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In terms of viewership, this is the biggest cricket tournament outside the ICC’s umbrella—even if a curtain-raiser between Afghanistan and Hong Kong doesn’t exactly scream blockbuster. The format is lean, with little room for filler, and unfortunately for Hong Kong, they’ve landed in a group stacked with three genuine title contenders.
Hong Kong have clocked 16 T20Is this year, but none have matched the intensity or caliber they’re about to face. With Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also in the mix, the challenge is steep. To prepare, they arrived in the UAE nearly three weeks early and scheduled four warm-up matches—two against Oman and two against local club teams. Splitting those games hints at their current level and underscores the mountain they must climb against last year’s T20 World Cup semi-finalists.
Yet, if there’s ever a moment to face Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan, this might be it. Just two days prior, Afghanistan endured a bruising loss to Pakistan in the tri-series final, their batters floundering against spin on a Sharjah turner. The emotional sting and rapid turnaround could leave them vulnerable in Abu Dhabi, offering Hong Kong a sliver of hope.
Realistically, though, that upset remains a long shot. Afghanistan thrive in these conditions, with wins over Pakistan and the UAE already in the bank. Their bowling unit is balanced and potent, while their batting blends raw power with classical finesse. Even when they rotated half their squad in a dead rubber against the UAE, they still came out on top. The format and timing may tempt Hong Kong to dream, but if they pull off a win, it would rank as the most stunning upset in Asia Cup history.
Squads:
Hong Kong Squad: Zeeshan Ali(w), Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Anshuman Rath, Martin Coetzee, Yasim Murtaza(c), Aizaz Khan, Nasrulla Rana, Ehsan Khan, Ali Hassan, Ateeq Iqbal, Kalhan Challu, Ayush Shukla, Kinchit Shah, Mohammad Waheed, Shahid Wasif, Mohammad Ghazanfar
Afghanistan Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan(c), Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Ishaq, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib
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Hong Kong have clocked 16 T20Is this year, but none have matched the intensity or caliber they’re about to face. With Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also in the mix, the challenge is steep. To prepare, they arrived in the UAE nearly three weeks early and scheduled four warm-up matches—two against Oman and two against local club teams. Splitting those games hints at their current level and underscores the mountain they must climb against last year’s T20 World Cup semi-finalists.
Yet, if there’s ever a moment to face Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan, this might be it. Just two days prior, Afghanistan endured a bruising loss to Pakistan in the tri-series final, their batters floundering against spin on a Sharjah turner. The emotional sting and rapid turnaround could leave them vulnerable in Abu Dhabi, offering Hong Kong a sliver of hope.
Realistically, though, that upset remains a long shot. Afghanistan thrive in these conditions, with wins over Pakistan and the UAE already in the bank. Their bowling unit is balanced and potent, while their batting blends raw power with classical finesse. Even when they rotated half their squad in a dead rubber against the UAE, they still came out on top. The format and timing may tempt Hong Kong to dream, but if they pull off a win, it would rank as the most stunning upset in Asia Cup history.
Squads:
Hong Kong Squad: Zeeshan Ali(w), Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Anshuman Rath, Martin Coetzee, Yasim Murtaza(c), Aizaz Khan, Nasrulla Rana, Ehsan Khan, Ali Hassan, Ateeq Iqbal, Kalhan Challu, Ayush Shukla, Kinchit Shah, Mohammad Waheed, Shahid Wasif, Mohammad Ghazanfar
Afghanistan Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan(c), Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Ishaq, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib
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All posters, please take note of the following guidelines for match threads on PakPassion:
1. No personal insults at other posters, players, officials, coaching staff, etc.
2. No making fun of players', officials', or coaching staff's names.
3. Do not add any references to media, their social media, or post any pictures or screenshots from other sports websites.
4. Stick to commenting on this match. There is no need to bring other countries into the match discussion, as there are plenty of other threads where those discussions can be added.
gang though. Will wish them bad luck only.
