What’s the story?
Pakistan’s legendary batsman and former skipper Zaheer Abbas called on the Sarfaraz Ahmed-led side to comprehensively defeat India in the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday as revenge for the manner in which the Men in Blue outclassed them in their tournament opener.
Facing each other for the first time in an ODI match since the 2015 ICC World Cup, Pakistan lost to India by a margin of 124 runs leading to severe words of criticism from former Pakistan players like Imran Khan, Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi.
Now that Pakistan has reached the final, Abbas believes that the young side has an opportunity to redeem themselves by hitting back at their rivals with the same venom.
"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," Zaheer said on Thursday.
"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," he added.
The background
Pakistan’s defeat to India came at a hefty price as speedster Wahab Riaz was ruled out of the tournament with an ankle injury he sustained during the match. Despite the early setback, they defeated South Africa and Sri Lanka in their two remaining group fixtures to make their way to the semi-final.
A spirited performance against hosts and pre-tournament favourites England has helped them set up a mouthwatering clash against India on Sunday with Virat Kohli’s side defeating Bangladesh by nine wickets in the second semi-final on Thursday.
The details
Hailing the performances of the youngsters in the side like Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Rumman Raees and Faheem Ashraf, Zaheer Abbas urged the team to carry forward the same enthusiasm they displayed against England in the summit clash as well.
Dismissing complaints by England captain Eoin Morgan over the nature of the pitch used for the match, Zaheer said that Pakistan had thoroughly outplayed the opposition in all three departments of the game.
With India holding a 13-2 advantage against Pakistan in ICC events, Zaheer admits that history may not be on their side but added that this young side has it in them to not just defeat but outclass India in the final.
Extra Cover: ICC Champions Trophy 2017: 5 reasons why Pakistan can beat India in the final
What’s next?
Pakistan will be pinning their hopes on left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir who is expected to be fit in time for the final having missed the semi-final clash against England due to a back spasm. He is likely to replace Rumman Raees in the Pakistan line-up.
India, on the other hand, have their team well and truly sorted out with Ravichandran’s return to the side after missing the first two matches providing the much-needed balance. The batsmen look in prime form too and there’s no doubt as to which team will head to the final as favourites.
Extra Cover: ICC Champions Trophy 2017: India vs Pakistan, the numbers which matter
Author’s take
The words seem to come more from Zaheer Abbas’s heart rather than mind as India have looked far more superior than their Asian counterparts throughout the course of the tournament.
But a final is a final, and, as they say, form goes out of the equation on occasions such as this one, especially when it’s a contest that means much more to the two nations than just a game of cricket.
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