The two former champions meet at the same venue for the second time in a month. The last time they had a face-off here March 2 in the Asia Cup, Pakistan clinched a last-ball thriller thanks to Shahid Afridi’s unbeaten 18-ball 34.
The Indian team has had a tough past couple of months. Losses in South Africa, New Zealand and an early exit from the Asia Cup have compounded India’s miseries. The World T20 offers the Men in Blue a chance to get back to winnning ways. India can take heart from the fact that they have never lost to Pakistan in a World Cup, be it Twenty20 or 50-over format.
But Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez has started the mind games saying that Indian skipper MS Dhoni’s return to the team doesn’t make any difference. Dhoni had skipped the Asia Cup owing to injury.
Dhoni had refrained from talking to the media in the past few days to stay away from the controversies back home due to the Indian Premier League (IPL) scandal but on the eve of the match Thursday admitted that bowling is an area of concern for his team.
‘Bowling is an area of concern compared to batting. Getting off to a good start is important as it will help us get 10 to 15 runs more than the par-score. Our aim will be to do well in death bowling and also bat well and we will have a good chance (in the tournament),’ Dhoni said.
India most likely will field five bowlers with leggie Amit Mishra being the third spinner. Pacers Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar haven’t played much of T20 internationals but the experience in IPL will surely count. What will boost the Indian team’s confidence is the return of Dhoni and the presence of Yuvraj Singh. The onus will be on Yuvraj, who has been dropped from both ODIs and Test side, to prove the selectors that he is still good enough to play at the highest level. The opening pair remains a problem for India. While Shikhar Dhawan has been getting the runs, Rohit Sharma has hit a rough patch. Dhoni has been non-committal in sending Ajinkya Rahane up the order and said the team would adapt a wait and watch policy.
Pakistan will take confidence from Afridi pyrotechnics three weeks back here against India in Asia Cup. But Pakistan’s trump card will be off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who has given most batsmen a hard time reading his variations. Pakistan are also experienced than India in terms of T20 format. They are the most experienced Test playing nation in T20s, having played 78 matches in comparison to India’s 46. However, India-Pakistan matches are beyond all numbers and calculations.
Teams India: MS Dhoni (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Varun Aaron, Amit Mishra, Mohit Sharma, Stuart Binny, Ajinkya Rahane.
Pakistan: Md Hafeez (captain), Sharjeel Khan, Ahmed Shehzad, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Junaid Khan, Saaed Ajmal, Mohammad Talha, Sohaib Maqsood, Sohail Tanvir, Zulfiqar Babar, Bilawal Bhatti.
Hafeez, managmnt at loggerheads?
Karachi: Trouble seems to be brewing in Pakistan cricket team in the ongoing World Twenty20 with speculation of differences between skipper Mohammed Hafeez and the team management. There are reports that Hafeez is not seeing eye to eye with the team management which includes coach Moin Khan, consultant Zaheer Abbas and manager Zakir Khan on a number of issues, especially on selection matters. ‘It’s not a good sign for Pakistan cricket. Such rumours are even circulating before the start of our campaign in a world event. I just hope they are not true but definitely I would like to see PCB stepping in so the team can focus on winning the tournament,’ former head coach and chief selector Mohsin Khan said. Rumours started circulating after Hafeez made some caustic comments about the head coach and cricket consultant referring to their lack of experience in modern cricket and how the sport had changed in the last couple of years. Similar rumours had also circulated when the team returned from the Asia Cup. ‘Yes there are indications that Moin, Zaheer and the fielding coach Shoaib Muhammad in particular feel that Pakistan needs a new captain for future assignments and the names of Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan are being taken frequently now,’ one source close to the team said. There are question-marks over whether Hafeez will be able to sustain the pressure of playing India in Friday’s opening match.
The Indian team has had a tough past couple of months. Losses in South Africa, New Zealand and an early exit from the Asia Cup have compounded India’s miseries. The World T20 offers the Men in Blue a chance to get back to winnning ways. India can take heart from the fact that they have never lost to Pakistan in a World Cup, be it Twenty20 or 50-over format.
But Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez has started the mind games saying that Indian skipper MS Dhoni’s return to the team doesn’t make any difference. Dhoni had skipped the Asia Cup owing to injury.
Dhoni had refrained from talking to the media in the past few days to stay away from the controversies back home due to the Indian Premier League (IPL) scandal but on the eve of the match Thursday admitted that bowling is an area of concern for his team.
‘Bowling is an area of concern compared to batting. Getting off to a good start is important as it will help us get 10 to 15 runs more than the par-score. Our aim will be to do well in death bowling and also bat well and we will have a good chance (in the tournament),’ Dhoni said.
India most likely will field five bowlers with leggie Amit Mishra being the third spinner. Pacers Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar haven’t played much of T20 internationals but the experience in IPL will surely count. What will boost the Indian team’s confidence is the return of Dhoni and the presence of Yuvraj Singh. The onus will be on Yuvraj, who has been dropped from both ODIs and Test side, to prove the selectors that he is still good enough to play at the highest level. The opening pair remains a problem for India. While Shikhar Dhawan has been getting the runs, Rohit Sharma has hit a rough patch. Dhoni has been non-committal in sending Ajinkya Rahane up the order and said the team would adapt a wait and watch policy.
Pakistan will take confidence from Afridi pyrotechnics three weeks back here against India in Asia Cup. But Pakistan’s trump card will be off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who has given most batsmen a hard time reading his variations. Pakistan are also experienced than India in terms of T20 format. They are the most experienced Test playing nation in T20s, having played 78 matches in comparison to India’s 46. However, India-Pakistan matches are beyond all numbers and calculations.
Teams India: MS Dhoni (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Varun Aaron, Amit Mishra, Mohit Sharma, Stuart Binny, Ajinkya Rahane.
Pakistan: Md Hafeez (captain), Sharjeel Khan, Ahmed Shehzad, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Junaid Khan, Saaed Ajmal, Mohammad Talha, Sohaib Maqsood, Sohail Tanvir, Zulfiqar Babar, Bilawal Bhatti.
Hafeez, managmnt at loggerheads?
Karachi: Trouble seems to be brewing in Pakistan cricket team in the ongoing World Twenty20 with speculation of differences between skipper Mohammed Hafeez and the team management. There are reports that Hafeez is not seeing eye to eye with the team management which includes coach Moin Khan, consultant Zaheer Abbas and manager Zakir Khan on a number of issues, especially on selection matters. ‘It’s not a good sign for Pakistan cricket. Such rumours are even circulating before the start of our campaign in a world event. I just hope they are not true but definitely I would like to see PCB stepping in so the team can focus on winning the tournament,’ former head coach and chief selector Mohsin Khan said. Rumours started circulating after Hafeez made some caustic comments about the head coach and cricket consultant referring to their lack of experience in modern cricket and how the sport had changed in the last couple of years. Similar rumours had also circulated when the team returned from the Asia Cup. ‘Yes there are indications that Moin, Zaheer and the fielding coach Shoaib Muhammad in particular feel that Pakistan needs a new captain for future assignments and the names of Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan are being taken frequently now,’ one source close to the team said. There are question-marks over whether Hafeez will be able to sustain the pressure of playing India in Friday’s opening match.