Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: Pakistan have hired a motivational speaker to pep them up for their Asia Cup Super 4s clash against India on Sunday. Not only that, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi has also interacted with the squad for motivation.
To avoid facing uncomfortable questions that could add up pressure on an already tense batch of players, they also cancelled their customary pre-match press conference for the second successive game.
It remains to be seen if these measures help Pakistan to play freely against a side to whom they have lost 11 of their 14 encounters, including a seven wicket rout a week ago.
Despite Pakistan's protests over Andy Pycroft's role in the 'handshake-gate' in that match and subsequent pull-out threats only to back down and play, the International Cricket Council have assigned him as the match referee again.
It certainly won't please Pakistan that their repeated requests to strike him off the roster have been ignored but it would do well if they let bygones be bygones and start afresh, particularly as they have been found wanting on the field.
Pakistan have barely managed to qualify for the Super 4s after they faltered against India. They look an undercooked side devoid of real talent and genuine match winners.
The handshake drama didn't help either as off-field issues took centre-stage instead of performance on the field. It would do them well if their focus return to performance rather than crying over spilled milk as sparring with the ICC haven't quite produced the desired results.
Neither could they walk the talk on boycott of matches nor could they pressurise the ICC to remove Pycroft, claims of getting 'apology' from the Zimbabwean also weren't substantiated with irrefutable proof.
How they cope with a side as domineering as India would be keenly followed, as mere playing with a grudge wouldn't be enough to win. Calmness and sensibility is needed to make well-thought out plans and a lot of skill and guile is required to execute them on the pitch.
To turn the tide against India, they might need their best batter Fakhar Zaman and pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi to be at their menacing best. Else, it could be another long day for Pakistan on the field.
India: Suyakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
Match starts at 8pm IST.
Live on Sony Sports Network and SonyLiv app.
