IND vs PAK 2022: "Had they been there, the competition would have been a little bit better" - RP Singh on the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi

Former pacer RP Singh believes that the competition between India and Pakistan would have been a tighter one had Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi stayed fit. The ace fast bowling pair have been ruled out of the tournament due to their respective injuries.

Bumrah sustained a back injury in the latter stages of India's tour to England. While he was rested for the tour of the Caribbean and Zimbabwe, he failed to regain fitness in time.

Afridi, on the other hand, is currently nursing a knee injury. The left-arm pacer suffered the injury during Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka and is far from achieving full fitness. However, he was still named in the squad for the Netherlands ODIs and the Asia Cup.

Opining that both bowlers are a vital part of the team, RP Singh said in an interaction with journalist Vimal Kumar:

"Bumrah and Afridi are important players for their teams. Bumrah is one of the best bowlers in the country at the moment, and the world as well. He has a firm grip over all three formats. Afridi has pace, has swing, so he is also a very good player as well. Had they been there, the competition would have been a little bit better."

Despite the duo's absence, talk of the town has been the upcoming clash between the arch-rivals. Media, fans and pundits alike are discussing every possibility as these two sides meet after almost a year.

Admitting that the persistent outside chatter affected the players a little during the buildup to the contest, Singh said:

"The outside chatter affected a little when we used to play high-profile matches like these. Everybody is hoping that India comes back strong after losing last time, so the hype is there, the players wish to perform at their best."

India hold a 8-5 record over Pakistan when it comes to the Asia Cup. The tournament is being played in the T20 format to help the sides prepare for the 2022 T20 World Cup. India have a dominant 6-2 record in the shortest format against their neighbors.

"Going from the word go is the right template" - RP Singh

India were guilty of playing tentative cricket during the previous T20 World Cup. The approach eventually led to their downfall, as they faced a group stage exit for the first time since 2012.

The biggest overhaul under the Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid era apart from personnel, has been the effort to tweak the approach to meet the demands of the modern game.

Noting that cricket has changed a lot over the years, which demanded a change in template, Singh said:

"Going from the word go is the right template, because if you look at the history of the game, there is a lot that has been changed. When we started playing T20s, yorker was a weapon, but it was not that important."

Singh concluded:

Now there are so many variations in bowling, so the batting template has changed as well."

The Men In Blue will take on Pakistan in their opening clash of Asia Cup 2022 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, August 28.

Who will win the highly anticipated contest between the two arch rivals? Let us know what you think.