'We only care about those 2-3 games vs India' - Former Pak pacer slams Babar & Co. ahead of Asia Cup

After beating India for the first time in a World Cup clash during the 2021 T20 showpiece event last year, Pakistan will face Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue when both sides meet in the forthcoming Asia Cup. The Asian championship will kick off on August 27, in the UAE, and the arch-rivals will meet at the same venue (in Dubai) -- where they last met in October 2021 -- to resume their rivalry.

Ahead of the marquee clash, former Pakistan pacerTauseef Ahmed has lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for not settling the Men in Green line-up and feels Babar Azam & Co. only care about facing India in the mega event in the UAE.

“Ye rona dhona toh bohot puraana hai (this has been going on for long now). You didn't try to settle the team. The same players that were there a few years ago are coming back in some way or the other. When something this crucial coming up, you go back to those players about whom you once said that they should leave cricket. It means you didn't have a back-up plan,” Ahmed toldSports Paktv.

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“Unless you're not settled, there's no point. There was Saud Shakeel, there were 2-3 other players, where are they now? We want our team to be good. We were thinking they will pick Shoaib Malik. Because you only remember these people at this time. But we don't really care about the Asia Cup, we only care about those 2-3 games against India. It's like.. 'if we win these, that's it'. That's not the way. You need planning,” Ahmed further asserted.

Both India and Pakistan will meet each other in their respective tournament openers in the Asia Cup 2022 edition, which will be played in the shortest format for the second time. Overall, there are high chances of three Indo-Pak matches in the upcoming Asia Cup (including the final).The tournament is a dress rehearsal for the 2022 T20 World Cup -- to be held in Australia -- where both teams will also be facing each other as they are placed in Pool B.