Ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 final versus India, the legendary Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has issued a challenge to the national squad, asking them to overcome their anxiety and dispel the aura around their bitter opponents. In the tournament’s 41-year history, the thrilling match, which is set for Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium, will be the first-ever India-Pakistan final.
In this edition, the two sides have already squared off twice, with India winning both times. However, in their most recent Super Four match, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by a slim margin of 11 runs, bouncing back to advance to the final. Shaheen Shah Afridi (3/17) and Haris Rauf (3/33) led from the front, limiting Bangladesh to 124/9 while defending a total of 135/8. In addition to guaranteeing Men in Green’s spot in the top match, this victory gave the team more self-assurance. In the meanwhile, Shoaib Akhtar thinks Pakistan ought to take on India with the same boldness.
“Get out of this frame of mind and ignore their aura. Simply dispel their aura. Simply play with the same mentality you used against Bangladesh. You need a mentality like this. On PTV Sports’ Game On Hai broadcast, Shoaib Akhtar stated, “You just need to get wickets; you don’t have to bowl 20 overs.”
Believe me when I say that they will face consequences if Abhishek leaves early: Shoaib Akhtar
The former pacer thinks Pakistan has enough firepower to beat India, citing Rauf’s pace as the differentiator and Shaheen Afridi as the best fast bowler in the world. Additionally, Akhtar disclosed that it will be crucial to fire Abhishek Sharma as soon as possible. With goals against Bangladesh and Pakistan, the youthful opener has been India’s most impressive player in the competition. His 74 off 35 balls in their most recent encounter destroyed Pakistan’s bowling attack and made it easy for India to chase 172.
“Take note: they will face difficulties if Abhishek Sharma is dismissed in the first two overs. If Abhishek leaves early, they will struggle given the starts they are receiving. It’s not like that; you just need to go for the kill because Abhishek will mistime the ball. India would understand that we must put in a lot of effort to get our runs if you fight,” Shoaib Akhtar continued.
Additionally, Shoaib Akhtar mentioned the impact of Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of India, and predicted that he would encourage his squad to improve and aim for the Asia Cup final.
Gautam Gambhir is someone I know. “You need to bring your A game against Pakistan,” he will advise his players. Pakistan will select the poorest team and play the worst cricket, but they will play the best cricket and win the finals as soon as they get there. It has occurred during my time with us,” Akhtar said.
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