‘Like we did within the Asia Cup’: Pakistan to place India ‘underneath strain’ in Asian Games, says Mike Hesson

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson admitted on Wednesday that his crew nonetheless has floor to cowl in the event that they wish to problem India on the Asian Games.India’s males’s crew has gained back-to-back T20 World Cups and also will defend their Asian Games title in Japan.Since Hesson took cost in May final 12 months, Pakistan have misplaced to India 3 times within the 2025 Asia Cup and as soon as at this 12 months’s Twenty20 World Cup.“India are the benchmark when it comes to white ball cricket in the meanwhile and our problem is to catch as much as that,” Hesson mentioned in Karachi earlier than Pakistan’s departure for Japan.The males’s cricket competitors on the Asian Games begins on Thursday. India and Pakistan have by no means performed one another on the Games however may meet within the semifinal on October 1 in Nagoya.Asian Games full coverage | Schedule | Medal tallyHesson mentioned Pakistan can be prepared in the event that they get the prospect to face India.“We are definitely making ready as greatest we are able to and if we get a chance to play (India) we will definitely put them underneath strain like we did within the ultimate of the Asia Cup,” Hesson mentioned, referring to final 12 months’s ultimate in Dubai.Pakistan will start their marketing campaign towards the winners of Pool B, which incorporates Hong Kong, Oman and Malaysia, within the quarterfinal on September 28.Hesson, nonetheless, mentioned the crew should deal with getting by the early levels earlier than fascinated about a attainable semifinal towards India.“There is plenty of cricket to be performed between now and having the ability to play within the semi-final for either side (Pakistan and India), so we aren’t getting too far forward of ourselves,” Hesson mentioned.Pakistan have by no means gained a medal in Asian Games cricket. They misplaced the bronze medal match in 2010 and 2023, whereas they didn’t take part within the 2014 version.