Pakistan will begin their campaign in the Asia Cup on Wednesday taking on Nepal as multi-team international cricket returns to the country after nearly 15 years.
Having got their ODI status in 2018, Nepal are ranked 15th in the 50-over format, a sign of how close they are to achieving their dream of featuring in the 2027 World Cup, which will be a 14-team affair. With the weather expected to be hot and humid, both teams will rely heavily on their spinners to do the job.
Key players to watch out in Nepal's team
Only two Nepal players, leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane and allrounder Dipendra Singh Airee, have the experience of playing in T20 leagues. Barring Lamichhane, who has played in the Pakistan Super League, the others know very little about the playing conditions here.
Having arrived in Pakistan a week back, it will be interesting to see how they fare against an outfit which is one of the favourites to lift the Asia Cup.
Pak vs Nepal: Predicted winner
Pakistan, who recently rose to No. 1 in ODI rankings after a clean sweep of the ODI series against Afghanistan in Sri Lanka, should win comfortably against Nepal, who are playing their first Asia Cup. Pakistan will play just two games at home and the remaining in Sri Lanka, including the big ones against India.
But the game against Nepal will offer their players a good opportunity to fine-tune their game. Babar Azam recently hit two half centuries against Afghanistan and only a big one will satisfy the home team fans.
Pakistan Squad: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Tayyab Tahir, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi
Predicted Playing XI: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.
Nepal Squad: Rohit Paudel (captain), Mahamad Asif Sheikh, Kushal Bhurtel, Lalit Rajbanshi, Bhim Sharki, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Sandeep Lamichhane, Karan KC, Gulshan Kumar Jha, Aarif Sheikh, Sompal Kami, Pratish GC, Kishor Mahato, Sundeep Jora, Arjun Saud, Shyam Dhakal
Predicted Playing XI: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Bhim Sharki, Rohit Paudel (c), Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulsan Jha, Sompal Kami,Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi.
When will Asia Cup 2023 start?
Asia Cup 2023 will kick start on August 30 at Multan Cricket Ground in Multan.
What time the match starts?
The PAK vs NEP live toss in Match 1 of Asia Cup 2023 will take place at 2:30 PM IST on August 30.
Where to watch Asia Cup 2023?
Asia Cup 2023 will be broadcast live and exclusive on the Star Sports network. It will also be streamed for free on the Disney+Hotstar app.
(With PTI inputs)
First Published: Aug 30, 2023 10:58 AM IST
