Babar Azam and his team have resurrected their hopes of reaching the World Cup semifinals with a stunning victory over New Zealand in their last game in Bangalore. In the game that was cut short by rain, Pakistan’s passion is back, and they stand a good chance of making it into the semifinals of the marquee event.
Pakistan have not won the World Cup since clinching their maiden title way back in 1992. Since then, they have made it to the final just once in 1999, and have performed poorly in the tournament but still have the chance to make it into the final four of the ODI World Cup.
Even if their fate hinges on the result of the game between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, the Pakistani team seemed comfortable in Kolkata. The team had a great time and had a nice day off from practice.
According to the reports in Khelnow, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam alongside coaches Morne Morkel and Grant Bradburn and some other players, decided to play golf in their break. At about nine in the morning, they arrived at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, a well-known golf destination in Kolkata, and played a leisurely game of golf till two in the afternoon.
Eight members of their team decided to go to the South City Mall in South Kolkata. The players had to change their original plan, though and went to the Mani Square Mall in Salt Lake instead of their intended destination, which was closer to the Pakistani team’s lodging.
Agha Salman, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Zaman Khan, Usama Mir, and Abdullah Shafique were among the players who went to the mall and bought some textile items from surrounding stores. The Pakistani team was also supposed to go to the movies, but they had to cancel so they could watch the Afghanistan match that evening instead.
The Men in Green made a strong comeback in the match against Bangladesh and New Zealand to keep hopes alive on the marquee event. If Pakistan makes it to the semifinals, they will stay in Kolkata and play India at the Eden Gardens Stadium in the high-octane match. They would hope Afghanistan and New Zealand lose and mathematically make it into the final four of the tournament.