With the final of the Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday, once more all eyes will be on the Pakistani team that will lock horns with Sri Lanka. Pakistan will be eager to win the tournament and leaving their mark on the T20 format. However, the hosts of the competition will be themselves keen on repeating their performance in the final match of the Super 4s.
Both teams have played really well so far in the tournament. Now, it will be really interesting to see which team finally comes out on top. This will be a cracker of a final for sure.
Here are 5 players to watch out for from the Men in Green that Sri Lanka needs to watch out for, ahead of the Asia Cup 2022 final-
1. Babar Azam
The captain of the Pakistani team and said to be their best batsman, Babar Azam has failed to make any sort of impact in this tournament so far. He has made a name for himself in the last 2 years, becoming the best batsmen in all three cricketing formats.
Currently the no. 1 T20I batsman in the world, his quality with the bat and ability to play proper cricketing strokes to all parts of the ground, makes him a very dangerous batsman. However, his main concern at present is his lack of form.
He has been dismissed for low scores so far and will be keen on getting a massive score under his belt. It is the Pakistani skipper’s time to shine, though whether he can do so or not, remains to be seen.
2. Mohammad Rizwan
The current in-form batsman in the team and a fighter, one who manages to hold the innings together, Rizwan is the anchor for Pakistan. He has the ability to quickly rotate the strike and keep the scoreboard ticking. This limits the total number of dot balls in an innings.
He is also one of the cleanest strikers of the ball and a clear match-winner. His performances against Hong Kong and Afghanistan gave his team a positive start. To add to that, his wicket-keeping also adds more to the team, as he is really vocal from behind the stumps. These qualities make Rizwan a serious threat ahead of the Asia Cup 2022 final.
3. Fakhar Zaman
Lose a wicket and steps in the final member of the triumvirate. The only left-hander in the top three and the man responsible for scoring the bulk of the runs. Especially, when the Pakistani team is in dire straits or lose an early wicket.
Zaman knows a thing or two about saving his best performances for the big stage. He has unable to really hit it off so far and a big score could be on the cards for the final. Let’s see how many overs he gets to bat this time, as Babar Azam has been out of touch and is getting out rather early.
4. Naseem Shah
Naseem Shah, the player who went from making his debut in the first game against India, to actually helping Pakistan qualify for the finals with one game in hand. What a talent!! Brought in as an option with the injury to Shaheen Afridi, the bowler would be on cloud-9 at present. This is due to his performances, not just with the new ball. But with the bat as well.
At just 19 years of age, he is clearly making a name for himself. He is a special player and the dismissals of the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul (a first-ball duck) on debut, proved a huge point. Let’s see what he can do in the finals of the competition now. To add to that, he hit two sixes to help Pakistan beat Afghanistan and ensure a place in the final.
5. Mohammad Nawaz
The left-arm spinner helped restrict the likes of Team India and other rivals to low scores. He is a tight bowler in the middle overs and helps keep the scoring down. This adds a new dimension to the overall attack of the Pakistani team and his contribution has not gone unnoticed so far. If he keeps up the level of performances that he has showcased so far, Nawaz could be a TRUMP CARD against the hosts on Sunday. Let’s wait and watch now.
