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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.
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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.