LONDON: Sergio Garcia cannot wait to get his Saudi International title tilt started as he looks to capitalise on recent good form.
The Spaniard began his year with two top 10 finishes, in Singapore and Dubai, having claimed the Andalucia Valderrama Masters title at the end of 2018.
Keen to begin this year as he finished the last, Garcia claimed his game is in the sort of shape to not only bring victory at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club but also add to his trophy cabinet in the months beyond.
“It has been a couple of nice weeks to start the year in Singapore and obviously last week in Dubai with a couple of top 10s,” the world No. 27 said.
“ At the end of the day I want to keep being consistent. I want to try to keep improving in all aspects of the game,
and give myself chances at winning tournaments and winning Majors.
“That’s what I’ve done my whole career and that’s what I want to keep doing. Then it’s just a matter of having that great week at the right time and hopefully lifting another one of the big ones.”
Along with most of the field in the Saudi International, this will be Garcia’s first time playing the course, and an initial nine holes on Tuesday left the 39-year-old impressed.
“It looks beautiful, really nice. I’m excited to go out there.
“We always try to promote the game as much as possible. Obviously this week is a good opportunity to do it here in Saudi, a place that we’ve never been to,” he said.
Sergio Garcia looking to reign at Royal Greens & Country Club
Sergio Garcia looking to reign at Royal Greens & Country Club
- Spaniard looking forward to inaugural Saudi International as he looks to capitalize on recent good form.
Spin-heavy Pakistan hit form, but India boycott risks early T20 exit
- Pakistan face must-win group matches, leaving no margin for error in T20 World Cup progression
- Recent series wins have restored confidence, but batting volatility remains Pakistan’s biggest risk
LAHORE: Pakistan’s spin-heavy squad are in winning form ahead of the T20 World Cup, but a controversial decision to forfeit their marquee clash against India could still trigger another early exit.
Pakistan came close to withdrawing from the tournament in solidarity with Bangladesh, who pulled out after refusing to play in India, citing security concerns.
The Pakistan government eventually cleared the team’s participation but it barred them from facing India in Colombo in a blockbuster clash on February 15.
With two points for a win, a forfeit of the match will leave Pakistan with no margin for error if they are to progress as one of the top two from a five-team Group A.
It means they must win their opening game against the Netherlands in Colombo on Saturday and beat the United States three days later to stay in contention.
Their final group game will be against Namibia on February 18.
Captain Salman Agha said the move to boycott the India game was out of the team’s hands.
“That is not our decision. We have to follow what our government decides,” he said.
The Pakistan government has not said what their stance might be if the team were to end up facing India again in the semifinals or final. Agha was not thinking about that.
“Our job is to win, and we are capable of doing that,” he said.
Pakistan will be keen to avoid a repeat of the last T20 World Cup in 2024, where a shock super over defeat to co-hosts the United States led to them failing to get out of the group.
The side has since faced criticism for failing to adapt to the modern demands of T20 cricket, with the batting, particularly Babar Azam’s low strike rate, under scrutiny.
The criticism was fueled by Pakistan’s record last year, where 21 of their 34 T20 international wins came against lower-ranked opponents.
CONFIDENCE RESTORED
Against elite teams, the results were sobering: three losses to India in the Asia Cup and a 4-1 series defeat to New Zealand.
However, Agha believes recent performances have restored confidence.
Pakistan beat South Africa 2-1, won a home tri-series, and then completed a 3-0 sweep of an under-strength Australia.
“We’ve had good preparation by beating Australia. We have the luxury of quality spinning all-rounders like Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub.
“We’re ticking most boxes and believe we can win the World Cup,” Agha said.
The spin department has been strengthened by Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq, the latter known for his unusual, slingy action and exaggerated pause at the crease.
The pace attack is led by the experienced Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.
Faheem Ashraf provides seam-bowling all-round support and newcomer Salman Mirza has been impressive.
Batting remains Pakistan’s most volatile component.
When openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan provide strong starts, the side can post competitive totals, but collapses remain a constant threat.
Head coach Mike Hesson has added another layer of risk by leaving out experienced wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan because of poor form, opting instead for makeshift options in Usman Khan, Khawaja Nafay and Farhan.
For Pakistan, the ingredients for a deep run are present, but with points potentially forfeited, there is little room left for error.
