Asia Cup 2018: India rope in Sri Lankan expert to counter the Pakistani pace attack

The 2018 Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to start today with the match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India, the defending champions, are scheduled to play their first match against Hong Kong on September 18 in Dubai. Thereafter, Rohit Sharma and Co will lock horns with arch-rivals Pakistan the very next day at the same venue.

In the meantime, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Nuwan Seneviratne, a Sri Lankan left throwdown specialist, in order to help them counter the venom of the Pakistani pace attack, which has the likes of Junaid Khan, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Usman Khan. Seneviratne had played a couple of first-class matches back in 2004.

Pakistan team has good left-arm pacers

Recently, a BCCI official updated about the new hiring. “He (Seneviratne) will be assisting the team only for the Asia Cup. His inclusion is only on a trial basis for now. The BCCI is in regular touch with the Indian team management, and the request to look for a left-arm throwdown specially had come from the team.

One more reason for hiring his services was that the Pakistan team has good left-arm pacers. So he’s been brought on board in order to provide our batsmen with adequate practice,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying in Indian Express.

India are the most successful team in the history of the championship as they have won six out of the 13 editions. The Men in Blue emerged victorious in the inaugural edition back in 1984. Pakistan, on the contrary, have won the trophy only twice back in 2000 and 2012 respectively.

Last time around in 2016, India comprehensively beat the Men in Green. It was also Mohammad Amir’s comeback international match after the spot-fixing scandal at Lord’s Cricket Ground back in 2010.

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