Pakistan has been playing some good cricket in the recent past which started with a rare home series win against New Zealand earlier this year which was followed by a 3-0 ODI series win against Afghanistan in Sri Lanka just before the start of the Asia Cup.
One of the features of the team has been its fast bowling which has been top-notch in the last two years which was evident during the first ODI against Afghanistan where pacer Haris Rauf wreaked havoc by picking up his maiden five-wicket haul helping his team to bundle out Afghanistan for just 59 runs in the process.
Not only that it is the first time in a while that Pakistan’s batting is also looking dangerous with the likes of Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul- Haq and Babar Azam scoring runs consistently. The trio has been well supported by Pakistan’s lower middle order with Iftikhar Ahmad and Shadab Khan contributing with both bat and ball.
Ashwin Speaks on facing Pakistan
Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has also warned India not to take Pakistan lightly before the blockbuster clash on September 2.
“If Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan consistently dish out performances with the bat, Pakistan will be one hell of a team heading into this Asia Cup and the World Cup. It will take some beating since Pakistan is an extraordinary team. It is all down to their (Pakistan’s) squad depth. Pakistan has invariably developed exceptional cricketers,” Ashwin mentioned on his YouTube channel.
A Rich History
Ashwin also acknowledged the fact that Pakistan’s batting will also be a force to reckon with this time around “Thanks to its tape-ball cricket, they have always produced an incredible series of pacers. Also, their batting has been superior during the late 90s and 2000s.
But the exposure they have got to various (T20) leagues has been the primary reason for their re-emergence in the previous five or six years. They also have the PSL. Additionally, in the recent BBL drafts, there were at least 60-70 Pakistan players,” he noted.
