Asia Cup 2023: Matthew Hayden's statement on Pakistan-India match goes viral

Former Australia cricketer and Pakistan coach Matthew Hayden said India will need a “unique” strategy to counter Pakistan’s pace attack in the Asia Cup 2023 fixture on Saturday.

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Matthew Hayden said Pakistan pace trio Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf – who bowl with different approaches – would use the conditions to their advantage on Saturday.

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The former cricketer said each pacer has a different arsenal. He said Kandy pitches have bounce, which Haris Rauf will use to his advantage.

The cricketing legend further said India would have to take a “conservative” approach when playing Shaheen Afridi.

“We’ll never forget that ball that he bowled to captain Rohit Sharma, so a little bit of caution against Shaheen Afridi. If it’s swinging, look to play out those first three overs,” he said.

Matthew Hayden said that India can tackle Naseem Shah with aggressive instinct.

“I think with Naseem, even though he will shape the ball, Pakistan can be in a position to advance forward with India managing to take them out of play by aggressive plays against someone like Naseem. Put him under pressure, feel like you are in front of the game,” he said.

Matthew Hayden predicted India would be the winner of the high-octane contest.