India and Pakistan are set to clash for the first time since the Champions Trophy final last June, when they meet in the Asia Cup game in Dubai on September 19. Pakistan middle-order batsman Shoaib Malik played down the hype around his team’s Asia Cup clash against India on 19 September, calling it “just another game.”
“I think that the match against India is just another game and we should avoid creating hype as it adds unnecessary pressure,” Malik told reporters in Lahore on Friday, 7 September.
However, he acknowledged the opportunity that the fixture provides to players to make their mark. “This is perhaps the only cricket match that the entire cricket fraternity watches and not only India and Pakistan fans, which is why it provides a massive opportunity to players if they want to become a hero,” he said.
Malik also has a good ODI record against India – he has scored four out of his nine ODI centuries against India, two of which have come in Asia Cup encounters, and has 1661 runs at 47.45 in 39 matches against them.
With the tournament being played in the United Arab Emirates, Malik said familiar conditions will help his side, but pointed out that Pakistan haven’t fared as well in ODIs in the UAE as they have in Tests.
“Playing in UAE gives us an advantage but it is not as easy as people think it is,” said Malik. “If you notice our track record here, it is better in Test cricket but when it comes to playing the shorter formats our performances aren’t extraordinary.
“People need to understand that batting under lights here is difficult as conditions are different but that does not mean there isn’t room for improvement. We will continue working to improve in this particular area.”
Malik has played 266 One-Day Internationals, 103 Twenty20 Internationals and 35 Tests in a career that began way back in 1999, and is only the second Pakistan player to have scored 7000 runs and taken 150 wickets in ODIs.
