While Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed believes that India and Bangladesh start Friday’s final of the Asia Cup on equal footing, head coach Mickey Arthur’s opinion is that India are “definite favourites.”

“Final mein kuch bhi ho sakta hai. India aur Bangladesh barabar se start karenge,” Sarfraz told The Telegraph in the early hours of Thursday, in Abu Dhabi.

On Thursday afternoon, in Dubai, Arthur said: “Pressure is always there, but India are definite favourites. No two ways there.”

While Sarfraz was furious after Pakistan’s ouster, at the hands of Bangladesh, Arthur appeared calm.

“I’m not worried and I don’t expect the heat to come on me. I know what I am doing. It’s just that we were consistently not good enough in this Asia Cup,” Arthur accepted.

Sarfraz, for his part, snapped when a Mediaman suggested that he be given a break from the captaincy. “The captain gets appointed by the Board and the selectors. You are free to make that suggestion and, if the selectors and the Board agree, then I will not be the captain.”

Not hiding behind excuses, Sarfraz took the blame on himself for Pakistan’s appalling show in the UAE, which is now their adopted ‘home’.