Asia Cup 2022: 'I don't think one player can make difference,' Ganguly on Shaheen's absence

KARACHI: Pakistan will lock horns with arch-rivals India in an intense clash in the Asia Cup 2022 opener at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

The Green Shirts will be without their star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi in the high-octane encounter. The left-arm pacer wreaked havoc in Dubai in last year's T20 World Cup match against India when Pakistan thrashed India by ten wickets. 

Shaheen dismissed the Indian top three batters, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli to put India under pressure.

Despite his exploits against a much-stronger India side, BCCI president and former skipper Sourav Ganguly claimed that one player's absence cannot potentially have a significant impact.

"I don't think one player can make a difference. It's teamwork. We also don't have Jasprit Bumrah," said Ganguly when asked if India would profit from Shaheen's absence.

Another young pacer Mohammad Hasnain, who was playing in The Hundred in the United Kingdom, has replaced Shaheen.

Meanwhile, the Men in Blue will also be without their lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah. The Babar Azam-led Pakistan will take on traditional rivals India at 07:00 PM (PST) today.