"It won't be a walkover for Pakistan this time around" - Shoaib Akhtar anticipates a stern fightback from India against their arch-rivals in the T20 World Cup
Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar believes that Pakistan will be put to a test against India at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. The two neighboring nations have been placed in Group 2 of the tournament and will play against each other on October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The inaugural T20 World Cup champions recorded their first loss against Pakistan in World Cups last year. The Babar Azam-led side racked up an impressive 10-wicket victory in Dubai at the 2021 T20 World Cup. The highly-anticipated contest between the two arch-rivals is expected to draw a record crowd at the iconic venue in Australia.
The tickets for India vs Pakistan match in T20 World Cup 2022 have been sold out.
Opining that the Men In Blue must be careful while compiling their playing XI against Pakistan, Shoaib Akhtar said in an interaction with Harbhajan Singh on Sportskeeda:
"India cannot go about and select a random team against Pakistan without defining their roles. I think, the management should select the team carefully and I fully believe it will be a solid team. It won't be a walkover for Pakistan this time around."
India's squad selection for the previous edition of the tournament sparked wide debate, especially surrounding the omission of leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.
Claiming that the Men In Blue cannot afford to make mistakes when it comes to naming their squad, Akhtar added:
"If India pick the right squad for the tournament, then they have a very good chance of beating Pakistan. They are absolutely even teams at the moment, so it is very difficult to predict a result."
After opening the 2021 T20 World Cup with a defeat to Pakistan, the Virat Kohli-led side failed to qualify for the semi-finals. They finished third in their group following a tame defeat to New Zealand as well.
"The pressure will be on Pakistan" - Shoaib Akhtar
The high-octane contests between India and Pakistan have always drawn crowds irrespective of the venue. The MCG is bound to be a spectacle when it hosts one of cricket's most intense matches.
The India vs Pakistan match in the recent ICC Men's T20 World Cup is the most viewed T20I match in history, exceeding the previous high of the India-West Indies semi-final match from the 2016 edition. (ICC release)
Opining that Pakistan should look to bat first at the MCG while acknowledging the crowd factor in, Akhtar said:
"The wicket at the MCG plays quite well. Bowling second would be ideal for Pakistan to win the match against India. There will be a crowd of 100,000, out of which 70,000 will be supporting India so, the pressure will be on Pakistan."
Pakistan narrowly missed out on a place in the 2021 T20 World Cup due to an exceptional cameo by Matthew Wade in the semi-finals. The Babar Azam-led side will be hoping to win their second title after winning their first T20 World Cup in 2009.