Cricket World Cup 2023 AFG vs PAK | Neighbours’ rivalry lends an element of intrigue to the contest
The HinduOne of the charms of international sports is the rivalries between countries for various reasons ranging from political to regional or shared borders and even style of play. It is something that, Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott said, gets his players excited ahead of their clash against Babar Azam’s men on Monday. No closer than the T20 Asia Cup last year, where it went down with Pakistan by one wicket,” said Trott. With Monday’s match set to be played on the same strip used for the India and Australia encounter, spinners could well hold the key, which should play to the strength of the Afghans. Meanwhile, Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq was unfazed by the Afghan spin and recalled that the team recently beat Afghanistan in similar spin-friendly conditions in a bilateral series in Sri Lanka.