Srinagar: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairmain Ramiz Raja has said that one should give credit to this Pakistan side for defeating billion dollar team like India in World Cup.
Until last October, India were undefeated against Pakistan in World Cup meetings, winning all 12 matches – seven in ODIs and five in T20Is.
However, in the three times the two sides have faced each other in the last 12 months, Pakistan have won twice – one in 2021 T20 World Cup opener and other in 2022 Asia Cup.
Speaking to Dawn with just two weeks away from the T20 World Cup 2022 tie in Melbourne, Ramiz said that a India vs Pakistan match is more a mental battle than a physical one.
“Skill aur talent se zyada mental match hota hain yeh. So agar aap temperamentally strong he and mentally focussed he aur haar manne ko taiyar nahi hain toh chhoti team bhi badi team ko hara sakti hain. And Pakistan humesha se underdogs rahein hain jab bhi India se muqabla huye hain, but of late, unhone hume respect dena shuru kardiya hain kyunki unke khayal me yeh hain ki Pakistan hume kabhi hara hi nehi sakte. So yehi main kehta hu ki Pakistan ko credit dijiye kyunki ek billion-dollar team cricket industry ko hum harate he. Main toh khud World Cups khela hu, humlog toh India ko nehi hara paate the. Iss team ko credit dena chaiye kyunki limited resources, compared to India, se prepare karte he and tagda muqabla karte hain,” he said.
India is scheduled to face Pakistan on October 23 in their T20 World Cup 2022 opener at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia.