Babar Azam Stresses Pakistan’s Focus on All World Cup Opponents, Not Just India

Thu Jul 06 2023
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KARACHI: Pakistan’s national cricket team captain, Babar Azam, emphasized that his team is dedicated to performing well in the upcoming World Cup and not solely focusing on matches against hosts India.

Speaking at a press conference held at the National Bank Stadium on Thursday, Babar stated, “We are going to play the World Cup, not to play only against India.”

Babar highlighted Pakistan’s approach to all nine league stage matches, stating that the team will maintain a “winning mentality” to enhance their chances of securing the tournament’s crown. He acknowledged the significance of performing well against all opponents, stating, “Apart from India, we have to play against nine teams. If we play well against all teams, only then can we play in the final.”

The World Cup 2023 is scheduled to be held in India from October 5 to November 19 this year. However, Pakistan’s participation in the tournament is yet to be confirmed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with relevant government departments, is conducting the necessary due diligence as part of the routine process before granting approval for Pakistan’s travel to India.

Pakistan Prepare for World Cup

Babar assured that his team is prepared for the World Cup and willing to play at any venue assigned to them. He expressed enthusiasm for the challenge of playing in different conditions and various venues, aiming to perform, dominate, and win matches for Pakistan.

Looking ahead, Pakistan will commence their ICC World Test Championship campaign with a two-match series against Sri Lanka, starting on July 16. As conditions in Sri Lanka are expected to favor spin bowling, Babar faces a tough decision regarding the selection of wicket-keepers/batters, Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan.

While Sarfraz demonstrated exceptional performance against spin during Pakistan’s previous Test series against New Zealand, Rizwan serves as the vice-captain of the red-ball side. Babar clarified that he would not be uncomfortable excluding Rizwan from the playing XI if the conditions demanded it.

“It’s too early to say, but I’ll try to prefer having Sarfraz as my first choice [as wicket-keeper],” Babar explained. “It’s not necessary for the vice-captain to play; it doesn’t affect anything. We will select the best XI according to the playing conditions,” he added.

 

 

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