Pakistan Declares It Will Defeat India in Asia Cup with Inexperienced Squad

Sports Desk

There are only 20 days left for the Asia Cup 2025 tournament to begin, but all eyes are on India and Pakistan in the Group ‘A’ match on September 14 in Dubai. Tensions have been high between the two countries since the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and its retaliatory ‘Operation Sindoor’. India has requested the BCCI to boycott the Pakistan match, which is in line with the current situation in the country and the emotions of the people. However, preparations are underway for the game to be held as usual.

Pakistan selector and head coach Mike Hesson on Sunday announced a 17-member squad. The team will be led by Salman Ali Agha. The team has not included experienced players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. However, Pakistan’s chief selector Aqib Javed believes that lack of experience will not stop his team from defeating India in the eight-team tournament.

The men’s Asia Cup will begin in the United Arab Emirates on September 9. India, Oman, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates are in Group ‘A’, while Group ‘B’ includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.

The final match of the tournament will be held at the Dubai International Stadium on September 28. The host country of the tournament is India. Javed told reporters on Sunday, “This team has the ability to beat India in the Asia Cup. Whether you like it or not, the match between India and Pakistan is the biggest match in world cricket. Every player knows that.”

He added, “Our squad can beat any team. Everyone is ready. Everyone is aware of the situation in both countries. But we don’t need to put extra pressure on them.”

Ever since the terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists, there has been a growing demand across India to boycott Pakistan in all spheres, be it sports or entertainment. After ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeting Pakistani military bases and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), many thought that the BCCI would also take a tough stand on cricketing ties with Pakistan.

However, many were surprised when Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi announced the Asia Cup schedule. If India and Pakistan can make it to the Super Four and the final, they could potentially face each other three times in the tournament.

Several MPs in the Indian Parliament have also requested the BCCI not to play the match against Pakistan.

Recently, a group stage match was scheduled to be played between India Champions and Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025. However, the organizers cancelled the match after an outcry on social media. Later, India boycotted the Legends match in the semi-finals and gave a walkover to Pakistan. This is unlikely to happen in an event like the Asia Cup.