India faces Pakistan in their opener of the Asia Cup 2022 in Dubai on Sunday, August 28, and before the much-awaited encounter, Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan caught up with the media at the pre-match press conference and was wary of the talent that former skipper Virat Kohli possesses, and his presence still instils fear in his opponents despite his lean form.
“They (the former cricketers) don't play anymore, that's why they think that he doesn't instil fear. He is a legend of the game, he has performed quite a lot. Whenever he comes, you are a bit scared because he is a big player. We don't want him to play a long innings against us,” Shadab said.
The Pakistan all-rounder further added that he wanted to see Kohli smash a century and break his 1000+ day streak for a three-figure score. However, he hilariously added that he hopes it doesn't come against Pakistan. “I pray that he returns to how he was. He is performing well even now, but the standards that he has set… make it feel as if he is out of form. I personally wish that he scores a century; not against us, but against some team else in this tournament,” Shadab said.
Shadab, who is also the vice-captain of the Pakistan T20I team, believes that the match on Sunday will set the tone for his team to clinch the tournament. “Like any competition, Sunday’s match is important as it will set the tone for the remaining matches. But we are not over-thinking, a tactic that worked for all of us last year,” he added.
He was also aware of the threat that injured pacer Shaheen Afridi carries but is of the opinion that his team have many bowlers they can rely on, “Shaheen Shah Afridi’s absence is a blow as he is our main strike bowler. But the beauty of cricket is that it’s not an individual but a team game. We have many match-winning bowlers in our family and I have confidence in Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani and others, who will surely step up and will succeed in filling the big boots of Shaheen."
Apart from Shaheen, Pakistan will also be without Mohammad Wasim Jr, who has been ruled out of Asia Cup 2022 after suffering a back injury. Mohammad Hasnain and Hasan Ali have been called up as replacements.
