The Champions Trophy match between India and Pakistan is still 10 days away but former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar feels that it’s going to be a mouth-watering contest when Indian batting hulks will take on Pakistan bowling titans in this much-awaited match. Pakistan and India will square off at Edgbaston, Birmingham in their Group 'B' league match on June 15.
India has never been able to put their best foot forward against the Pakistan in ICC Champions Trophy and had lost all the previous encounters but surely MS Dhoni and Co. would be looking to break the jinx this time.
Akhtar was quoted by Hindustan Times saying, "People are talking about the advantage for players who have played in the Indian Premier League recently. But this is not IPL and this is not India. This is the Champions Trophy and this is England and the Indian batting will be tested for sure."
He added, “For me, this high pressure match is the duel between their batsmen and our bowlers. We have an advantage over them not only in the pace department but also spin bowling.”
Meanwhile the reports in Times of India quoted the Former Pakistani speedster saying, “Dhoni’s presence tilits the balance in India’s favour and the reason behind that is his calm and cool attitude which makes him a cornerstone in Indian team.”
He added, "Dhoni is a big plus for them despite all the recent controversies. His presence always boosts their batting which has a lot of depth and quality.”
Apart from Dhoni, Pakistani pace-man also praised Virat Kohli who he says to be the backbone of Indian batting. "He is a match winner, there's no doubt about that. His presence in the middle against Sri Lanka was a classic example of what this lad can do to any opposition irrespective of conditions and not just him but the presence of Rohit Sharma in the middle can also make a world of difference," he said.
He was quoted by DNA saying, "Players like Afridi and Razzaq are genuine all-rounders and match winners. They could have been very useful for Pakistan in the tournament. Unfortunately such players are given rest before time.”
Meanwhile the reports in Deccan Chronicle quoted the Former Pakistan Test captain Rameez Raja, saying “India has an upper-hand in batting whereas Pakistan has it with their bowling. So it’s going to be an interesting contest between bat and ball. The good thing is Pakistan have a good record against India in the Champions Trophy. In an Indo-Pak match, the team which handles the pressure well wins because there is little to separate between them in such a high-voltage clash.”.
Raja added, "Pacers Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan will hold the key to Pakistan's success in the tournament."