Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's Special Assistant Naeemul Haq expressed discontent over the decision of his country's cricket team to bowl first against India even after winning the toss in the high-octane clash in the UK on Sunday.
Khan, one of the greatest cricketers of Pakistan, had personally advised his national team to bat first in a series of tweets posted before the match at Manchester's Old Trafford.
"As PM Imran Khan has pointed out the key to today's match between Pakistan and India is mental strength...our decision not to bat first was not correct. Because our record in batting second and chasing a total is pretty bad...and that is where mental strength is tested," The News International quoted Haq as tweeting.
Advising the Pakistani team to "banish all fear of losing" despite India being a favourite, Khan told Pakistani captain Sarfaraz Ahmed to bat first if they win the toss.
"In order to have a winning offensive strategy, Sarfaraz must go in with specialist batsmen and bowlers because "Raillu Kattas" rarely perform under pressure - especially the intense kind that will be generated today. 2. Unless pitch is damp, Sarfaraz must win the toss & bat," tweeted Khan, under whose captainship Pakistan won the World Cup in 1992.
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