World Twenty20: Hafeez happy to face India in opener

An India-Pakistan match is always a pressure match: Hafeez.

KARACHI: The crunch match of the ICC World Twenty20 between arch-rivals Pakistan and India on March 21 is already getting a lot of hype. 

The game between the neighbouring countries is not just a pressure battle between the two teams but also for the fans of the respective teams.

But for Pakistan’s T20 captain to start the mega tournament against India is a good sign.

“An India-Pakistan match is always a pressure match,” Mohammad Hafeez told a press conference on Wednesday.

“As a player and as a captain I am very happy that our first match is against India. Hopefully, we will get a good take-off from there and we will perform better in all matches of the tournament.”

Hafeez also said the WorldT20 is a challenge and that no team can be taken lightly in the event.

Meanwhile, manager Zakir Khan informed that Afridi, who is nursing a groin injury, will join the team in Bangladesh on March 17.

Before starting the campaign, Pakistan will play warm-up matches against New Zealand and South Africa.