India have started to respect us, this Pakistan team needs to be given a lot of credit: Ramiz Raja

Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja has said that India have started respecting Pakistan after their performance against the Men in Green in last 12 months, in which Pakistan lead the head to head record by 2-1.

After handing an emphatic 10-wicket victory to arch-rivals India in 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, the two teams renewed their rivalry on August 28 this year in the Asia Cup with India coming out on top by five wickets in a hard-fought clash. A week later, it was Pakistan who settled scores with an impressive five-wicket victory in the high-octane Super Four clash.

We defeat a billion-dollar team cricket industry

 “It is a mental match more than skill and talent. So, if you are temporamentally strong, mentally focused and not willing to give up, then any small team can defeat a bigger opposition and Pakistan have been underdogs whenever they have competed against India, but of late, they have started respecting us because they have a gut feeling that Pakistan will never be able to beat us," said Ramiz while speaking to Dawn.

"That's why I keep saying 'give credit to Pakistan' because we defeat a billion-dollar cricket industry. Even I myself have played World Cups and we were never able to beat India. This (Pakistan) team needs to be given a lot of credit since they compete hard with India despite having limited resources for preparations as compared to them," he added.

Pakistan are currently competing in the New Zealand T20 Tri-series and have been on a roll, defeating both New Zealand and Bangladesh so far. However, the Men in Green need to up their game in the T20 World Cup as their middle-order has been badly exposed in the recent past which cost them the Asia Cup and the following home series against England that they lost 3-4.

Meanwhile, Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals India at the iconic MCG on October 23.