Asia Cup: Why Pakistan lose most of the times to India in cricket, as per ex-captain

Former Pakistan cricket captain Rashid Latif believes emotional responses during matches against India have cost his team crucial games in recent years, with India winning 12 of 15 completed matches over the past decade. The two nations are set to face each other in a Group A match of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday, with bilateral cricket suspended for over a decade due to political tensions.

The rivalry between the two cricket powerhouses has been largely one-sided in recent years, with matches limited to ICC and ACC events only.



"We get emotional or hyper and try to do everything in one go. We don't take the games deep against India and because of this, Pakistan lose most of the time. India on the other hand play according to the pitch and match situation and that's why they succeed," Latif said in an interview with PTI.

Latif pointed to India's current strengths, including Hardik Pandya's finishing abilities and the team's overall balance.


"Hardik Pandya is a dangerous player. The players in the middle or those who come below can change the game. Pandya has not done it once but many times, which is amazing and that's why he's called the X-factor. He can change the game completely."

He particularly praised India's team composition and key players. "Players like Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Surya Kumar Yadav bring balance, Bumrah in bowling is a huge asset. Overall, it's a very good team."

Latif emphasised Bumrah's importance in the Indian bowling lineup. "As far as bowling is concerned, accuracy is more. In T20Is, the nerves and skills of Indians work better during the game."

Recent history shows India's dominance, including Virat Kohli's unbeaten 82 in the 2022 T20 World Cup at Melbourne and a commanding 228-run victory in the Asia Cup in Colombo.



"There is pressure on Pakistan which they have been carrying for the last 30 years. So maybe India will try to take advantage of it," Latif acknowledged.

However, Latif noted that India's lack of recent T20I matches could be a disadvantage. "The only disadvantage in India is that they have not played T20Is. They must be playing warm-up matches or practicing. But they have not played any match. This may be a disadvantage."

Pakistan enters the tournament with recent experience from a triangular series on spinning tracks, under new captain Salman Ali Agha.

"Our team is the same. I can say that there are three new players. Salman Ali Agha, who has just recently come. Saim Ayub's debut in 2024. Hassan Nawaz. The rest are players from 2021, 2018, 2016. We also have a new captain and you can say that Pakistan has an advantage."

Latif identified Sahibzada Farhan as a potential game-changer for Pakistan.

"He has been topping the T20 for the last 3-4 years. He has scored around 1000 runs. He has scored 4-5 centuries last season. So he has brought himself back. The good thing about him is that he plays T20 cricket the way it should be played. He follows the role given to him. He doesn't play for himself. He tries to get momentum in the first 10-12 overs and that's been his success mantra."

He also highlighted Hassan Nawaz's aggressive batting style. "Hassan Nawaz is a dangerous player and does not wait for a bad ball. If he hits a good ball, then the bowler comes under pressure."
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