In international cricket, there are always a few teams that aren’t at the competitive level of the tournament they’re in. This can be for various reasons, including fair representation, but it often makes for a lopsided match. Oman is the perfect example of this narrative. Today, in their first match of the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai, Oman will face Pakistan, a two-time former champion that recently beat Afghanistan in a tri-nation tournament final.
This is a Pakistan side that can afford to drop two of its key players, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan—both among the top 10 T20I run-scorers of all time—and still be a dominant force. The matchup is so imbalanced that an analytical preview seems almost pointless. It’s like asking a prime Wasim Akram what he would do against a seven-year-old kid without a helmet in overcast English conditions.
Oman’s Internal Strife
This isn’t an anti-Oman rant; it’s an acknowledgment of their internal issues. The team has been completely revamped over the last two years due to a pay dispute with its cricket board. A majority of the experienced players who helped Oman qualify for this Asia Cup have been ousted. They’ve been replaced by new, unproven players, some of whom don’t even have basic information on ESPNcricinfo or Wikipedia. For instance, all that’s known about one player, Shah Faisal, is that he was born in Dir on January 5, 1997. Another player, Sufyan Yousaf, doesn’t even have a place of birth listed.
To make matters worse, Oman hasn’t had any real warm-up matches. Their last competitive T20I matches were six months ago in February when they lost three times in a row to the USA. In contrast, Pakistan was active in the format less than a week ago.
The Pakistan Factor
On paper, a Pakistan victory is a given. However, with the Pakistani team, the “on-paper” advantage doesn’t always translate into a win. Their shocking loss to the USA in the 2024 World Cup opener is a perfect example of this. But the current state of the Oman team is so fragile that even a “Buster Douglas-esque” upset seems unlikely.
It’s up to Pakistan’s management to decide whether to play their full-strength squad, giving them a good tune-up for Sunday’s blockbuster match against India, or give some fringe players a chance. Either way, the final result is unlikely to be impacted.
