Former England captain-turned-commentator Nasser Hussain has made a bold statement ahead of Pakistan's World Cup 2023 opening match against the Netherlands on October 7. Nasser has said that it should not come as a surprise if Pakistan lose to the Dutch side.
He made the comment during a discussion on a YouTube channel despite Netherlands losing to Karnataka in the One-Day series leading up to the World Cup followed by a comprehensive loss to Pat Cummins’ Australia. However, the Englishman categorised Pakistan as the unpredictable side which is capable of turning the tournament around despite a poor start.
"I think they [Pakistan] are very good tournament side. They have got the Netherlands up from first game, they could lose that. That is Pakistan for you. But then they'll go on a run. You look at the last World T20. They were out of it and then suddenly they are in the final. They are mercurial because that is the brand and style of cricket they play. They are incredibly watchable side," Nasser opined.
Despite a mediocre spin-bowling attack which has been exposed of late in the middle overs, Pakistan have a fantastic fast-bowling lineup capable of providing early breakthroughs. Nasser feels that Pakistan can be at an advantage against their opponents if their batters manage to post above-par totals on the board.
"If they get an above par score against you, any team in the World Cup, you are in trouble," the 55-year-old concluded.
Pakistan will take on the Netherlands at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on October 6. Before that, they will take on Australia at the same venue on October 3. The Babar Azam-led side may have an advantage as they will be able to adapt to conditions in Hyderabad better than the Dutch side.
Pakistan versus Netherlands record so far
So far, Pakistan have taken on Netherlands six times in ODIs and are yet to be unbeaten. However, last year, they played two very closely contested encounters in the three-ODI series. Pakistan have faced Netherlands twice in ODI World Cup history. In 1996, they won by eight wickets in Lahore. Seven years later, they registered a 97-run win.
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