Lance Klusner opens on India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash

Former South Africa all-rounder and now Afghanistan coach, Lance Klusner believes that India has “too much ammunition” for Pakistan, who they will meet on October 24 in the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled from October 17 to November 14 in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Klusner, however, also reckoned that on their day, Pakistan can beat any team in the world. Notably, India and Pakistan will be meeting in the multi-team tournament straight after June 2019, when they locked horns in England during the ICC ODI World Cup 2019.

“India-Pakistan is always a huge, huge game. This clash is not the one to be missed, especially in big competitions like World Cups. The Pakistan team has come a long way of late. They’ve produced some excellent batters. Their bowling will always be competitive. Virat Kohli and his team have got too much ammunition for them. However, if India has a bit of an off day and Pakistan brings their best game, they can easily cause an upset,” Klusner told Times of India.

Owing to political tensions between the two nations, India-Pakistan fixtures have reduced to a mere ICC event rivalry, with their last bilateral assignment dating back to 2012, when a touring Pakistan team defeated India in the ODIs. Although, in ICC events, India holds the clear edge over their arch-rivals, with their head-to-head record reading an impeccable 12-0.

“I feel, possibly, India’s got too much ammunition for a team like Pakistan. However, we know how unpredictable they (Pakistan) are and how exciting they are to watch. So, it’s a very difficult one to call, but if Pakistan shows up and has a good day, they can beat any team in the world,” he added.

Speaking about Afghanistan, who are grouped alongside India, Pakistan and New Zealand in Group B for the tournament, coach Klusner said: “We (Afghanistan) are looking forward to victory. It’s always great for us to be playing against the big nations. We don’t really get that opportunity too much in the fixtures that we’ve been having.”

“For us to improve and for us to get better and for us to climb up the rankings, we need to be playing big teams like India, Pakistan, and New Zealand. We’re looking forward to that. It’s just important for us that we bring the best we can.”