Follow UsPakistan head coach Mike Hesson believes that his team might have lost two matches against India in the group and super four stages of the Asia Cup 2025, but the only match that really matters is the final, which both teams have made to.
“We’ve deserved this opportunity, so now it’s up to us to make the most of it. All the games up to this point have been about getting ourselves in a position to win the trophy. The only match that really counts is the one at the end,” The Times of India (TOI) quoted him as saying.
“We’ve always talked about wanting to be in this match at the end of the tournament, and we’ve played some good cricket to get here,” he added.
Talking about the Bangladesh game where Pakistan were struggling at 49/5 and were almost written off by everyone, Hesson said, “When everyone writes you off 10 overs into the match, and you come back to win, that builds a bit of confidence in the group.”
The New Zealander, former RCB coach, also asked his players to block out a bit of passion in the final. “Block out a bit of passion in high-pressure games, but our focus will be on playing a good game,” he said.
Talking about the last two matches, Hesson added, “The first game, we were passive and allowed India to control it. In the last match, we had the game by the scruff of the neck.”
And what would be his strategy for the final? “We have to be good enough to put India under pressure for long enough,” revealed the 50-year-old.
This will be the first-ever Asia Cup final in the tournament’s 41-year-old history, where India and Pakistan will be up against each other.