"It's more about how India strategically negotiates the new ball threat" - Wahab Riaz ahead of IND vs PAK in Asia Cup 2023

Former Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz feels how Team India negotiate the threat of Pakistan's new-ball attack led by Shaheen Afridi could play a key role in their Asia Cup 2023 clash.

Afridi was simply sensational against India during their game in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Since then, there has been a lot of talk about how tough it is going to be for the Men in Blue every time they face Pakistan.

However, speaking to Zalmi TV, here's what Wahab Riaz had to say about how India can still negotiate Shaheen Afridi's threat in ODIs:

"Shaheen has always been an impact bowler and not just India, he has troubled most of his opponents with the new ball. But T20 cricket and one-day cricket are different.

"In T20s, you have to attack and try and score runs. But in one-day cricket, you can survive the new ball phase and then accelerate. So I feel it's more about how India strategically negotiates the new ball threat and then they will get the opportunity to score runs."

---

Wahab Riaz on other bowlers to watch out for in IND vs PAK

Wahab Riaz reckons that apart from Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf could be a crucial bowler for Pakistan because of the skills that he brings to the table. As far as India is concerned, Riaz feels Jasprit Bumrah's comeback is crucial.

On this, he stated:

"Pakistan have to think about what if Shaheen's new ball threat is negotiated and that's where I feel Haris Rauf will be important. He has pace and gets bounce. It's all about how India handles pressure against the Pakistan bowling attack as they have all the shots. Pakistan bowling vs Indian batting will be an interesting contest.

"I think even the Indian bowling can't be ignored now as Bumrah's comeback will make them more impactful, something they were missing for a while."

India and Pakistan will clash horns on Saturday, September 2, at the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy. With rain predicted on the matchday, it will be interesting to see if the two teams make changes to their batting and bowling combinations in case the match is shortened.