&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'India benchmark for all Pakistani teams,' says head coach Mike Hesson ahead of Asian Games")
Pakistan coach Mike Hesson has said that "India are the benchmark" when it comes to white-ball cricket. The statement came during a pre-departure camp for the Asian Games, where Pakistan is one of the four seeded teams along with India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. All four seeded teams will start their campaign in the quarter-finals. Pakistan is coming off a Test series whitewash against England in England, along with tour drama that involved seven players being dropped after the second Test and red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul being sacked.
Pak coach Hesson sets India as benchmark in white-ball cricket
"India are the benchmark in terms of white-ball cricket at the moment, and our challenge is to catch up to that," Hesson said at the training camp while talking to reporters.
"We are preparing as best as we can and if we get an opportunity to play [India], we will certainly put them under pressure as we were able to do in the final of the Asia Cup. There is a lot of cricket to be played between now and the final for both sides, so we are not getting too far ahead of ourselves."
In the Asia Cup last year, Pakistan won matches against all teams but lost to India three times, including in the final.
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"We have lost to India on multiple occasions, and that is the benchmark for all the Pakistani teams, we understand that," acknowledged Hesson.
Asian Games men's cricket schedule
The four seeded teams—India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka—will start their campaign on September 28 in the quarter-finals. Pakistan will face the runners-up of Group B, which consists of Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Japan, on September 28 in the first quarter-final.
Pakistan squad for Asian Games men's cricket
Sahibzada Farhan (capt), Abdul Samad (vice-capt), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim, and Usman Khan (wicket-keeper)
