5 cricketers to watch out for in the Asia Cup qualifiers

Oman will be making their Asia Cup debut when they play the Qualifiers starting on Friday (Image Courtesy: ICC)The qualifying leg of Asia’s premier cricketing contest gets underway at Fatullah on Friday. Unlike previous editions, in a bid to provide players with match practice, the 2016 Asia Cup will be a Twenty20 event.While India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and hosts Bangladesh are expected to be the main attractions – some lesser known cricketing teams in the form of Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Hong Kong will go up against each other in a qualifier that precedes the main event. The winner of the qualifier will compete with the Asian giants, come 24 February.We take a look at five cricketers who can set the stage on fire during the qualifying stages of the tournament:

#1 Munis Ansari (Oman)

The India-born bowler will be an important bowler for Oman (Image courtesy: ICC)

Like countless others, Munis Ansari too harboured dreams of playing for India someday. This boy from Madhya Pradesh had in fact once dismissed Sachin Tendulkar and Andrew Flintoff in a net session and had drawn the praise of Rahul Dravid. His story, though, didn’t have a happy ending.

Upon failing to make it to Madhya Pradesh’s Ranji team, Ansari shifted his focus to corporate cricket. After plying his trade in the Middle East for a decade or so, he’s back to the subcontinent.

With 12 wickets from seven games, this fast bowler is somewhat responsible for ensuring Oman’s qualification to the ICC World T20 slated to be played in India next month. Considering that Asia Cup precedes the biennial competition, all of Oman will be hoping that Ansari is in red hot form.

If recent matches are anything to go by, Ansari routed the Himachal Pradesh XI with a hat-trick in one of Oman’s warm-up games at Dharamsala this month – troubling all with his slingy bowling action.

#2 Mark Chapman (Hong Kong)

Hong Kong's hopes will rest on Mark Chapman

Ask any child if he wants to figure in a list that has the likes of Desmond Haynes, Andy Flower, Philip Hughes and Martin Guptill in it, and an instantaneous response would be in affirmative. Mark Chapman, not only figures in such a list but is also the second-youngest to join the ranks. The feat? A one-day international hundred on debut.

For years now, people who have seen Chapman from close quarters, claim that he is good enough to play for New Zealand someday (his father’s birth country). Some Australian coaches have even gone on to suggest that Chapman shares traits that are similar to those possessed by Mitchell Marsh and Sam Whiteman.

Whether Chapman gets to don the New Zealand jersey someday remains unanswered. But for now, Chapman enters the Asia Cup T20 with a lot riding on his shoulders. He is the Vice-Captain of a relatively inexperienced squad and is expected to do the bulk of his team’s scoring.

This 21-year-old southpaw enters the tournament with 286 T20I runs from 13 games at a strike-rate of 113. He will have to chip in with a lot more to make sure that Hong Kong has a realistic chance of doing well at the Asia Cup.

#3 Shaiman Anwar (UAE)

Shaiman Anwar had a great 2015 World Cup with an average of over 50

Shaiman Anwar became a household name in cricketing circles after he took the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 by storm. An employee with a shipping firm, nicknamed, Sir Viv, Anwar was the highest scorer at the half-way stage of the World Cup. He ended the tournament with 311 runs with an average of over fifty. His crowning moment came when he became the first player from the United Arab Emirates to score a World Cup century (versus Ireland).

Although he hasn’t been in the best of form lately, Anwar promises to be a tangible threat for inexperienced bowling attacks. If the World Cup was anything to go by, big tournaments like the Asia Cup and World T20 are sure to get this Pakistan-born cricketer’s competitive juices flowing.

#4 Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan)

Nabi's experience will come in handy in Afghanistan's quest to reach the main tournament

After helping Quetta Gladiators clinch a thriller against Lahore Qalandars in the ongoing Pakistan Super League on Tuesday, Mohammad Nabi is all set to join his teammates in Bangladesh. What helps Nabi’s case is the fact that he has been in the midst of competitive cricket lately, having played against some top stars from across the world in the PSL.

In the eight games that he played for the Gladiators, Nabi is best remembered for his 12-ball 30 that clinched a win for his side against the Qalandars. He has also picked up four wickets, with a best of 2/32.

With the burden of captaincy no longer on his shoulders, Nabi will be in a relaxed frame of mind ahead of the tournament – something that is sure to get the alarm bells ringing in the opposition camps. Over the years, Afghanistan have built a reputation of being giant-killers, and, this time around, it will be no different. But for that to actually happen, experienced players like Nabi are pivotal to the cause.

#5 Shapoor Zadran (Afghanistan)

Shapoor Zadran will be hoping for a good comeback to cricket

The tall left-arm fast bowler, Shapoor Zadran is all set to lead Afghanistan’s pace attack at the Asia Cup T20 and is one of the big names to watch out for.

While he is making a comeback to competitive cricket after nearly four months, few would want to write him off after seeing his exploits at the 2015 Cricket World Cup. In a tournament that will be remembered for the performances of left armed pacers, Zadran gave a good fight to established teams such as Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Come 19 February, people will be looking forward to see the strongly built Zadran running into bowl with Shoaib Akhtar like menace, taking wickets at will.