Former Pakistani cricketer, Tanvir Ahmed has taken a jibe at the Indian team saying that they brought in MS Dhoni as the mentor of the side as they are feeling immense pressure in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 and ahead of their game versus Pakistan which will be played in Dubai on October 24.
Pakistan has never defeated India in a World Cup match, be it in ODIs or T20 Internationals (T20Is). India has a 12-0 lead over Pakistan in ICC events, but Tanvir Ahmed said that Pakistan has the advantage this time around as they have more experience playing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the tournament is being held.
Despite this, Ahmed said that India is under more pressure in the tournament and said during a conversation with ABP News and ARY News, on paper India is a top team before taking a jibe at Virat Kohli quitting the T20 captaincy of the Indian team.
“On paper, there is no doubt that India are a top team. The way they have played cricket around the world, but you have to look at recent performances. Firstly, I’d like to talk about Virat Kohli. He was under a lot of pressure and he quit T20 captaincy. He said I won’t captain in T20s as my performances have not been great,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed then turned his attention to MS Dhoni and how certain Indian players didn’t have particularly good outings in the IPL 2021.
“Then, maybe they were under pressure so they are taking MS Dhoni as a mentor. Even if you look at the IPL, the players in India’s squad were not among the top 10 performers. Their spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have not done very well, so of course there will be pressure,” Ahmed said.
Tanvir Ahmed Says Pakistan’s Decade Long Experience Of Playing In UAE Gives Them The Edge Over India
Pakistan played almost exclusively in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah for almost a decade after international cricket stopped in the country after the 2009 terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.
Ahmed said this experience of playing in UAE gives Pakistan the edge over India when the two teams will clash on October 24 in the T20 World Cup 2021 match in Dubai.
“If you look at Pakistan, they have been playing cricket in Dubai for a long time, they have a good idea of the conditions. On paper, fine, India have a good team, but in T20 cricket, you never know. One player can come and win you the match and go,” he said.
India recently beat England in their warmup match in Dubai, while Pakistan beat West Indies in their practice tie.