Sports Desk:

Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan have voiced concerns over the tight scheduling and travel demands ahead of the men’s T20 Asia Cup, though both insisted players must remain professional in handling the challenges.

Asalanka had flown into Dubai from Harare via South Africa just hours before the official trophy launch and captains’ press conference. Having played back-to-back T20Is against Zimbabwe on 6 and 7 September, the 27-year-old admitted the toll was showing.

“Right now, I’m feeling very sleepy,” he said to laughter in the room. “It’s really hard to play back-to-back games and then travel straightaway. We actually need a couple of days offI hope the coach will give us that.

“It’s important to take care of our fitness. And we all know it’s really hot out there. For me, it’s really important to stay fresh and give 100% in the first game.”

Sri Lanka begin their campaign against Bangladesh on 13 September, with four days to recover something Asalanka called “a rare luxury”.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, had wrapped up a tri-series in Sharjah against Pakistan and UAE on 7 September before travelling to Dubai for the press conference. Less than 48 hours later, Rashid’s side were due to open the tournament against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi.

“Well, I don’t think it’s ideal, that’s what we were discussing [with the other captains] before as well,” Rashid said. “To play in Abu Dhabi and stay here in Dubai for all three games… it’s different. But as professional cricketers, we have to accept these things.

“Once you enter the ground, you tend to forget everything else. In other countries, we often fly two or three hours and go straight to the game. I remember flying from Bangladesh to the US once and playing straightaway.”

The Afghanistan captain, who became T20I’s highest wicket-taker earlier this month, was keen not to let external factors creep into his side’s mindset.

“You have to be well-prepared and mentally very strong, that’s why we are professionals,” Rashid said. “If you start complaining about these things, about travelling a lot, it affects your performance on the field. For us, the focus is to put in the effort once we step inside. Wherever we go, we try to forget whatever happens outside and adapt. The most important thing is to give 100% and win the game.”

As the Asia Cup’s so-called “group of death” gets underway with Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Hong Kong vying for two Super Four spots, player freshness and recovery could prove as decisive as skill on the field.