Asia Cup 2025: ‘Being on other side of fence’

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has called on his players to maintain focus and composure ahead of match against India on September 14. The match will be first official meeting between the two nations after the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.

Speaking in a press conference, Hesson emphasised on the importance of staying ground despite all the tensions and emotional backdrop surrounding the game. Before the much-awaited match against India, Pakistan will be playing against Oman on Friday, September 12. While their opening match is crucial, the spotlight is already turning toward the India encounter, which is expected to fill the Dubai International Stadium and attract hundreds of millions of viewers around the world.

“We know that India are obviously hugely confident and rightfully so in terms of how well they’ve played,”

“Look, I’ve certainly watched many games from afar, so certainly being on the other side of the fence, I guess, being right and amongst such a highly charged event is going to be exciting,” Mike added.

“We’re very much focused on improving as a team, sort of day by day, and not getting too far ahead of ourselves,” said Hesson.

The Group A has India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman while the Group B included Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong.