Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar said India will have to be careful while choosing their squad for the T20 World Cup 2022 match against Pakistan later this year. However, he also acknowledged that there will be pressure on the Babar Azam-led team. This high-voltage match is to be held on Sunday 23 October at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Tickets for this match were sold out in just five minutes.
The last face-off between the two teams was in the ICC T20 World Cup in October 2021, when Pakistan defeated India by 10 wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and captain Babar played a big role in the team’s victory. This happened for the first time that India lost to Pakistan in the World Cup.
Akhtar said about this match, “Without deciding the role of the players and choosing any team, India cannot take the field against Pakistan. I think the management should select the team carefully and I am sure it will be a solid team. This time the challenge for Pakistan will not be easy.”
Akhtar further said, “If India picks the right team for the tournament, it has a very good chance of beating Pakistan. It is very difficult to predict the outcome at this point of time.” Akhtar also said that it would be better for Pakistan to bat first and give India a tough target.
Furthermore, Rawalpindi Express admitted that the ground in Melbourne is likely to be more packed with Indian supporters than Pakistan and that would be the reason why there would be pressure on Pakistan. He said, the wicket of MCG plays very well. Bowling in the second innings would be ideal for Pakistan to win the match against India. There will be a crowd of 100,000 spectators, out of which 70,000 will support India, so there will be pressure on Pakistan.