KARACHI: Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain, Mohammad Hafeez, is eagerly anticipating Pakistan’s clash with India at next month’s ICC Champions Trophy in England and is optimistic about his team’s chances in the tournament.
Pakistan are set to play India on June 15 at Edgbaston in one of the most awaited fixtures of the ICC event.
“It is always special to have India as the opposition. We are looking forward to that match but we will play every match in the tournament with passion.
“There is no doubt that the crowd against India will be electric. I love that. I can already hear the sound; I can picture the electrifying moments,” Hafeez told ESPNCricinfo.
He added that most of the team have experience of playing in the English conditions which will serve them well in the upcoming event.
“Some of our players are new to the side but most of the team have already been to England quite often. When we last came to England, in 2010, we had a good ODI series, and we always get good support from the crowd,” the 32-year-old said.
He praised Pakistan’s bowling attack, adding that it provided a good combination for English conditions.
“We have a good bowling attack for English condition. With the new ball Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan - with his great height - are something very special in our side and they are the impact bowlers,” he said.
Pakistan’s batting in the recent past has been inconsistent and a matter of concern but Hafeez sees a lot of potential, especially in his opening partner, Nasir Jamshed.
“Nasir is absolutely fantastic to watch. The key thing about him is that he always tries to play good cricket shots, so I rate him very well as an opener,” Pakistan’s T20 captain said.
“I think he (Nasir) will have a very good chance to prove himself in English conditions too. I personally feel that he can do well in any condition because he's a very good technical player and he's got all the range of shots. I'm looking forward to his big performances in England,” Hafeez added.
Pakistan are drawn in Group B at the Champions Trophy with West Indies, South Africa and India.
