Pakistan wants to become a ‘champion side’ — Shadab Khan before Asia Cup final 

Shahjahan Khurram
Pakistan's player Shadab Khan celebrates after taking a wicket during a one-day international (ODI) cricket match between agaist West Indies at the Multan International Cricket Stadium on June 12, 2022. (AFP/File)
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  • Pakistan will face Sri Lanka on Sunday for Asia Cup 2022 title
  • Shadab Khan says Pakistan will have to ‘prevail in clutch moments’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani cricketer Shadab Khan said on Saturday that the national side wants to become “a champion side” a day before Pakistan’s high-profile Asia Cup 2022 final against Sri Lanka, scheduled to take place in Dubai.  

Pakistan and Sri Lanka locked horns on Friday in what was deemed by the media as a “dress rehearsal” for the Asia Cup 2022 final. The two sides met for the final clash of the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup tournament, in which Sri Lanka emerged as the victor.  

However, in a blog on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) website, Khan said the green shirts would like to win the Asia Cup on Sunday by handling pressure well and prevailing in clutch moments.  

“We are a great team, but in order to become a champion side, we need to win this tournament and other high profile series,” Khan wrote. “Winning against Sri Lanka and claiming the Asia Cup title is the real deal for us!” 

Khan heaped praise on Pakistani skipper Babar Azam, saying that apart from developing an “excellent team culture”, Azam has also inculcated the never-say-die approach in the squad.  

“Even if we find ourselves in hopeless situations, we are fully charged to fight till the last ball,” he added.  

The leg-spinner said there was a general perception that Pakistan would get knocked out of the tournament due to lethal bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi’s absence and some of the team’s batters lacking form.  

“We have also observed that after the Men's T20 World Cup 2021, various players from our team have stepped up and shown the determination to unleash their talents, making it a well-known fact that all the 11 players who take the field are match-winners,” he added.  

Khan said Pakistan would aim to win the Asia Cup to bring smiles to the faces of people suffering from flash floods in the South Asian country.  

“We would like to win this tournament to bring lively smiles back on the faces of the people affected by the flood,” he added.