Islamabad : Former cricketer and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ramiz Raja believes that the 'underdog' tag on Pakistan can actually help them in the 'must-win' Champions Trophy clash against 'bitter rivals' India in Dubai today.
In a column for Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper, the ex-cricketer said that since India's two stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are not in their best form, picking Shubman Gill early can pose a good chance for the Men in Green in Dubai.
"India already have a victory under their belt, beating Bangladesh in their first game. Pakistan, desperate to get off the mark, will enter the much-awaited game as the underdogs. But that can actually be an advantage because it allows them to relax and play without much pressure," Raja wrote in his column.
"India's batting mainstays Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are not currently in great form, and if Shubman Gill -- who scored a century to guide India to victory against Bangladesh -- gets out early, Pakistan will have a good chance to slow down India's scoring," he added.
Stressing on the need to take regular wickers, Raja said, "They (Pakistan) cannot allow partnerships to form which has happened too often lately, especially in the 60-run loss in the tournament opener against New Zealand."
He also emphasised the role of fitness from the aspect of fielding and running between the wickets, saying the teams that are "not athletic" in 50-over games end up getting "exposed".
The former Pak cricketer also pointed out that Pakistan played 145 dot balls against New Zealand while chasing a huge 320, which proved "extremely damaging" and stressed the need to rotate strike and have a "positive mindset" with the bat against India.
Highlighting the need to play "smart cricket", the former PCB chief said the "Pakistan pacers though need to be smarter, especially when the charge is on." "Where are the yorkers, the slower bouncers or subtle variations? The spinners have been bowling too fast and defensively. That will need to change," he said.
In an apparent reference to Babar Azam's sluggish 64 off 90 balls against New Zealand -- which drew a lot of flak from the cricketing world -- Raja said that though there is room for anchoring role in ODIs, the batting approach requires a "major upgrade in both style and execution" and the "key players need to take onus to finish the matches."
"The top order often takes too long to start scoring and taking risks, worrying about getting out. This fearful mindset hinders the team's ability to set or chase targets," he said. Further backing his side to win against all odds in a packed Dubai stadium, the ex-cricketer said, "It wasn't the ideal start but when playing against India, Pakistan often rise to the occasion and play with great passion for their country and fans. However, it is also important for them to stay calm under pressure and effectively follow their bowling plans, especially in the final stages of the match."
"On Sunday, there would be added pressure. The stadium will be packed with more Indian fans than Pakistan fans. It would be a great day to win against the odds!" he addedSquads: Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.