T20 World Cup 2021: Kamran Akmal picks three teams as favourites for the tournament

Wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal has expressed that the Pakistan team will have an advantage in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in October-November. These words have surfaced after the tournament was shifted from India to the United Arab Emirates. 

According to Akmal, Pakistan has been playing in the UAE for slightly more than a decade, which will help them read the conditions better. After the Lahore attacks in 2009, international cricket took place very rarely in the country. At this time, UAE emerged as an alternative place for Pakistan to play their home matches. 

Apart from this, the first few seasons of the Pakistan Super League were played in the UAE. Even the second leg of the PSL 2021 was hosted there. “Pakistan should have the advantage in the T20 World Cup. We’ve played international cricket for 9 to 10 years in the UAE. That makes Pakistan the most experienced side under the conditions,” Akmal said as quoted by Hindustan Times. 

Afghanistan can also prove to be a dangerous side, predicts Kamran Akmal

Interestingly, the Indian players will also have some experience of playing in these conditions. In 2020, the IPL was entirely held in the UAE, while the second half of the 2021 season is also scheduled to be held there right before the T20 World Cup. Apart from that, Akmal rightly pointed out that Afghanistan could be a dangerous side in these conditions. Afghanistan cricket also shares a huge history with the UAE, having made it their adopted home during their initial years. 

“Not only players from India and Pakistan but from other countries will also benefit going into the T20 World Cup since a lot of them play in both PSL and IPL. Given the conditions in the UAE, Afghanistan can also prove to be a dangerous side, looking at the players that they have. So, it is difficult to pick a favorite for the T20 World Cup,” Akmal said.

There were a lot of speculations and news floating around regarding the ICC T20 World Cup and its venue. On Monday, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly confirmed that the decision to shift the tournament from India to the UAE has been taken. Apart from UAE, Oman could also be seen hosting some matches of the preliminary stages.