India won the toss and chose to field first against Pakistan in the final of the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup being played in Dubai on Sunday.

Ahead of the title clash, Pakistan Under-19 captain Farhan Yousaf said his team was fully prepared, determined to fight hard and eager to win the championship.

Pakistan have won the ICC Under-19 World Cup twice but have yet to claim the Under-19 Asia Cup title outright.

In the 2012 edition of the tournament, Pakistan and India were declared joint champions.

In the ongoing eight-team event, Pakistan won two of their three games in Group ‘A’ and advanced to the final after defeating Bangladesh by eight wickets in the second semi-final on Friday.

Pakistan will rely on their batting star Sameer Minhas, the team’s highest run-getter with 299 runs in four matches, including a century and a half-century.

In the bowling department, right-arm pacer Abdul Subhan has been the most successful with 11 wickets from three matches, while left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Sayyam has claimed eight wickets so far.
Talking to PCB Digital ahead of the final, Farhan Yousaf said: “Our preparation has been very good, and the morale in the camp is very high. The management has backed us strongly, and we will try to come out victorious.

“Bangladesh proved to be a very good opponent, and it was enjoyable to compete against them. The players performed really well. Our fielding unit has been outstanding, the batting performed well in the last match, and the bowling has been consistent throughout the tournament. This collective effort has contributed to our strong results.

“The final is a big game, and the players are very confident. We aim to carry forward the momentum and positivity from the last match, play aggressive cricket, give our 100 per cent and are hopeful of a result going in our team’s favour.”

Meanwhile, attention has also focused on the post-match trophy presentation.

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), will attend the final as the chief guest and is scheduled to present the trophy to the winning team.

If India win the final, their captain would be required to receive the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi.

It may be mentioned that the Indian team refused to receive the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi after winning the Asia Cup in Dubai in September.

The Indian team also did not attend the prize distribution ceremony, even after a two-hour wait.

As ACC Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi later sent the trophy to the ACC headquarters.

This time, the Indian cricket board have so far remained silent on the matter.

Sunday’s Under-19 Asia Cup final is therefore being closely watched, both for the on-field contest and the developments that may follow off the field.