Asia Cup 2022: No change to be made in Pakistan players against Hong Kong

• Asia Cup 2022: No change to be made in Pakistan players against Hong Kong.
• The team management in conjunction with skipper Babar Azam elected to stick with the lineup.
• Pakistan faces Hong Kong, which is rated 20th, as the favourite despite being ranked third in the world.

No changes to the Pakistani team are anticipated for today’s crucial Asia Cup 2022 match against Hong Kong as the team looks to clinch a decisive victory to guarantee a spot in the Super Four stage of the competition.

The team management, in conjunction with skipper Babar Azam, elected to stick with the lineup that played the opener match against India despite discussions of maybe substituting Hassan Ali for one of the pacers.

“No changes will be made to the team that faced India until all players, particularly pacers, are healthy and prepared. It was a close game that might have gone anyway, and it was nearly impossible to predict the outcome until Hardik hit the winning pitch.

Therefore, making arbitrary changes to the team would be a bad idea. If we believe that any player is not 100 percent, we can only make a substitution at the very last minute, according to a member of the coaching staff.
All were deemed fit and ready, he said, including Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf.

A few days before the match, on Wednesday, both players engaged in thorough net practice. When it matters most, they will give everything they have on Friday against Hong Kong. We hope they’ll stay in shape and be prepared for the game versus Hong Kong.

Pakistan faces Hong Kong, which is rated 20th, as the favourite despite being ranked third in the world. On their route to qualifying for the Asia Cup, the East Asian nation shocked even the 13th-ranked United Arab Emirates.

“You cannot write off any team, especially in today’s cricket and with the rising popularity of the T20 format. Even one individual can make a difference on any given day.

As a result, even when playing against amateurs or rookies, you have been alert. In a run chase against India, Hong Kong effectively displayed their credentials by coming close. The team has numerous intriguing individuals in their lineup, despite its lack of experience playing against strong teams.

When it came to power hitting, Babar Hayat and Zeeshan Ali of Hong Kong’s batting lineup shown flashes of brilliance. Their inexperienced bowling assault failed them, surrendering runs in groups toward the conclusion of the Indian inning. Pakistan’s batting lineup has an excellent opportunity of regaining its form against a weak and ineffective attack.

The official believed that Pakistan, who narrowly lost to India in their Asia Cup opener on Sunday, will play their finest game against Hong Kong in their final and most important pool match.

“Your only choice is to go all out and snag a win. A resounding victory would be extremely beneficial coming into the Super Stage and a potential matchup versus India on Sunday. A convincing victory is what Pakistan needs, and we’ll make sure we get it.

Pakistan players: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah (Hasan Ali), Haris Rauf and Shahnawaz Dahani.

Hong Kong players: Nizakat Khan (captain), Yasim Murtaza, Babar Hayat, Kinchit Shah, Aizaz Khan, Zeeshan Ali, Scott McKechnie (wk), Haroon Arshad, Ehsan Khan, Ayush Shuka and Mohammad Ghazanfar.

Matches schedule:

• September 2 — vs Hong Kong in Sharjah at 7pm Pakistan time.
• Super Four matches will be played from September 3-9.
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