India are obviously hugely confident: Pak coach Hesson

Pakistan coach Mike Hesson is keeping his focus on a winning start against Oman in Dubai, but he admits the real spotlight of the Asia Cup will fall on Sunday’s high-voltage clash against India.

“We know that India are obviously hugely confident, and rightfully so, in terms of how well they’ve played,” Hesson said.

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“We’re very much focused on improving as a team, sort of day by day, and not getting too far ahead of ourselves, but we’re well aware of the… I wouldn’t say the enormity of the task, I’d say the challenge of the task ahead, and we’re certainly looking forward to it.”

While Pakistan entered the tournament having won 10 of their last 13 T20Is, Hesson acknowledged the batting remains a work in progress without the experienced duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. “It’s very much a developing batting line up,” he noted, backing Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub to step up.

If batting continues to evolve, Pakistan’s spin attack has already been a standout. Mohammad Nawaz was recently named Player of the Series in the tri-series win over Afghanistan and UAE, while Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem have impressed as well.

“We’ve got Mohammad Nawaz, who’s the best spin bowler in the world at the moment, and he’s been ranked that way over the last six months since he’s come back in the side,” Hesson said.

The Dubai International Cricket Stadium has always offered spin-friendly wickets and a similar kind of contest is expected on Sunday. Besides Nawaz and Muqeem, Pakistan have spin options in Abrar Ahmed and opener Saim Ayub, also capable of chipping in. India, meanwhile, counters with its own world-class trio of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy.

Come Sunday, the cricketing world will turn its gaze to Dubai, when the traditional rivals face off in what promises to be the marquee contest of the continental championship.