'We face Shaheen, Haris in nets...': Pakistan batter pulls no punches at reporter's 'Bumrah' question ahead of Asia Cup

The stage is set for a riveting showdown as cricketing titans India and Pakistan rekindle their intense rivalry in ODIs at the highly anticipated Asia Cup 2023. Drawn into Group A, this could mark the start of what could potentially be a trilogy of clashes in the tournament; if both teams qualify for the Super Fours, they will meet in that stage as well, and could set up a final – given they finish in the top-2.

As India prepare for the challenge, the potential return of star pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj is set to boost their pace attack. While Bumrah recovered from a back injury and will make a comeback in the T20I series against Ireland later this week, Shami and Siraj, who were absent during the recently concluded ODIs against West Indies, are expected to bolster India's formidable bowling arsenal.

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Yet, the confidence of Pakistan's batter Abdullah Shafique remains steadfast when he was asked about the face-off against India in Asia Cup. Undeterred by the prospect of taking on India's formidable fast bowling battery, Shafique trusts Pakistan's own net sessions where he locks horns with the elite ranks of the country's pace sensations – Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah.

For Shafique, these internal encounters serve as the ultimate preparation, ensuring that he is primed to take on the very best the cricketing world has to offer. The Pakistan batter was asked about the game against India and whether the return of Bumrah could make it any tougher to face the Indian bowling attack.

“You face Haris, Naseem, Shaheen in the nets all the time during practice sessions. Do you find it easy when you take on the opposition bowlers then? Particularly if you talk about India... since it looks like Jasprit Bumrah is also coming back for Asia Cup,” a reporter asked Shafique during a media interaction.

Shafique played down any challenges. “Our bowling attack is pretty good, in fact, the best in the world. We face them (Shaheen, Haris, Naseem) in the nets… we face their challenging spells. And that gives us a lot of confidence and helps in our preparation. If we are playing good against them, we are obviously more confident against opponent bowlers,” said the Pakistan youngster.

India and Pakistan meet on September 2 in Kandy, with Nepal being the third team in Group A. Both teams will also lock horns in the ODI World Cup on October 14 in Ahmedabad.