T20 World Cup is all set to get underway in the UAE after it was moved from India due to Covid-19 situation. Experts and fans have started to weigh in with their opinions on the mega event. Sana Mir, the former Pakistan women’s captain, has backed her country’s men to bring the trophy home.
Mir understands that the T20 format is volatile and unpredictable but considering the conditions where the WC is being held, she believes Pakistan are main favourites.
“With the conditions in mind, it is hard to look past Pakistan. They know UAE so well of course and became one of the best teams in the world while playing there, so I’m not just following my heart in predicting a good tournament for them. My head says the same thing,”
Mir wrote in her column for ICC.
Pakistan Cricket Board has been hosting their international fixtures in the UAE since the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team in Pakistan. Pakistan has since rebuilt their team and become one of the best teams in the T20 format as well. With the amount of experience they have in these conditions, Mir believes they will do well.
She added that while she feels Pakistan are well equipped for the tournament, England and West Indies look strong too. She did not rule out India and New Zealand either.
“I like the look of England and the West Indies, while India and New Zealand will always be dangerous too and that’s the beauty of T20 cricket – it’s so open.”
Mir, who retired in 2019 after playing 226 international matches for Pakistan for 15 years, added that T20 cricket has changed the way cricket is played in Pakistan women’s arena.
“When I started with Pakistan, we were inexperienced, and learning to construct a 50-over game was not easy. But T20 changed that, it helped us to be more attacking.”
