The wait is almost over, as archrivals India and Pakistan will square off in the Asia Cup 2022 Group A encounter on Sunday in Dubai. It will be intriguing to witness how both teams play in front of a packed stadium, as well as how both units maintain their composure.
Ahead of the match, Pakistan Captain Babar Azam on Saturday addressed a press conference where he spoke about the morale within the group, the preparation for the match and what do India-Pakistan matches mean to him.
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"That game is over (referring to the ICC T20 World Cup match last year), and I'm focused on this game." The circumstances are different here, but we are confident in ourselves and will not brag. We want to prove ourselves on the field," Babar said.
"Every match is crucial to me since it is my responsibility as captain to complete the tasks at hand. On every given day, it is always the responsibility to perform the best for the team. The entire world is following the India-Pakistan match. We aim to please our fans by playing good cricket," he added.
About Shaheen Afridi injury
Shaheen Shah Afridi is one of the top pacers in the world, and his exclusion from the Asia Cup was one of the major setback for the team ahead of the major event. Pakistan skipper Babar Azam remarked ahead of the Asia Cup match that his team will undoubtedly miss the ace speedster and that the game would have been different if Shaheen had played.
“Shaheen is one of our best bowlers, he bowls with aggression and he leads the attack, so we will miss him. If Shaheen was there, it would have been a different game. But our other bowlers are also good, we have high confidence in the camp,” said Babar during the press conference.
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Confident on his side vs India
"We have yet to access the pitch conditions." We'll watch the game today and make a decision then. We've played in this heat before, so we're prepared. "I won't say much; We'll prove it on the field," Babar remarked.
“Our playing XI is set and we will disclose that tomorrow. We promise to field the best Playing XI against India. We are trying to stay humble and support every player in the squad. The aim is always to give 100% on the pitch and the result will come accordingly,” he added.
On Virat Kohli performance
"Virat is one of the world's best batters." So, when competing against him, you must be fully prepared. Ups and downs are a part of life; how the player handles them is up to him. "The more you believe in your playing, the better it will be," Babar said on Virat Kohli's current form.
Pakistan-India to clash on Sunday
The clash between archrivals India and Pakistan is the most important game in cricket, and one is scheduled for August 28.
The two neighbouring nations, with a bitter cricketing history, will lock horns in the Asia T20 Cup.
This will be the first encounter between these two teams, who met in the Men's T20 World Cup last year in the UAE, where Pakistan easily defeated India by a 10-wicket margin to claim their first world cup win over the men in blue.
The Asia Cup 2022 got underway on Saturday evening with the Group B clash between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
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