Pakistan Under 19 team seeks revenge on India at 2014 World Cup

Sami Aslam is back as captain and wants to make the experience count after India had undone their good run in the quarter-finals the last time around.

Sami Aslam is part of the side that is in UAE gaining on exposure by playing in a tri-series along with England. Satish Kumar / The National
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DUBAI // Knocked out of the last ICC Under 19 World Cup by their neighbours India at the quarter-final stage, Pakistan will be looking for revenge when they meet the defending champions in their opening game of the 2014 tournament, which is being held in the UAE.

Sami Aslam opened for Pakistan in that game in Australia 16 months ago and was dismissed off the first ball of the match.

India then got the winning runs from the last ball in a dramatic finish, with their last-wicket pair surviving nine overs.

Aslam is now captain of the Pakistan U19 team and he is hoping to lead his team to victory not just in the opening game against their bitter rivals, but taking the ultimate prize as well.

“Pakistan and India matches are always big,” Aslam said yesterday at the press conference to announce the groups and fixtures for the tournament. “We still have the last game in mind, so hopefully we can play some excellent cricket and beat them this time.

“Our team was doing really well until our defeat to India [at the last World Cup]. They played really well in that game. I can bank on that experience as well and help my team win the World Cup through my batting and captaincy.

“We recently played a tri-series in England and we won all the matches. We are now playing another tri-series here in the UAE and after that we will play the Asia Cup here as well. I think that’s a very good lead-up to the World Cup. We will get familiar with the conditions here and since our team is doing well, we are very confident of winning the World Cup.”

India and Pakistan have been drawn in Group A, alongside Scotland and Papua New Guinea, for the 16-nation tournament, which runs from February 14 to March 1. The matches will be played across seven venues in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

Australia, who like India have won this tournament three times, headline Group B, with Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Namibia. South Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Canada are in Group C, while hosts UAE have been drawn in a tough group alongside 1998 champions England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

“We obviously have to work hard,” said Dan D’Souza, one of the UAE’s front line batsmen. “We know what we are up against. We know the conditions well and I think we can use that to our advantage.

“Now having played against England [in the recent tri-series], we have a rough idea of what to expect. So we know we have our work cut out, but I think we have to believe in ourselves and fight hard. That’s what we are looking to do.”

arizvi@thenational.ae

GROUPS

A: India, Pakistan, Scotland Papua New Guinea

B: Australia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Namibia

C: South Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Canada

D: New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka, UAE