The focus of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has seamlessly shifted from their defeat to India in the IND vs PAK encounter last Sunday in Dubai to the handshake row that has led to the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the ACC president, asking for the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the rest of the Asia Cup.
However, some inquisition within themselves will reveal that Greens were simply outplayed in both departments by a dominant Indian team led by Suryakumar Yadav that has pushed Salman Agha’s side on the brink of an embarrassing group-stage exit.
Pakistan, under new head coach Mike Hesson, decided to move on from the trudging duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan and added youngsters and intent merchants in their side and also chose batting depth, which resulted in the exclusion of senior pacers Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali from the playing XI.
Despite all this, the Men In Green managed only 127 runs, boosted by Shaheen Afridi’s 33*, against India and lost by seven wickets with more than four overs to spare in India’s run chase.
Pakistan’s net run rate is still healthy, courtesy of their 93-run win over Oman last Friday. But that NRR wouldn’t help them if they fail to secure a win against the UAE.
Asia Cup: How Can Pakistan Qualify For Super 4 Round Despite Defeat Against India?
PAK and UAE both have two points each after two games. They will meet on Wednesday in Dubai, and the winner of the Pakistan vs UAE match will progress to the Super 4 round, joining India, while the losing side will be knocked out of the competition.
From Group A, India have qualified for Super 4, with two wins in as many games, whereas Oman are the first team to be out of the Super 4 race, having lost both their games so far.
There are reports that have suggested that the PCB has threatened to boycott their game against the UAE if Andy Pycroft is not removed from the PAK vs UAE match as the match referee. In the case of Pakistan boycotting their match against the UAE, the UAE will receive two points and will go through to the Super 4 round, while Agha’s side will be knocked out.
Last year, Pakistan suffered a humiliating group-stage exit at the ICC T20 World Cup following their defeats to India and the USA, which was a shocking one.
Will there be another upset in the Pakistan vs UAE match?
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