Key Takeaways
- Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson confident ahead of potential clash with India at Asian Games.
- Pakistan to face winner of Pool B in quarterfinal on September 28.
- India enters as defending champions, while Pakistan aims to improve on past performances.
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has expressed confidence in his team’s ability to challenge India in the upcoming Asian Games, despite recent losses to their archrival.
Hesson acknowledged that India remains the benchmark in white-ball cricket and that Pakistan has ground to make up, but he emphasized that his team is prepared to put pressure on India if the two teams meet.
The men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games begins on Thursday in Japan, with Pakistan set to face the winner of Pool B, which includes Hong Kong, Oman, and Malaysia, in the quarterfinal on September 28.
Pakistan and India have never faced each other in men’s cricket at the Asian Games, but could meet in the semifinals in Nagoya on October 1, with India entering as the defending champions.
Pakistan’s squad, led by opener Sahibzada Farhan, features a mix of young and experienced players, providing Farhan with an important opportunity to gain captaincy experience.
Hesson clarified that Farhan’s captaincy at the tournament would not determine Pakistan’s long-term leadership plans, adding that any future captaincy decision would be made by the selection committee and the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman.
Pakistan has undergone extensive practice over the previous three days to prepare for different pitches and playing conditions, with Hesson explaining that the final squad had to be selected from a 30-member preliminary list in accordance with Olympic regulations.
The team’s performance at the Asian Games is significant, as Pakistan has never won a medal in men’s cricket at the event, having lost the bronze-medal match in 2010 and 2023 and not participating in 2014.
