Skipper Babar Azam confident and ready for World Cup 2023 challenge

LAHORE: With the excitement building as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 approaches, Pakistan’s Cricket Team Captain, Babar Azam, addressed the media before their departure to India, exuding confidence and reassurance for the fans back home.

Babar Azam, the skipper of the Green Shirts, was cool and collected as he emphasized that there was no undue pressure on his team as they geared up for the prestigious tournament. Speaking about their aspirations, he stated, “We will try our best to deliver a stellar performance in the World Cup,” and made a heartfelt appeal to the nation, requesting their prayers for the success of the Pakistani team on the international stage.

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Despite acknowledging that the Pakistani players have not had the opportunity to showcase their skills on Indian grounds recently, Babar Azam expressed his team’s readiness and familiarity with the playing conditions. Drawing from his own experiences, he proudly shared, “I was part of the 2019 World Cup as a player, and now I am going to the World Cup as a captain. This is a matter of pride for me.”

Babar pledged a meticulous analysis of past errors, particularly those committed during the Asia Cup, vowing that history would not repeat itself in the World Cup. When queried about Shadab Khan’s pivotal role, he lauded the spinner as a “crucial asset” and voiced optimism for his good performance in the upcoming tournament. Babar showed unwavering faith in his squad as he affirmed, “I have more confidence in my 15 players than in myself.”

In light of Naseem Shah’s absence, Babar expressed the team’s sentiment of missing the pace spearhead and identified Hasan Ali as the most fitting replacement. He reassured fans that Pakistan was primed to confront the impending challenges head-on.

Babar Azam said that the team is committed to bring the World Cup trophy home, emphasizing the team’s world-class spin attack. He challenged skeptics, stating, “Name a better set of spinners than ours.”

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Reflecting on their journey to becoming the number one team, Babar credited the loss to a formidable opponent as a pivotal turning point. He vowed to field the best possible combination and acknowledged areas of improvement in fielding and taking wickets during the middle overs.

Discussing their contracts with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), he said that negotiations were ongoing and expressed optimism for favourable outcomes. With a match-by-match approach and unwavering focus throughout the World Cup, the skipper conveyed the team’s aspiration to win the hearts of Indian fans as well and their support of the Pakistani players. Babar said that the team will miss the enthusiasm and passion of the Pakistani fans in the stadium.