New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Malaysia captain Deaaz Patro isn’t losing sleep over the prospect of facing powerhouses India and Pakistan in the upcoming Men’s U19 Asia Cup, which starts in the UAE on Friday. His strategy is simple: block out the noise, focus on the contest, and take it one ball at a time.

“We agree that India and Pakistan are both very big teams in the cricketing world. But when we enter the field, we focus on the bowler and batsman. We just try to focus on one ball at a time instead of thinking about the result,” Patro said in an exclusive conversation with IANS, facilitated by Sony Sports Network, ahead of Malaysia’s fifth U19 Asia Cup appearance.

Following their clash against Pakistan on Friday, Malaysia will face the UAE on December 14, before taking on a formidable India on December 16. For Patro and vice-captain Muhammad Aalif, the tournament represents both a significant challenge and an important opportunity following their team’s third-place finish in the ACC U19 Men’s Premier Cup 2025 – a result that secured their spot in the Asia Cup.

“So after we got back, we had four days of training. So, every day, just training and getting prepared for this tournament. As a batsman, I’ve been practising more on the batting while our bowlers are working on their bowling. So I think it’s all equally prioritised,” said Patro.

Vice-captain Aalif echoed the pragmatic approach when discussing the team’s objectives for the Asia Cup. “I think we want to give our best. We want to win, of course. I think we’ll learn a lot by playing against these big countries. We’ll learn their routines, their mentality, and it’ll be good for us,” he said.

But Malaysia aren’t coming just to participate, if one goes by Patro and Aalif spelling out their ambitious personal targets. “For me, I’m looking to get into the playoffs stage and score around 300 to 400 runs in this competition. For Malaysia, this will be a good exposure for us since it’s very rare for us to be playing against such high-level countries.”

“But that doesn’t mean we are not going to give our best. We are still going to come and do our best for the country. I think our team is very ready to take up the challenge,” said Patro.

Aalif’s vision is also equally high. “For me personally, I would like to be in the top three best batsmen and this is my target for this Asia Cup. The Malaysia Cricket Association has been with us since we were young. They’ve been giving us a lot of opportunities to play cricket in Malaysia – such as the Malaysia Premier League, and playing with the men’s senior team,” he said.

The confidence isn’t unfounded, as demonstrated by the team’s chemistry built over years of playing together. “We had psychology sessions with our psychologist and team bonding sessions, which helped us know each other better, and to improve our communication. Actually, our team has been together since the under-12s. Most of us have been playing together since under-16. So I would say we are very well gelled,” said Patro.

That cohesion has been further strengthened through focused preparation. “Most of the time, we’ve been staying here in Bayuemas for a camp to prepare for the Asia Cup. Then, from the coaches and staff, they’ve been giving us a lot of support, giving us motivation and continuing to play very well on a higher level of cricket,” said Aalif.

He further elaborated on the comprehensive training regime. “To be honest, every morning before we start our practice session, we do high-intensity fitness, which is we do a bit of leg training and then some quick running between the wickets,” said Aalif.

Patro also expressed similar views. “The weather over here is quite similar. It’s also very hot. So we are quite used to playing in hotter weather. As Aalif said, every morning before training, we have fitness sessions like sprinting, then endurance and agility training.”

Aalif’s technical preparation has been equally meticulous. “For me, as a batsman, I’ll be focusing on facing spinners on the ground. So I’ve been doing quite a lot of training against the spinners, with coaches and then alongside the batting coach.”

Both players carry inspiration from cricket’s biggest stars. Patro models his game after Australian dasher David Warner. “Since I was young, I used to love watching him, how he bats aggressively in the power play and being able to do so well in all three formats. So I’ve always looked up to him,” the captain said.

Aalif, unsurprisingly, looks to India’s modern batting great, Virat Kohli. “Everyone knows that Virat Kohli is the biggest star in cricket. I love him because of his style, action, and aggression on the field. On and off, he’s a good guy,” he shared.

Their journeys to this moment reflect Malaysian cricket’s grassroots development. Patro’s path began early, shaped by family influence. “For me, actually, my dad was a big fan of cricket. So when I was just 4 years old, he put me into a cricketing club over here. When I was 10 years old, I started playing for our state under-16 team.”

“Then, after the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown, I really started to put in more effort. I got the opportunity to play for Malaysia for the first time in 2023. Then, after that, I just kept working hard, and now I’m captain of Malaysia under-16 and Malaysia under-19,” he recalled.

Aalif’s introduction to cricket was purely accidental. “I never knew there was a sport named cricket. But at my primary school, there was a teacher who coached the cricket team. So asked me, ‘Do you want to play for the cricket team in my school?’ I just went, and day by day I’ve loved playing this sport. So now, I’m here.”

Their rise coincides with a broader upswing in Malaysian cricket. “We’re having a lot of support from the Malaysia Cricket Association. They’re trying their best to promote cricket more in schools and among under-12s. More recently, we’ve been having more interstate tournaments like under-16s, under-19s, and in the men’s level. So I think cricket is starting to grow here,” concluded Patro.

Watch the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2025 live on Sony Sports Network from December 12-21 across Sony Sports Ten 1 and Ten 2 SD & HD channels, and will be livestreamed on Sony Liv

–IANS

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