Asia Cup 2022: There is different pressure in India-Pakistan matches, says Babar Azam

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam admitted that matches between India and the Men in Green pose a different level of challenge to the players. The two teams last faced in the T20 World Cup 2021, where Pakistan won by 10 wickets after Babar and Mohammad Rizwan’s unbeaten 150 plus stand in Dubai.

The two teams are again set to lock horns in Dubai, this time in the Asia Cup on Sunday, August 28. Babar, however, said that they would try to treat it as a normal match.

“We always try to play it like a normal match, but yes, there is definitely different pressure [on us],” Babar was quoted as saying before Pakistan’s tour of the Netherlands.

Earlier, veteran batter Sohaib Maqsood said that Pakistan have lost big matches to India because of ‘overexcitement’.

“The reason for the green shirts’ consistent defeat against India in World Cup matches is because the Pakistani team became overexcited (sic). However, in the recent past, our team has started treating Indo-Pak matches normally, and it has improved our performance too,” Maqsood said.

Maqsood last played in August 2021 and was later ruled out of the World Cup in Oman and the United Arab Emirates due to an injury.

As far as Pakistan are concerned, before starting their campaign in the Asia Cup, Babar and Co. will face the Netherlands in a three-match ODI series from August 16 to August 21 at Hazelaarweg in Rotterdam.

Pakistan lost to India the last time they faced each other in the Asia Cup back in 2018. The Pakistan bowlers managed to pick up only three Indian wickets across two matches in the championship.

— ENDS —