Win Projections to be updated soon
In the first game of the Asia Cup 2023, which is being held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Nepal made history by competing for the first time in a major international sporting event on a continental scale. They were the ninth team to participate in this premier cricket tournament that was held among Asian teams. Within a decade, Nepal was able to accelerate its development in this sport and acquire the right to compete at the Twenty20 International and One-Day International (ODI) levels. This achievement is worthy of praise.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), which is the global governing body of cricket, has set a goal of attracting additional nations to participate in the sport. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which governs cricket in Asia, can assist the ICC in accomplishing this goal. It is not at all a secret that the number of people in Sri Lanka who play cricket regularly has decreased as a direct result of their national team’s disastrous performance in international competition.
In light of these circumstances, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) will need to take action in order to increase the sport’s following across the Asian continent. After the 1990s, cricket gained a lot of followers in the Asian continent, and the fan following of the sport in countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan verify the fact that the sport gained a lot of supporters in the Asian continent. After this iteration of the Asia Cup in 2023, the ACC ought to make it an eight-team competition and invite more developing Asian nations whose national team plays cricket to participate in this prestigious tournament.
The following five cricketing nations should be invited to compete in future editions of the Asia Cup:
1. Kuwait
The International Criminal Court (ICC) welcomed Kuwait as an affiliate member in the year 1998. Between the years 2000 and 2014, they participated in the ACC Trophy on a yearly basis. Their finest showing occurred in the competition in both the 2004 and 2014 iterations of the event, where they finished in third place overall. This was their highest result in the competition.
In addition, the cricket-playing nation from West Asia competed in the ACC Twenty20 Cup, however they were unable to emerge winner from the competition. After losing to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the championship game, Kuwait’s participation in the Twenty20 International qualifier for the Asia Cup in 2020 came to an end with a runner-up finish.
They earned a spot in the semi-finals of the 2023 ACC Men’s Premier Cup, which was held in Nepal in April and May, and they were scheduled to face the locals. The semi-final game was played to a draw, which led to the conclusion of Kuwait’s campaign and also prevented them from competing in the Asia Cup in 2023, which will be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
2. Malaysia
Since 1967, Malaysia has been participating in ICC proceedings as an associate member. Since 1979, they have made an appearance in a total of seven different World Cup Qualifier competitions. The South East Asian cricket team participated in five tournaments of the ACC Twenty20 Cup between 2007 and 2015, but they were unable to win any of the competitions.
They were able to go to the quarterfinals of the Asian Games in both 2010 and 2014. In 2018, Malaysia played host to the Asia Cup Qualifiers; however, the country was unable to capitalise on playing in its own conditions and finished in fifth place overall in the competition. They will be competing in the 2023 ACC Men’s Premier Cup as part of Group A alongside Nepal, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
Despite their victories over Saudi Arabia and Qatar, they were only able to accumulate four points and finished in third place in their group. If there were more teams competing in the Asia Cup, it would be easier for Malaysia to improve their cricket game. This is because they would have the opportunity to compete against stronger teams, such as India and Pakistan, and receive valuable experience from those contests.
3. Oman
Within the International Cricket Council (ICC), Oman holds the status of an associate member with an ODI. They were awarded the status in 2014, and shortly after that, they played their first Twenty20 International match against Afghanistan in July of 2015. Additionally, in April of 2019, they made their debut in one-day international cricket against Namibia at the Wanderers Cricket Ground in Windhoek.
Oman made news in 2015 as a result of their success in the ACC Twenty20 Cup competition. They also qualified for the ICC World Twenty 20 Qualifier in 2015, which was contested in Ireland and Scotland thanks to their achievements. Hong Kong triumphed against Oman to take first place in the Asia Cup Qualifier that was played in Malaysia. Oman finished in the third spot overall.
The Oman cricket team competed in the qualification phase of the continental competition once again in 2022, following their participation in the Asia Cup qualification in 2018. They were unable to win any of their three games in the ACC Western Region T20 tournament, which resulted in the supporters’ disappointment. Oman is working hard to develop as a cricketing nation, and participating in the Asia Cup against more established cricketing nations could help them advance more quickly towards their goal.
4. The United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Since 1994, the United Arab Emirates have been an active participant in international cricket. In April of 1994, they had the opportunity to play their first ever One-Day International match in Sharjah against India. The United Arab Emirates qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 1996 and competed in India. During the competition, they were not able to do well against any strong team, but they did better than the Dutch team that was in their group.
In the wake of Bangladesh’s elevation to the status of a full member of the ICC, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) set its sights on becoming the most successful associate Asian side. In 2004, they made their first appearance in the Asia Cup as well. They competed in the championship as part of Group B, which also included India and the host nation of Sri Lanka. Although they were unable to make an impression on either of the heavyweights, their presence in the premier Asian competition served to bolster their self-assurance.
The Asia Cup was held in Pakistan in 2008, and this time around, the United Arab Emirates was able to successfully qualify for the competition. The associate team was eliminated from the competition as a result of their continued lack of success, as they were defeated by both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh during the course of the tournament. After the Asia Cup in 2008, the UAE were never given another opportunity to compete in the cricket competition that was held among the Asian countries.
It is recommended that the ACC consider expanding the number of teams competing in the continental tournament for the subsequent iteration of the competition. This would ensure that more seasoned sides, such as the United Arab Emirates, would have the opportunity to go head-to-head with the best Asian teams.
5. Hong Kong
In 1969, Hong Kong was admitted as an associate member to the International Criminal Court. In 1996, they again participated in the first ACC Trophy, however they were eliminated before moving past the group round. During the One-Day International tournament that took place in Colombo in 2004, Hong Kong played their first game ever against Bangladesh. They were unable to advance to the subsequent stage in their first ever Asia Cup competition after suffering crushing defeats at the hands of Bangladesh and the country that hosted the tournament, Sri Lanka.
The second time that Hong Kong competed in the continental event was in 2008, and this time the team’s run was cut short in the group round after they were defeated by India and Pakistan. In 2018, they were given the opportunity to compete in the Asia Cup after an absence of ten years. As was the case with their previous outing, they were assigned to compete in Group A alongside India and Pakistan.
The team showed its mettle for the first time against a strong opposition. While competing against India, they put up a spirited effort in their pursuit of 285. In the end, India won the match by a margin of 26 runs, but Hong Kong was given a lot of praise for their effort because they played so well.
In 2022, Hong Kong competed in the T20I format of the continental tournament after qualifying for it. However, for the fourth year in a row, they were unable to advance to the following round of the competition. In light of the fact that some countries, like Hong Kong and the UAE, are only developing at a glacial pace, the Asian Cup should probably be expanded to include eight teams.
India
