Pakistan captain Babar Azam stated that the team is going to play nine other teams in the ICC World Cup 2023 and not just India, playing down the hype of the marquee clash between the arch rivals in the ICC event.
India and Pakistan are set to clash on October 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in the World Cup which begins on October 5 with the final slated on November 19.
Babar Azam, the captain of the national team, told the media prior to the Test series against Sri Lanka that the team’s eyes are firmly fixed on winning and that their attention is not just on one opponent but rather on defeating all 10 teams they will face in the competition.
“We are going to play World Cup not only against India. There are nine other teams as well with whom we have to play our respective matches. We will only be able to reach finals once we defeat all of them. Our focus is not on one team; our focus is on ten teams altogether. Our plan is to play equally good against all ten teams so that we can reach the finals,” Babar was quoted by cricket Pakistan.
“Our Stance Is To Play Cricket Regardless Of The Venues”- Babar Azam
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had requested the BCCI and the ICC to swap venues for their World Cup matches against Afghanistan (Chennai) and Australia (Bengaluru), as they didn’t want to face the Afghan spinners on a spin-friendly Chepauk pitch.
And likewise, PCB didn’t want Pakistan to play on batting paradise M Chinnaswamy stadium surface against Australian big-hitters. However, both the requests of the PCB were rejected by the ICC and BCCI, and even their demand of not playing in Ahmedabad citing security concerns fell on deaf ears.
But Babar emphasized that the team is ready to adjust to all settings, weather conditions, and playing surfaces and that it is imperative to continue to play at a high level against all opposition.
“Our stance is to play cricket regardless of the venues because, as a professional, you have to be ready for everything, including different conditions and different environments. This is what the real challenge is. Our main aim is to dominate, represent Pakistan and bag the victory, not only securing a win against one particular team,” he further added.
If we talk about head-to-head stats between Pakistan and India in the ODI World Cup, they sing a sad tale for Pakistan and a happy tale for India. India and Pakistan have faced each other a total of seven times at the ICC ODI World Cup, and India has been successful each time.