Aaqib Javed feels that Pakistan lack a quality all-rounder like Hardik Pandya.© AFP
India will take on Pakistan in their first match of the upcoming Asia Cup on August 28 in Dubai. Both teams had met last year during the T20 World Cup at the same venue, with Pakistan coming out on top. It was a dominant performance from Pakistan as India suffered their first defeat to their arch-rivals at World Cups. However, former Pakistan bowler Aaqib Javed feels that India have a much-experienced batting line-up, especially the middle-order, which can make the difference.
Javed also said that Pakistan lack a quality all-rounder like Hardik Pandya.
“Babar is now experienced and these cricketers have been playing together for a while. But the difference between India and Pakistan lies in the batting. Even now, their (India) batting is more experienced. If a player like Rohit plays long, he alone will take the game away. The middle-order batting between India and Pakistan, is where the difference lies. India’s all-rounders can make a huge difference. We don’t have an all-rounder of Hardik Pandya’s calibre,” Javed said during an interaction on paktv.tv.
Hardik had scored 11 off eight balls during the defeat to Pakistan last year. He, however, did not bowl during the match due to a back issue.
The 28-year-old had taken break from cricket after the tournament in the UAE last year.
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However, he has cemented his place in the playing XI after extraordinary performances in the IPL, as well as the international circuit.
In 2022, Hardik has scored 281 runs in 13 T20Is at a strike rate of almost 140.
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