'Don't play timid cricket': Nasser Hussain delivers blunt warning to Pakistan before T20 World Cup fixture vs. India
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'Don't play timid cricket': Nasser Hussain delivers blunt warning to Pakistan before T20 World Cup fixture vs. India originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Nasser Hussain says India's WPL growth has left Pakistan well behind in women's cricket.
- Former England captain warns Pakistan must play fearless cricket to cause an upset.
- Hussain tips Smriti Mandhana as Pakistan's biggest threat at the top of the order.
Nasser Hussain: India "at least a level or two" ahead of Pakistan before Women's T20 World Cup clash
Former England captain Nasser Hussain has offered a frank and unsparing assessment of where India and Pakistan stand relative to each other in women's cricket, ahead of their Group 1 clash at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Hussain pointed directly to the Women's Premier League as a driving force behind India's ascent in the women's game.
The combination of last year's ODI World Cup triumph and the competitive environment created by the WPL has, in his view, accelerated India's development at a pace Pakistan has not been able to match.
"I think India will be too strong. The way Indian women's cricket has grown, with the 50-over World Cup win and the WPL, compared to Pakistan cricket, where their players don't play in all the franchise tournaments around the world, India have jumped at least a level or two, if not," Hussain said.
MORE: How to watch IND vs PAK Women's T20 World Cup match 2026 live
India's bowling combination still a talking point, says Hussain
Despite his confidence in India's overall quality, Hussain did flag one area he believes might crack in the World Cup.
"Their (India) formula with the ball is the concern. If you are asking me what is happening in team meetings, it is the combination with the ball that they will be thinking about the most," he stated.
Hussain insisted that to compete against India, or for that matter against any of the tournament's elite sides, including England, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, Pakistan cannot afford to play with caution.
He stressed that timid cricket will not produce results at this level, and that Pakistan need to commit to a fearless approach if they are going to put India under any real pressure on Sunday.
"To beat India, and to beat sides like England, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, you (Pakistan) have to play above your par level. They cannot play timid cricket. They have to play fearless cricket and put India under a bit of pressure," he said.
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Mandhana is the danger woman, warned Hussain
Turning his attention to India's top order, the 58-year-old was particularly emphatic about the threat Smriti Mandhana poses. Hussain suggested that if Pakistan were to identify one batter they would most want to dismiss early, it would be Mandhana.
"Come Sunday, I think Smriti Mandhana will absolutely raise her level. If you ask Pakistan who they would be most worried about at the top of the order, it is Smriti Mandhana," said Hussain.
"With Shafali, they do it pretty well. Shafali is the one who really goes hard, and Smriti sits in her slipstream a little bit."
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How to watch IND vs PAK Women's T20 World Cup match 2026 live
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