CT 2017: Zaheer Abbas wants Pakistan to seek payback win against India in final

Former Pakistani cricketer Zaheer Abbas is very optimistic about the chances of the Pakistan team to outclass India in the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Pakistan beat the tournament favorites England in the semi-finals to storm into the finals of the tournament. In the other semi-final, team India romped Bangladesh to set the title clash with Pakistan.

Earlier when the two sides had met in the tournament this year, it was the Indian team that had registered a thumping win. Zaheer Abbas believes it is the ideal payback time for the men in green to beat India. The way they outclassed England in all the three aspects of the game should give them a lot of confidence heading into the big final clash.

“The way Pakistan team played against England gives us an impression that they are now in a position to do something special for the country in the all-important match. Now is the time for Pakistan to beat India in the same way they defeated us in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy,” quoted Zaheer Abbas as per the quotes in News18.

“Pakistan outclassed England in all departments. They bowled well, their fielding was extra-ordinary while they also batted very well to pull off a comfortable victory against hot favourites England,” he added further.

On Morgan’s excuses

English skipper, Eoin Morgan, had blamed the pitches after their loss to Pakistan. He had noted that the Pakistanis had the upper hand since they had played at the venue before in the tournament. Zaheer Abbas believes it is absolutely baseless for Morgan to be saying so.

“These are just lame excuses because English players play most of their county cricket on these pitches. Had any other captain made the remarks, it would have made sense,” Zaheer quoted.

On new energy

One of the key factors for the resurgence of Pakistan team in the tournament has been the young guns. Fakhar Zaman has been opening with a flying start. With the ball, Hasan Ali is the leading wicket taker at the moment. He is keen on doing well in the finals against India. Zaheer Abbas believes the new found zeal will be a big plus for Pakistan.

“The new faces have given Pakistan a new life with their energetic efforts. I would like to praise all new players including Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Rumman Raees, Faheem Ashraf for playing a positive role in rebuilding Pakistan team. Future of Pakistan cricket will be brighter if they press ahead with their efforts with the same zeal,” conceded the former Pakistani cricketer.