India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2021: Former women’s captain Sana Mir makes BIG call, says Babar Azam’s side ‘favourites’

Since the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team, the PCB have been hosting most of their international matches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah as other teams showed reluctance to tour Pakistan, citing security concerns. 

Pakistan emerged as ‘one of the best teams in the world’ playing in UAE and Babar Azam and his men will fare well in the men’s T20 World Cup due to familiarity with the conditions, says the country’s former women’s skipper Sana Mir. The T20 World Cup is set to begin in Dubai on Sunday (October 17) with Pakistan playing their opening fixture against India on October 24.

Since the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team, the PCB have been hosting most of their international matches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah as other teams showed reluctance to tour Pakistan, citing security concerns. “T20 cricket is so unpredictable and it is almost impossible to pick a winner, especially with squads changing all the time,” Mir wrote in her column for ICC.

“But with the conditions in mind, it is hard to look past Babar Azam's Pakistan. They know UAE so well of course and became one of the best teams in the world while playing there. So, I’m not just following my heart in predicting a good tournament for them. My head says the same thing.”