Asia Cup 2022: Virat Kohli in Hong Kong’s sights as they clinch finals spot alongside India, Pakistan
- 8-wicket win over United Arab Emirates means Hong Kong men’s team complete the qualifiers in Oman unbeaten
- Hong Kong will play against India and Pakistan in the finals of the T20 tournament that begin this month
Hong Kong’s men have won the battle to join their continent’s cricketing giants in the finals of the Asia Cup by recording a convincing victory over United Arab Emirates to secure a qualification berth.
They maintained their unbeaten run in the qualifying round in Oman, where they won all three of their matches, to take their place in the T20 tournament, which begins at the weekend in UAE.
Hong Kong had won the toss and chosen to field – a decision that was vindicated as they bowled out their opponents, thanks in no small part to a player-of-the-match performance from Ehsan Khan, who claimed 4 wickets for 24.
The run chase was completed with the loss of only two wickets.
“This is a proud moment for the Hong Kong team and for me as well,” Khan said. “It’s a big achievement for us. We stuck to the team plan, and we succeeded.”
When the finals get under way in the coming days, Khan will have an eye on trying to claim the prized wicket of an Indian great.
“I am targeting Virat Kohli in the Asia Cup, because he is a great batsman,” Khan said. “I will be playing in the Asia Cup for a second time and that will be a big achievement for me.”
Sri Lanka has endured months of food and fuel shortages, blackouts and runaway inflation in the wake of its worst financial crisis on record.
The qualifying results mean that Hong Kong will complete the line-up of pool A, in which they will play fixtures against India on August 31 in Dubai followed by Pakistan on September 2 in Sharjah. Pool B will feature Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The tournament gets under way on Saturday and continues until September 11.
Those high-profile clashes with the two Test-playing nations will complete a busy summer for the Hong Kong men’s team, who have been on the road since the beginning of June.
They have failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup or progress in their bid to regain their one-day international status during a trip that has taken them as far afield as Uganda and Jersey. However, they can now end their lengthy, globe-spanning tour on a high note.
“I have no words to describe how I feel,” said Nizakat Khan, Hong Kong’s captain. “I would like to thank Hong Kong Cricket [the city’s governing body] for all their support.
“Our process was the same [as usual]. We knew we had to win all three games to qualify for the Asia Cup, and that is what we did. We took it game by game, and the boys fought back really well.
“This is a big tournament to showcase our talent, and it is a great opportunity for everyone in this squad.”
UAE: 147 (19.3 overs)
Hong Kong: 149 (19 overs)
Player of the Match: Ehsan Khan (4-24)
