The 2023 edition of the Asia Cup, in the ODI format, is set to be played from August 30 to September 17 in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the joint hosts of the tournament. The first match of the continental competition will happen between Pakistan and Nepal at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan, while the final will go down at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Asia Cup has been largely dominated by the spin bowlers in its 40-year long history, but fast bowlers have had their impact at various editions too. The likes of Lasith Malinga, Chaminda Vaas, Mashrafe Mortaza, Wasim Akram, Kapil Dev, and Umar Gul, among others, are in the top wicket taking list for the ODI version of the multi-nation tournament.
Also Read: Top Five individual batting performances in an Asia Cup Edition – Check Here
The upcoming Asia Cup will also witness the rise of young fast bowlers, who have already showcased promising signs in the early stage of their cricketing careers at the domestic and international level. With that, SportsTiger looks at three fast bowlers to watch out for in the Asia Cup 2023.
1. Matheesha Pathirana
Matheesha Pathirana, the 20-year-old fast bowler from Sri Lanka, made his international debut in August of last year, after getting noticed by the selectors while playing for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The unorthodox bowling action from the Kandy-born, reminiscent of Lasith Malinga, the legend of world cricket, is something that the fans get excited to witness, whenever he turns up on the field.
For the young right-arm fast bowler, 2023 has been the best year in his cricketing career, playing a crucial role in CSK winning the IPL, and then, helping Sri Lanka qualify through to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup while turning up in ODIs for the first time ever. With that, Matheesha Pathirana is expected to perform well in the Asia Cup later this month.
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2. Ebadot Hossain
Ebadot Hossain, the next big thing in Bangladesh cricket, has been giving quality performances for the national side in all formats of the game. The 29-year-old, who was a Test match specialist in the early part of his international career, has made a positive impact on Bangladesh cricket team in limited overs cricket, since making his debut in ODIs and T20Is in 2022.
He has taken part in 12 ODIs for the Tigers, picking up 22 wickets with an impressive average and strike-rate, while, in four T20Is, the right-arm fast bowler has prized out seven wickets. For Ebadot Hossain, the best is yet to come in international cricket, hence, he is one player every opposition should be vary of in the Asia Cup 2023.
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3. Naseem Shah
Naseem Shah, the 20-year-old fast bowler from Pakistan, who has been heralded as one of the best in the world at such a young age, deserves his billing with consistent performances in international cricket. After playing for the first time at the highest level as a 16-year-old against Australia in the Brisbane Test 2019, he has been nothing short of exceptional with the ball.
He got the chance to showcase his talents in the limited overs cricket in 2022, with debut in ODIs, where he has gotten 23 wickets in eight matches, and then T20I debut, picking 15 wickets in 19 matches. That’s why, Naseem Shah will be a force to reckon with, when he turns up for Pakistan in the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup.
