Pakistan will take on India in the final of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup on Sunday, 21 December, at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai. The match is scheduled to start at 9am local time.
Since the tournament began in 1989, Pakistan has yet to win the U19 Asia Cup in its 11 editions, despite their success in the ICC Men’s U19 World Cups in 2004 and 2006. The final offers Pakistan a chance to secure their first title in this regional competition.
In the ongoing eight-team event, Pakistan won two of their three Group ‘A’ matches. They advanced to the final after defeating Bangladesh by eight wickets in the second semi-final on Friday, 19 December.
Pakistan will rely heavily on batting star Sameer Minhas, who is the team’s highest run-scorer with 299 runs in four matches, including a century and a half-century. In bowling, right-arm pacer Abdul Subhan has taken 11 wickets in three matches, while left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Sayyam has claimed eight wickets so far.
Talking to PCB Digital ahead of the final, captain Farhan Yousaf said, “Our preparation has been very good and the morale in the camp is very high. The management has backed us strongly and we will try to come out victorious.”
He added, “Bangladesh proved to be a very good opponent, and it was enjoyable to compete against them. Our fielding has been outstanding, the batting performed well in the last match, and the bowling has been consistent throughout the tournament. This collective effort has contributed to our strong results.”
Farhan Yousaf concluded, “The final is a big game, and the players are very confident. We aim to carry forward the momentum and positivity from the last match, play aggressive cricket, give our 100 per cent, and hope for a result in our favour.”
Pakistan U19 Asia Cup Squad:
Farhan Yousaf (captain), Usman Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hassan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Huzaifa, Mohammad Sayyam, Mohammad Shayan (wk), Niqab Shafiq, Sameer Minhas.
Pakistan will look to combine strong batting and consistent bowling to finally claim their first U19 Asia Cup title.
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