Mandi Bahauddin: Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali is certain that his team can stun arch-rivals India in the ICC T20 World Cup opener at the Oval, just like they did in the 2017 Champions Trophy final.
Pakistan has played India twice in 50-over cricket since then, and both times they have been thrashed: at the 2018 Asia Cup in Dubai and the 2019 ODI World Cup in England.
There have been typically a lot of turmoil from Pakistan’s camp before every major event, but they have never beaten India in a 50 or T20 World Cup game. They have also been unable to defeat India in practice games.
“When we won the Champions Trophy (in 2017), it was a very good time for us and we will try to beat them again in the T20 World Cup. We will give our best. Playing against India is always a pressure game because of the expectations of fans from both countries,” Hasan told a virtual media conference on Wednesday.
The Pakistani athlete stated that the encounter between Pakistan and India is the most-watched in international competitions, “Even those people who don’t normally watch cricket follow the India vs Pakistan matches, so the pressure on the players is high but we will give it our best.”
Hasan also reckons that spinners would dominate in the UAE’s dry conditions, but that this does not rule out the possibility of pacers succeeding.
