POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Sep 4, 2022 : You may have heard about NBA’s ‘Best of Five’, ‘Best of Seven’ series. The title of this American basketball league is determined sometimes in a series of 5 matches, sometimes in a series of 7 matches. This year’s Asia Cup is also called India-Pakistan ‘Best of Three’ series. The Asian Cricket Council has made the schedule in such a way that the two arch-rivals will face each other in the Super Four after the group stage. After that, if the luck of the two teams is good, they can meet again in the final. All in all, this year’s Asia Cup has become a bilateral series of three matches between India and Pakistan.
The talk has been circulating in the conversation of journalists from India and Pakistan who have come to cover the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates. As Bangladesh has been knocked out of the Asia Cup, the main attraction of Bangladeshi journalists is now the fight between these two teams. The talk of this Pak-India final of the tournament has also entered Pakistan’s dressing room.
Pakistan team vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan also said, ‘We were also joking about best-of-three’ after a mammoth 155-run win in which Hong Kong were bowled out for just 38 runs. I was calculating how the two teams can meet again in the final.
Both teams will play their first Super Four match today before the final. After last August 28, Dubai International Stadium is once again the stage of India-Pakistan match. In the last over, India won the match. The two teams have met only 10 times in T20Is, with India winning 8 of them. The fact that India-Pakistan matches are being played so many times in the same tournament is benefiting the ACC. Yesterday, a Pakistani journalist was saying, ‘ACC will swell. If there is a final after this match, then there is no question.
The interest in the India-Pakistan match was evident from the crowd of journalists at the ICC Academy yesterday. The Pakistan team had no practice tomorrow after their win against Hong Kong the previous day. But Pakistani pacer Harif Rauf had to come to the field with the team’s media manager to hold a pre-match press conference. Seeing the crowd of journalists in the press conference room, the media manager of the Pakistan team also said, ‘Let the press conference be a little longer today. No problem.’ The crowd swelled further at Indian coach Rahul Dravid’s press conference later.
Even before the India-Pakistan match, the fighting spirit that was there, is no longer found. The cricketers of the two teams treated each other like friends, gifting each other jerseys, showering each other with praise at press conferences. Virat Kohli comes to the field to look after Afridi’s injury, presents his jersey to Haris. Rohit Sharma is killing Babar Azam. Two taking a selfie together. There is no war of words.
However, Haris Rouf claims that this friendly behavior outside the field does not affect the game on the field. After receiving the jersey from Virat Kohli, the Pakistani pacer said, ‘We take the game as a game. The way he (Kohli) has performed for his country is now a legend. You can learn a lot by talking to him. He gave me shirt, talked. I feel very honoured.’
Both teams have the same problem—injuries. India’s Ravindra Jadeja has been ruled out of the Asia Cup as well as the World Cup due to a knee injury. He has to go to the operating table to recover. Akshar Patel can get a chance in his place. On the other hand, Pakistan is suffering from injury problems one after another even before the Asia Cup. Starting with Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Then Mohammad Wasim was knocked out due to injury. The latest addition to the list is Shahnewaz Dahani. Haris Rauf, Nasim Shah and Hasan Ali are the pacers for now. However, in front of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, who are in great rhythm, Pakistan seems confident in this bowling attack.
