If Pakistan execute their game plan and play good cricket, they can beat any team, including India, in the Asia Cup, captain Salman Agha said after his side's 93-run win over Oman on Friday.
“We have been playing good cricket in the last two-three months and we just have to play good cricket. If we can execute our plans for a long enough period, we are good enough to beat any team," Agha said when asked if the emphatic win against Oman will give his side the momentum going into Sunday's marquee clash.
Opting to bat, Pakistan made 160 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks largely to Mohammad Haris' fluent 66 off 43 balls, studded with seven fours and three sixes. Pakistan then bowled Oman out for just 67 in 16.4 overs with Saim Ayub, Faheem Ashraf and Sufiyan Muqeem taking two wickets each.
"With the bat, we still need to work. But with the bowling, it was outstanding. The spinners bowled really well. Shaheen Afridi and Faheem also bowled well. We have three spinners, and all are very different. We have Saim as well, and he is outstanding with both the new and old ball. When you come to UAE, you need to have a lot of spinners," Agha said.
Asked how many runs they should have scored on the track, he said, “It is hard to say, but the way we started, we should have scored 180 or so. It is just a game of cricket, you never know how it goes."
Haris, who was adjudged Player-of-the-Match, said, “When we came here, it was looking good and flat. But when we batted, we were struggling. Good to post that total.”
Speaking about his aggressive approach, he said, “That was what I was doing for the last five years for Pakistan and in the PSL. That is what I like. The skipper also told us to be aggressive.”
Oman captain Jatinder Singh said restricting Pakistan to 160 was a proud feeling. “The way the boys bowled and fielded, they were bang on target. They executed the plan, they were 10/10. Our team is a lot better than what we performed today. We are confident that we can do a lot better," he said.
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