Latif Assesses Pakistan’s Chances Against India in Asia Cup 2025

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has expressed apprehension regarding Pakistan’s prospects in their highly anticipated Asia Cup 2025 match against India on September 14. He cited recent inconsistent performances and a lack of clear team strategy as reasons for his concern.

In a discussion, Latif commented on Pakistan’s recent losses to Bangladesh and West Indies, noting the significant challenge of competing against a formidable Indian side.

“Facing India on September 14 will pose a considerable challenge for Pakistan. I hope the Asia Cup proceeds without complications,” Latif stated, emphasizing the importance of stability for both the tournament and the team.

The former wicketkeeper also provided a frank evaluation of the team’s present difficulties.

“Our cricket lacks consistency; we suffered defeats against Bangladesh and the West Indies in matches we should have won,” he remarked. “While our captain may be competent, managing all three formats is demanding. We possess talent, but our decision-making needs improvement.”

Pakistan’s preparations for the Asia Cup have faced scrutiny after a surprising 2-1 T20I series defeat to Bangladesh. However, the Men in Green partially recovered by securing a 2-1 series victory against the West Indies.

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) recently revealed the complete schedule for the Men’s Asia Cup 2025, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The tournament, played in the T20 format, will serve as crucial preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which India and Sri Lanka will co-host next February.

Eight teams will participate in the competition, divided into two groups. Group A includes Pakistan and India, along with the UAE and Oman. Group B consists of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong.

The tournament will commence on September 9 with a match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong.

Pakistan will begin their campaign against Oman on September 12 before facing India on September 14. Their final group-stage match is against the UAE on September 17.

The top two teams from each group will proceed to the Super Four stage, with a potential second match between Pakistan and India scheduled for September 21.

The top two teams from the Super Four will advance to the final, scheduled for September 28.