LAHORE: A solitary goal by Rizwan Ali helped Pakistan escape the scare as they edged Oman 1-0 in a practice match in Jakarta on Saturday.

The Pakistan squad is in Jakarta to participate in the eight-nation Asia Cup starting on Monday with the Umar Bhutta-led side facing arch-rivals India in their opening match. On Friday, Pakistan lost their first practice match to South Korea 2-1.

Besides India, Pakistan in pool ‘A’ also face strong opponents in Japan and hosts Indonesia. Therefore, winning at least two pool matches will be essential for the green-shirts to qualify for the semi-finals, which will also guarantee them a place at the 2023 World Cup.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2022