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File image of Shaheen Afridi (left) and Haris Rauf.© AFP
Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed on Saturday expressed his faith in the pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, saying it will bring out "something special" in the must-win Champions Trophy clash against India. Pakistan will be under pressure against India on Sunday given their recent bilateral record and also the fact that Fakhar Zaman - the architect of their win over arch rivals in 2017 Champions Trophy final - has been ruled out due to an injury. "Fakhar is a big loss. He is a match winner. But we look forward to our rest of the players," Javed told the media on Saturday.
"There is always pressure; (there is) no game without pressure. It's the best chance for any player to make a mark. We have less spin options but our strength is pace bowling. The current trio reminds me of our troika in the 1990s (including Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis), they will bring something special tomorrow," he added.
It will be a must-win game for Pakistan also because they had lost their tournament opener to New Zealand in Karachi, and a loss on Sunday would severely dent their chances of making the semifinals.
India, on the other hand, have managed to find their rhythm and began the tournament with a six-wicket thumping of Bangladesh in their first match on a slow wicket.
India were forced to change gears in their chase of a modest 229 which they achieved in the 47th over, giving them a fair idea of the nature of the surface, but Javed denied Rohit Sharma's team has any extra advantage.
"There isn't any advantage for India having played one extra match here. I don't think so," he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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