Saeed Ajmal has expressed his confidence in Pakistan’s chances of winning the upcoming Asia Cup. He believes that with Babar Azam leading the team, they are the ‘favourites’ for the tournament. The Asia Cup is scheduled to commence on Wednesday, August 30th.
As the Asia Cup is on the verge of starting and the ODI World Cup looms not too far away, Saeed Ajmal, the former cricket Pakistani spinner, has expressed his confidence that Pakistan is prepared to make a huge impact in the forthcoming Asia Cup event. He points out that their adaptation to the circumstances in Sri Lanka could be a game-changer. Notably, the latest confrontation of the Men in Green with Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka finished with Pakistan emerging triumphant with a clean 3-0 score.
Moreover, Saeed Ajmal dived into the topic of Jasprit Bumrah’s much-anticipated comeback to the Indian cricket fold. Alongside this, he ventured a prediction that Pakistan might reach the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup. In this journey, Ajmal sees the company of cricket powerhouses like Australia, India, and England, making for a high-stakes showdown in the tournament.
“Pakistan are favourites to win the Asia Cup as they have played a few matches in Sri Lanka of late. They have already adapted to the conditions there. We have an edge as far as fast bowling is concerned. Shaheen and Naseem are known to claim wickets with the new ball while Haris Rauf is good at death bowling,” Ajmal told The New Indian Express.
“Jasprit Bumrah’s return has boosted India’s confidence and they bat deep with Ravindra Jadeja coming at No 7. They have good all-rounders in Hardik Pandya, Jadeja, and Axar Patel. Even Kuldeep can bat. Middle order is a worry for Pakistan and if they can manage it, they along with India, Australia, and England can reach the WC semi-finals,” he further added.
Ajmal also expressed his opinion on the intense showdown between India and Pakistan in the ODI World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The former off-spinner elaborated that the advantage of playing at home would be crucial. However, he mentioned that India might face difficulties if Pakistan manages to take early wickets in the match.
“Wickets in Asia remain the same so that will not matter. Pakistan are No 1 side in the ODI and this happened because of their top-order batter and pacers. Home crowd can be an advantage as more than 1 lakh fans will be rooting for you at the world’s biggest stadium in Ahmedabad,” said Saeed Ajmal.
“But if Pakistan bat first then it will not matter as they will have an edge over the hosts otherwise it will be 50-50 for both teams. If Shaheen and Naseem pick wickets in the first few overs then India will be in trouble early on,” he concluded.
