Pakistan Faces Mental Block in T20 World Cup Clash with India, Says Misbah

Pakistan's former captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, has expressed concerns about his team's ability to overcome India in the upcoming T20 World Cup. He believes that Pakistan faces a "mental block" when facing their arch-rivals in ICC events.

Historically, India has dominated encounters between the two teams in T20 World Cup tournaments, with Pakistan securing victory only once in seven meetings. Misbah attributes this to a combination of India's superior skill and Pakistan's mental fragility.

"India has quality fast bowlers in (Jasprit) Bumrah, (Mohammed) Siraj, and Hardik (Pandya). The Indian cricket team's quality has risen many folds. It will be difficult to break, mental attitude matters a lot," Misbah said.

He also highlighted the threat posed by Virat Kohli, who has a history of performing well against Pakistan. "Kohli is going to be a big factor. He has damaged Pakistan many times. He enjoys supremacy over Pakistan mentally. He takes motivation from big occasions and not pressure," he said.

Misbah recalled his infamous scoop shot in the inaugural T20 World Cup final against India in 2007, which ultimately cost Pakistan the match. However, he believes that tournament played a pivotal role in the growth of T20 cricket.

"The way T20 cricket flourished, I feel whatever we achieved and the current players are now plying their trade in different leagues and IPL is something great," he said.

Pakistan will need to overcome their mental block and play to their full potential if they want to challenge India in the upcoming T20 World Cup. The match between the two teams is scheduled for June 9 in New York and is expected to be one of the most eagerly awaited matches of the tournament.

Tags: #T20WorldCup, #IndiaVsPakistan, #MisbahulHaq, #MentalBlock, #ViratKohli