May 17th 2024.
India's struggles in major tournaments have been evident to the world. As the highly anticipated T20 World Cup approaches in 2024, former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq shared his thoughts on India's performance in ICC events. He believes that while the current Indian team is skilled and boasts a powerful bowling lineup, they have been lacking in finishing strong in recent years.
Last year, India remained unbeaten in the ODI World Cup until they faced defeat against Australia in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. However, they have not won any ICC title since the 2013 Champions Trophy under the leadership of MS Dhoni. They also missed out on the World Test Championship on two occasions in the past three years. In the last T20 World Cup, India suffered a defeat in the semifinal against England, ending their campaign.
Misbah credited India's current pace attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami, while also praising the overall quality of Indian cricket. He believes that the addition of these talented bowlers has elevated India's game, along with the all-round abilities of Hardik Pandya. Misbah also noted that India's ability to handle pressure has improved, thanks to their exposure and confidence gained from playing a lot of cricket.
He compared India's mental strength to that of Australia's, stating that the latter manages to stay composed in big matches and pressure situations. Misbah believes that it takes a lot of effort for opposing teams to break India's mental strength, making it a difficult task.
However, he also acknowledged that Asian teams, including Pakistan and India, face immense pressure from their huge populations and high expectations. This pressure can have a significant impact on the players' performance, and Misbah believes that India has struggled with it in recent major events. Despite starting well, they have not been able to finish strong, which is something they need to work on.
Misbah also shared his thoughts on the inclusion of pacer Mohammad Amir in Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad. He believes that Amir's experience will be crucial, especially in handling pressure during big matches against India. While Amir may not have the same pace, swing, and zip as before, his experience and ability to bowl slower ones, yorkers, and outside the off-stump will be valuable.
He concluded by stating that Amir's performance in crucial moments against big batsmen will be crucial for Pakistan's success in the T20 World Cup. India and Pakistan will face each other in their second match of the tournament on June 9 in New York, following their opening game against Ireland on June 5.
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