IND vs PAK: Pakistan Team Is On The Rise, They Have The Confidence To Compete Against India Day-In, Day-Out - Wasim Akram

Former Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram believes that the win in the T20 World Cup last year against India has given Pakistan a lot of belief going into the matchup.

Ahead of the crucial match between the two teams in the Asia Cup, Akram said that Babar Azam and co. have what it takes to defeat the Men in Blue when the two sides meet in Dubai on August 28, Sunday.

“Pakistan team is on the rise for the past couple of years,” Akram said during a media session organised by Star Sports. “They’ve been consistent, and I think the win against India, although that was a year ago during the World Cup, gave them a bit of confidence that they can compete against India day-in and day-out.”

“The only thing I’m worried about is the middle order,” he said. “There is no experience apart from Iftikhar Ahmed coming in at No. 4, and then you’ll have probably Haider Ali, a young sensation who hasn’t been consistent. Babar Azam and Rizwan are the key as far as the T20 format is concerned.”

“I think in general they’re confident, but it depends on how they feel or what sort of mindset they’re in when they arrive before the India-Pakistan game because that game can make to break the Asia Cup for either side,” Akram added.

“Babar has been very consistent because he has the right technique” – Wasim Akram

Akram also believes that Babar was bound to be compared with his predecessors after putting up excellent performances one after another. He said Babar has the talent to become a modern great.

“It’s only natural. When we played, people compared Inzamam-ul-Haq with Rahul Dravid or Sachin Tendulkar. Before that, it was Javed Miandad versus Sunny Gavaskar. Gundappa Viswanath and Zaheer Abbas, so [comparison] is only natural.”

“Babar has been very consistent because he has the right technique. He enjoys his batting, is still very hungry, physically fit, still young and is captain across formats. He’s learning and learning very quickly.

“As far as comparisons go, he’s on the right track to be where Virat Kohli is. It’s a bit too early to compare him to Kohli at this stage. But he’s on track to be one of the modern greats,” Akram also mentioned.

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