USA captain Patel targeting two Pakistan players for T20 World Cup clash

USA captain Monank Patel has endorsed his team's fearless strategy ahead of their T20 World Cup 2024 clash against Pakistan on Thursday. He emphasized focusing on experienced Pakistan bowler Mohammad Amir and skipper Babar Azam.

Patel believes their seven-wicket win against Canada boosts their confidence for the upcoming game at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.

"The first game definitely helped us. We got good momentum. We will make sure that we carry forward that momentum in the next game. Pakistan is a good side, is a well-experienced side and we will make sure that we play the cricket we have been playing. Pakistan has good experienced bowlers. We will focus on Mohammad Amir, who is an experienced Pakistani bowler, we will try to tackle him well," Patel said in a pre-match press conference.

Patel highlighted the importance of dismissing Babar Azam early, acknowledging Babar's consistent performance in T20s.

"Babar is a great batsman in all the formats. He is the main player and he is the captain. If he plays long innings, we have seen in the past also. So yeah, his wicket will be really important for us and we all know his stats. He's been very consistent in T20s," he said.

Patel concluded by stating the team's focus on their own game rather than Pakistan's strengths, noting that a good start in T20 cricket can quickly turn the match in their favor.

"I mean, we won't focus much on the Pakistan side. We want to focus on our own cricket. And we want to make sure that we continue playing the way we've been playing. And you know, it's T20. Once we have good 30-40 minutes on the field, you never know. We can take the game away," he concluded.

This match marks the first T20I encounter between Pakistan and the USA.