LAHORE - Pakistan skipper M Hafeez expressed confidence in his side's ability to perform against the world champions, India, in the upcoming series, scheduled for December.
The competition comprising two Twenty20s International to be played in Bangalore and Ahmedabad and three ODIs will be held Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi on Indian soil, where both team's will compete after a gap of almost 5 years.
After the revival of cricket relations between the two neighbouring countries India is finally hosting a home series against Pakistan, and welcoming the move, Pakistan T20 Captain M Hafeez said: "Unfortunately we have not been able to play regular bilateral matches with India due to reasons other than cricket. I'm a firm believer that as far as Indo-Pak relations are concerned we need to keep sports and cricket separate from other things because every time something happens it also affects cricket relations."
Talking about it further, Hafeez added, "I see this series as a big platform for us as a team to show the world that we are capable of beating anyone anywhere. This present Pakistan team has lot of potential to do well and the upcoming tour offers a great opportunity to show that we are a great cricketing nation."
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s ODI Captain, Misbah ul Haq, believes the series between the two teams will pose a great challenge to Pakistan. In every India-Pakistan game, the pressure is immense, and Pakistan's strategy would be to come out positive and play aggressive cricket, shared the ODI skipper.
Misbah feels Indian batting is very strong, but Pakistan is sure to have an edge over their bowling. If the opposition is restricted below a score of 300 on a good track, the bowlers should be proud of their performance.
Currently India is playing England on their home soil. The time period when the Poms will return home for the Christmas break is when Pakistan will face their arch rivals after a long time in a bilateral contest.