Babar Azam emphasizes his team to play confidently
- Babar Azam emphasizes the significance of the Pakistan vs. India match.
- He advocates for a calm and focused approach.
- Pakistan will face USA in their opening match.
Babar Azam, Pakistan’s cricket team captain, was featured in the 52nd PCB podcast episode. He expressed the significance of the upcoming Pakistan vs. India match on June 9, noting its global importance and dedicated fan following.
Babar emphasized his desire for the Pakistani team to play confidently and with simplicity against their arch-rivals, India. He highlighted the global anticipation for the India-Pakistan match, stating, “The whole world is focused on the day when the India-Pakistan match is held. Naturally, there will be nerves, but we need to keep our focus, stick to the basics and play easy cricket. It is always a pressure game; the more you keep cool and calm, believe in your skills and hard work, then things get easier,” as per his words.
During the podcast, he shared his enthusiasm for the T20 World Cup 2024 and the unique thrill of participating in such a significant tournament. Despite a recent series loss to England, Babar remains hopeful for Pakistan’s success in the World Cup, stressing the need for exceptional performance in every game. He conveyed his excitement, “I am happy and excited because when you go to play in a major event, you have different excitement. It’s the aim of any cricketer to play in a World Cup, so that kind of feeling is coming over me. The hope is always to lift the trophy, but for that to happen, we have to play top cricket against every side,” he remarked.
Babar also acknowledged the potential difficulties of playing in the USA for the first time, mentioning ongoing efforts to gather insights from players experienced with the conditions there.
Reflecting on past matches, Babar revisited Pakistan’s performances against Australia and Zimbabwe, and the impact of Shaheen Afridi’s absence in the T20 World Cup 2022. He believes the team could have triumphed in the semi-final against Australia in 2021 if not for fielding errors. Regarding the 2022 matches, he felt that Pakistan had the potential to win against India and was particularly pained by the loss to Zimbabwe. He noted, “Shaheen’s [Afridi] injury was impactful because, at that time, the pressure was on them [England]. We were forced to give an over to a spinner and that made a difference,” reflecting on the critical moments of the tournament.
Pakistan is set to face the USA in their opening match of the T20 World Cup 2024 on Thursday. Babar’s insights reveal his strategic mindset and the emotional stakes involved in international cricket, especially in matches as charged as those between Pakistan and India.
