PAK vs HK Preview – Pakistan seek the final spot in Super 4
Pakistan will take on Hong Kong in their next group stage encounter of the 2022 Asia Cup, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on September 2 (Friday). Both teams are coming to the encounter after suffering a defeat against India and will want to perform well in their next encounter.
Pakistan had a close encounter with their arch-rivals. However, some excellent batting from India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya meant that the Men in Green had to lose their first match of the competition and they will want to make a strong comeback in the competition.
Hong Kong also played well against the Men in Blue, but their bowling unit let them down against a strong Indian batting order. They will want to perform well against Pakistan and try to create history in the Asia Cup 2022.
Pitch and conditions
The wicket at Sharjah Cricket Stadium has been assisting the slow bowlers and the same wicket might be expected for the Pakistan vs Hong Kong clash with the skipper might opting to have a bowl first and chase the total later on. The weather is expected to be clear for the match with a full-length encounter on the cards.
Venue details: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Last match at the venue: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan. BAN: 127/7 in 20 overs | AFG: 131/3 in 18.3 overs.
Playing combinations:
Pakistan:
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam will want to play a big knock against a weak-looking Hong Kong side and ensure that his team wins the contest. His opening partner Mohammad Rizwan is also expected to play a crucial role in the match.
Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani
Hong Kong:
Senior batter Babar Hayat will have the responsibility of ensuring that his team puts on a big total on the board to challenge the Men in Green. Skipper Nizakat Khan will also have to bat out of his skin to help his side to victory.
Nizakat Khan (c), Yasim Murtaza, Babar Hayat, Kinchit Shah, Aizaz Khan, Scott McKechnie (wk), Zeeshan Ali, Haroon Arshad, Ehsan Khan, Ayush Shukla, Mohammad Ghazanfar
