Desk Report:
India did not shake hands with Pakistan. It can be said that the thread of that controversy has not yet died down. After losing badly to India, Pakistan is standing on the edge of the abyss in the Asia Cup. They have no choice but to defeat the United Arab Emirates today to go to the Super Four. The match will start at 8:30 pm at the Dubai International Stadium.
Although Pakistan is considered the favorite. Because, they have defeated the United Arab Emirates twice in the tri-nation series before the Asia Cup. But can they maintain the consistency? Since a loss means an exit, the match stands as a knockout.
Like Pakistan, the Emirates also got a resounding victory against Oman. And that victory was confirmed by India’s performance in the Super Four. Even if they do not win three matches against Pakistan, the Emirates has the ability to lose. They came very close and lost in the tri-nation series. The two openers Muhammad Wasim and Alishan Sharaf are a name of confidence for them.
If they can do well in bowling, the Emirates can cause accidents. The team’s head coach Lalchand Rajput said, “It always feels good to win. We have to maintain that. The best part is that we have played a tri-series against Pakistan, so we are aware of our position. Only a good performance will take us to the Super Four. We will try to play our best cricket. Because, it is a life-or-death fight for us. Reaching the Super Four is a huge thing for us.”
Pakistan’s batting, however, has not been able to shine like that yet. Even against a team like Oman, they were stopped for 160 runs. They did not get a chance to stand up to India. Sayem Ayub, who hit a golden duck in two consecutive innings, is effective with the ball. He is grinding the batters with carrom balls and off-spin. He is third in the list of highest wicket-takers with 5 wickets. He has also formed a good partnership with Mohammad Nawaz. If pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi returns to his best form, the injured Pakistan can wake up again.
