Big picture

Measured by eyeballs, this is the largest non-ICC tournament cricket has to offer, even if an opener between Afghanistan and Hong Kong doesn’t help make the case for that argument. But in a tight format, there is little bloat, and Hong Kong have the misfortune of being drawn into a group with three legitimate contenders for the trophy.

They have played 16 T20Is this year, but nothing that comes close to the sharp uptick in quality they will need to reckon with in a group that also includes Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They got to the UAE almost three weeks in advance, and booked themselves four warm-up games to get into tune ahead of the tournament: a pair against Oman, as well as two against local club sides. That they split the fixtures with each opposition is perhaps suggestive of their level, as well as the task that lies ahead of them against last year’s T20 World Cup semi-finalists.

However, there may not be a better time for Hong Kong to play Rashid Khan’s men. The fixture comes just two days after Afghanistan suffered a bruising defeat in the tri-series final against Pakistan, their batters looking totally ill-equipped against Pakistan’s spinners on a turning track in Sharjah. The emotional toll of that defeat, as well as the quick turnaround, offers Hong Kong a potential opportunity to catch Afghanistan out in Abu Dhabi.

Realistically, though, that possibility is remote. Afghanistan are among the best sides in these conditions, and have a win over Pakistan as well as two against the UAE under their belt. They boast a well-rounded bowling attack, as well as a batting lineup that combines destructiveness with a more classical poise. They demonstrated their strength in depth by rotating half the side against the UAE in a dead rubber before the tri-series final, and still ended up winning. The shorter format and the timing may give Hong Kong the feeling they have a chance, but victory would still make this the greatest upset in Asia Cup history.

Form guide

Afghanistan: LWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)

Hong Kong: LWWLW

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In the spotlight

Afghanistan’s highest profile players are invariably its bowlers, but Rahmanullah Gurbaz bucks that trend. However, Afghanistan’s biggest batting superstar endured a rough week in the recently concluded tri-series, scoring just 98 runs at under 110, 40 of which came in a dead rubber against the UAE. The impact of his early dismissals has been somewhat mitigated by the remarkable consistency of Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal, but none have the explosiveness Gurbaz does in full flow. Simply put, Afghanistan won’t make a deep run without his impact, and a game against Hong Kong represents an ideal opportunity to blast his way back to form.

If Afghanistan’s opener has hit a dry patch, that certainly can’t be said for his Hong Kong counterparts Zeeshan Ali and Anshuman Rath. Far and away Hong Kong’s two leading runscorers, they have demonstrated themselves to be consistent as well as dynamic, with strike rates hovering in the mid 140s. Each boast T20I hundreds this year, while Rath’s consistency, in particular, have made Hong Kong especially dependent on his runs. He has scored a further five half-centuries, and averages just under 50 for the year, the standout innings an unbeaten 59-ball 100 in a mauling of Singapore. Hong Kong need a fast start, and in that department at least, their openers have a track record of taking care of business.

Team news

Since reintroducing Noor Ahmad into their side, Afghanistan have favoured the extra spinner. Expect a similar team to the one that played Pakistan in the final.

Afghanistan (possible): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2. Ibrahim Zadran, 3. Sediqullah Atal, 4. Darwish Rasooli, 5. Karim Janat, 6. Azmatullah Omarzai, 7. Rashid Khan (capt), 8. Mohammad Nabi, 9. AM Ghazanfar, 10. Noor Ahmad, 11. Fazalhaq Farooqi

Hong Kong (possible): 1 Anshuman Rath 2 Zeeshan Ali (wk) 3 Babar Hayat 4 Nizakat Khan 5 Matthew Coetzee 6 Yasim Murtaza (capt) 7 Ehsan Khan 8 Aizaz Khan 9 Ateeq Iqbal 10 Nasrulla Rana 11 Ayush Shukla

Pitch and conditions

Abu Dhabi is considered slightly less conducive to spin than Dubai, which may dull Afghanistan’s edge marginally. It is expected to be warm and humid in the evening, as is routine in the UAE this time of year.

Stats and trivia

• In 21 years of playing the Asia Cup, Hong Kong have lost all 11 matches they have played.

• Afghanistan have a better T20I record in Abu Dhabi – the venue of the match – than at any other ground in the UAE, winning 11 and losing 5. However, they lost their only match against Hong Kong at this venue, in 2015.