Pakistan prepared to put India 'under pressure' if Asian Games clash materialises, says coach Hesson

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has said that his youthful side is prepared to put arch-rivals India "under pressure" if a clash at the Asian Games materialises.

India and Pakistan have been granted direct entry into the quarterfinals of the continental event, alongside Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Pakistan will feature in the first quarterfinal on September 28, while India will play in the second quarterfinal on the same day. A meeting between the two sides can only take place in a medal match.

Hesson acknowledged that India remains the "benchmark in terms of white-ball cricket at the moment" and said Pakistan has "to catch up to that."

"India are the benchmark in terms of white-ball cricket at the moment, and our challenge is to catch up to that," Hesson was quoted as saying by Cricinfo on the sidelines of Pakistan's pre-departure camp in Karachi. "We are preparing as best as we can, and if we get an opportunity to play India, we will certainly put them under pressure, as we were able to do in the Asia Cup final. There is a lot of cricket to be played before either side reaches the final, so we are not getting too far ahead of ourselves."

Pakistan have endured some disappointing results in Test cricket recently. Their most recent assignment in the red-ball format came against England on English soil and resulted in a 3-0 whitewash. However, Hesson praised Pakistan's performances in T20 cricket, citing the team's rise in the ICC rankings since his appointment as head coach.

"The Test team are struggling, and we are all well aware of it," he said. "But the win percentage of the T20I team over the last 15 months has been the third or fourth best in the world. We have lost to India on multiple occasions, and that is the benchmark for all Pakistani teams, we understand that. But to suggest that the T20 side is at a low point is simply not correct.

"We were eighth in the world in T20 cricket when I came in, and we have now climbed to fifth. We have gained 30 ranking points, which has only been possible through winning series. We have won not only in Pakistan, but also in Dubai and the United States. We have won many series over the last 15 months in T20 cricket, so I do not think it is fair to group all three formats together.

"We are struggling in Test cricket, and in one-day cricket we are still developing as we build towards the World Cup. We have certainly improved our performances over the last 12 months, but we are by no means a finished product."