Coached by former West Indies opening batsman Gordon Greenidge,the Bangladesh team have been under intensive training for the last couple of months and are determined to spring a surprise or two.
The 14-member Bangladesh national cricket team is being captained by Akram Khan. Bangladesh emerged champions at this year's ICC trophy tournament played among the ICC associate members and qualified to play in the next World Cup tournament to be played in England in 1999. Bangladesh will play their first match of the Asia Cup on July 16 against Pakistan at R.Premadasa Stadium.
Meanwhile the Pakistan cricket team will arrive in Colombo on Thursday. They will compete against India, Bangladesh and the hosts Sri Lanka in the four-nation Pepsi Asia Cup tournament which starts next Monday (14).
Pakistan's biggest challenge will be to beat the World champions Sri Lanka to whom they lost four time in two successive one day tournaments in Sharjah and in India. Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka thrice in the Singer Akai Cup in Sharjah and also in the Pepsi Independence Cup in India. Arjuna ranatunga and his men won both these one day tournaments.
The two teams will meet once again in the 'curtain raiser' of the Asia Cup to be played on July 14 at the R.Premadasa Stadium. Their decisive game against arch rivals and the defending champions India will take place on July 20 at the SSC grounds, Maitland Place. The final of the tournament is scheduled for Saturday July 26 at the R.Premadasa Stadium.
Sri Lanka will be hosting the Asia Cup for the second time. Incidently, Sri Lanka's only Asia Cup final victory was registered in the tournament played in Colombo in 1986. Sri Lanka under Duleep mendis beat Imran Khan's Pakistan team in the final played at SSC grounds.
Since playing their first ever one day international at the 1975 inaugural World Cup in England, Sri Lanka has won six one day international tournaments including the 1996 Wills World Cup final against Australia in Lahore in March, 1996.
Sri Lanka has also won Asia Cup (Colombo, 1986), Champions trophy (Sharjah, 1995), Singer World Series (Colombo, 1996), Singer-Akai Cup (Sharjah, 1996) and Pepsi Independence Cup (India, 1996).
Arjuna Ranatunga, the only surviving member from Sri Lanka's inaugural Test team which played against England in 1982, has captained Sri Lanka in all these wins, except in 1986 in which he played under present team manager Duleep Mendis.