As the 2023 Asia Cup kicks off, it is the teams from India and Pakistan that are considered the ‘favourites’ for the title. Although it was the Sri Lankan team that won the title last time (in the T20 version of the tournament), India and Pakistan are seen as the two outright favourites. While the Indian team has won the tournament, in its ODI version, the most often, Pakistan has really been trying its hardest in recent years. Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, in his preview of the Asia Cup 2023, tried to decipher the rise of the Paksitan team over the past 5-6 years, and what makes them favorites this year, alongside the Indian team.
“I was always jealous when I watched the Pakistani side. Five to six years ago they struggled in major tournaments like the Asia Cup and the World Cup. Yes, of course, they have won major tournaments in the past. They won the 1992 World Cup and has shown consistent performance in the T20 World Cup. The main reason for the increase over the past five to six years can be attributed to Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan,” Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin also cited Pakistani players’ experience of playing in different conditions around the world as a major reason behind their improved ability to perform in big venues.
“It all comes down to the depth of their team. Pakistan has always produced extraordinary cricketers. Thanks to tapeball cricket, they have always had fast bowlers through their ranks. Their batting was special in the late 1990s and early 2000s. But their exposure to different competitions have been a major reason for their re-emergence in the past 5-6 years They have PSL In the recent BBL drafts there were at least 60-70 Pakistani players.
They play Test cricket and play their own T20 leagues. But they also play all over the world, in England and Australia, and this year there are not many Pakistani players in the CPL, but they also always dominate the CPL. They play in the Emirati League, USA and also in Canada. When talent meets opportunity with different exposures. At IPL, we make sure that talent and opportunity come together and that’s why we’re seeing more cricketers from different regions,” explained Ashwin.
“That is why Pakistan has not only produced world-class cricketers in the past five to six years, but these talents are only performing on the big stages.”
Ashwin believes that if Babar Azam and Mohamad Rizwan stay on track in the coming months, it would be difficult to be Pakistan in the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup.
“If Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan deliver consistent performances with the bat in the middle order,
Then Pakistan will be a great team for the Asian Cup and the World Cup. It will take some setback. Pakistan is an exceptional side.
“Most of the matches of this year’s Asia Cup will be played in Sri Lanka. Who else is better equipped for Sri Lankan conditions than Pakistan? Because almost all foreigners in the Lanka Premier League are Pakistanis,” he claimed.
Topics mentioned in this article
