Sarfraz hits out at Super-4 scheduling

DUBAI: To accommodate India, Asia Cup’s organisers have tweaked the schedule of the six-nation tournament under progress in the UAE.

And that hasn’t gone well with Sarfraz Ahmed.Pakistan’s captain took a swipe at the organisers over the scheduling issue, stressing that it was unfair to force his team to take 90-minute trips to Abu Dhabi in sweltering heat while the Indians get the luxury to play all their super-4 games in Dubai. “If you talk about the pool, India remain here even if they lose,” Sarfraz told reporters ahead of his team’s big game against India on Wednesday (today). “Travelling is an issue. If you travel for one-and-a-half hour during matches, then it’s tough. In this weather, it is tough because after one day you play another game. I think it should be even for all the teams, whether it’s India or Pakistan. If there are matches in Abu Dhabi, then every team has to play there. I don’t know what the Asian Cricket Council has done about it.” As per the rules, the team that finishes second in Group A will play their first Super Four game in Abu Dhabi. However, the organisers changed the schedule to ensure India will continue to be based in Dubai, irrespective of where they finish in the pool. Sarfraz might be unhappy with the change in schedule but he stays focussed on getting the best out of his team, which many see as the favourites to win the crown on September 28. Under him, Pakistan recorded a title-winning triumph against India in the ICC Champions Trophy final in England last June.

But Sarfraz stressed that the Champions Trophy victory was a thing of the past. “It’s in the past now. Obviously, it was a great win and we have good memories that will be with us forever, but this is a new game, a new event,” he said. “The atmosphere has changed, we have winning momentum [from the game against Hong Kong] which we want to carry forward.” While acknowledging that Pakistan-India matches always come with extra pressure, Sarfraz said that his team will not get carried away by the occasion. “We’ll try to take the game as a normal game. I’ve told the players to play the match in the same manner as we do normally,” he said. “The fans say that whatever happens you have to win, but as a captain, I have to win against every team. It would be the same for India too. Yes, their [fans’] wishes give us inspiration. In the past, it has happened that whoever performs in the [India-Pakistan] match becomes a hero.” Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to watch the game at the Dubai International Stadium and Sarfraz said that his presence would provide the national team with some extra motivation.

India are going to without their top batsman and captain Virat Kohli but Sarfraz believes his opponents were still a side packed with good players.“As far as India is concerned, Kohli is their captain for the last two years or so, so as a team it [playing under someone else] is different for them,” he said. “I don’t know what Rohit’s thinking as captain is, whether he takes the same strategy. [Kohli] is a world-class player, but they have got some very good players and have done well in the past,” he said.