Will not take it as a big match: UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem downplays Asia Cup encounter against India
UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem has downplayed the hype surrounding the Asia Cup 2o25 encounter against India.
New Delhi: UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem has downplayed the hype surrounding the Asia Cup 2o25 encounter against India on Wednesday. India and hosts UAE lock horns in the second match of the continental tournament on September 10 in Dubai with both the teams aiming to start off the campaign on a high.
Ahead of the clash, Waseem said that his team's focus would be to keep the things straight and simple and stick to their plans. Additionally, they will also focus on grabbing any opportunity that arises as the match progresses. Drawing some inspiration from the Afghanistan cricket team which has witnessed a remarkable rise in the recent years, UAE skipper said that they too have been working passionately towards achieving greatness in the world of cricket.
Further talking about the game, Waseem said that all the teams are good in front of you so almost all the matches would be same. The entire UAE squad is working hard in the UAE heat and they will follow their plan to achieve success.
We don't take it as a big game
'We will not take it as a big match because all the teams are good in front of you, so all the matches will be the same. We are working hard in the heat, and we will only follow our plan. Whatever we have learned and whatever we need to do on that day, we will do it. Rest, the result is up to the game.'
Waseem further said that the team has not created any individual plan for any particular player but instead created plans for 6-7 batters for the entire team.
'No, we have not made any individual plan for any particular player. We have created a plan for 6-7 batters for the whole team. We will not give their strength to the strength. We will play carefully with their wicket-taker bowler, and whoever we can charge, we have made such a plan. If the unit is more, the role of the spinners can increase,' he added.
During the continental tournament, the conditions in the UAE will aid the spinners and the Indian team which is full of the spin bowlers is expected to benefit the maximum from the conditions. The match will begin at 8PM IST with the toss taking place at 7.30PM IST.