teams in Asia Cup.

Pakistan’s only success in Asia Cup came in 1986 when Sri Lanka hosted the tournament for the first time. Sri Lanka already has the experience of organizing Asia Cup for 3 times, highest in the tournament.

This year, Sri Lanka would like to retain the title by capitalizing on their home advantage. Their recent form in ODI is pretty much satisfactory. They won the tri-nation series in Bangladesh earlier this year defeating India in the final. Sri Lanka also reached the semi final of the twenty20 world cup 2010.

India’s recent form may not be that great, but the ‘men in blue’ would try to win the tournament this year. Though India was the losing finalists of the lat 2 tournaments, they could not win the Asia Cup title since 1995.

Pakistan’s recent form in ODI is disappointing. They were whitewashed by Australia in a 5-match ODI series earlier this year. Moreover, they failed to defend their twenty20 world cup title recently.

Bangladesh would start the tournament with underdog’s tag. They lost to New Zealand and England in the ODI series this year, and their twenty20 world cup performance was not satisfactory either. However, they will be looking to cause upsets, and if possible a place in the Asia Cup 2010 final.

Here is the schedule of Asia Cup 2010:

Date	Competing Teams	Time	Venue
June 15 Mon	Sri Lanka vs Pakistan	GMT 09:00; Local 14:30	Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
June 16 Mon	Bangladesh vs India	GMT 09:00; Local 14:30	Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
June 18 Mon	Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh	GMT 09:00; Local 14:30	Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
June 19 Mon	India vs Pakistan	GMT 09:00; Local 14:30	Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
June 21 Mon	Bangladesh vs Pakistan	GMT 09:00; Local 14:30	Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
June 22 Mon	Sri Lanka vs India	GMT 09:00; Local 14:30	Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
June 24 Mon	Final (TBC vs TBC)	GMT 09:00; Local 14:30	Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium