India’s Asia Cup 2022 opener against arch-rivals Pakistan will mark Virat Kohli’s return to cricket after a short break. He was rested for India's last two white-ball tours to West Indies and Zimbabwe, following an extended lean patch with the bat.
On the eve of the high-octane game, however, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam once again acknowledged Kohli’s greatness, saying competing against a cricketer like him is extremely challenging and one has to be on top of his game to match the veteran India batter.
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“Nothing is easy in life. There are challenges everywhere. It is up to you how you achieve things in life and how you overcome the challenges you face. Virat is still one of the best batters in world cricket. How you compete against a player like him, and that too in different conditions, is very important,” Babar told reporters on Saturday (August 27).
“Every cricketer, if you ask me, faces ups and downs in their career. It’s not that there is only success and no failures. You really need a strong mindset to handle things in life that often do not go in your favour,” he added.
There is a lot of excitement around the Asia Cup 2022 clash between India and Pakistan. Since both nations don’t play each other in bilateral series, the craze for the game becomes unmatched.
The last time they faced each other was during the T20 World Cup 2021, which saw Pakistan thrashing India by 10 wickets.
For the Pakistan captain, however, last year’s victory is a thing of the past now.
“Honestly, that game is a thing of past now. It won’t have an impact on Sunday’s match. I am completely focused on tomorrow’s game. The teams are kind of different, the conditions are different. Although as a side we are confident, we won’t talk big ahead of the game. We wish to prove it on the field. As a captain, I am ready to give my 100 percent,” he said.
“Every cricket lover around the world waits for this clash. We, as cricketers also enjoy taking part in it. Both the teams try their best to keep their respective fans happy.”
Babar Azam also admitted that he enjoys interacting with the Indian cricketers before they lock horns in marquee tournaments.
“Yes, we love interacting with them. As cricketers, it is important we do that. I think it is pretty normal thing to do that. We do the same with the other teams as well,” Babar said.
Left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi, who was the star performer in Pakistan’s first-ever victory over India in a World Cup match last year, will not feature in the Asia Cup 2022 due to a knee injury.
“Of course. Had Shaheen played the game against India tomorrow, things could have been in our favour. But he is out now. Having said that, our other fast bowlers are quite good and ready to deliver for the side," Babar said.
On the other hand, the Men in Blue will be without the services of star pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel but Babar is still not taking the Indian attack lightly.
“Not any particular bowler, but I am taking every bowler quite seriously. I always do that as a batsman, irrespective of the fact, who I face. Every team has their top bowlers, and as a batsman you always have to ready yourself to face them. They can give you a tough time at any given moment,” Babar said.
(With PTI inputs)
