Karachi:
Babar Azam’s unpredictable Pakistan will begin their challenge for the coveted T20 World Cup trophy when they take on co-hosts USA in Dallas today.
The team arrived in Dallas five days ago but has been plagued by bad weather since their stay in England and has not been able to train properly since then.
The Pakistan captain seemed optimistic despite the troubles and focused on winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, saying he had “prepared well”.
“What the team wants from me is dedication and not obsessing about personal records,” Babar told media during the final training session. “We have come to the US well prepared and have a clear idea of how we are going to play. Our target is to perform well and be successful in the World Cup.”
This will be the first time that an international cricket tournament is being held in the United States and will be a new venue for most of the teams, which will present new challenges for all of them.
However, Babar is confident this won’t be an issue for the men in green and believes they have dealt with similar situations in the past.
“Our hitters have been training indoors and pitchers have been honing their skills on the field,” he said, stressing that they are making the most of the facilities available for training.
“Even if there are no warm-up matches it makes no difference because we are always playing,” he stressed.
“Some of our players have played in the US before so they understand the conditions here,” he said, adding that all-rounders Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim and fast bowler Haris Rauf have also played here.
Pakistan’s Setback
With the match-up yet to be decided, Pakistan was hit by an injury with all-rounder Imad Wasim missing the season’s opening match with a side strain.
Imad, who made his return for a T20I match in New Zealand earlier this year after an impressive season in the Pakistan Super League, also missed the final match of the series against England.
“Imad Wasim has a side injury and will not be able to play in the opening match,” Babar said.
Despite this setback, the captain was optimistic about Wasim’s participation in the remaining matches of the mega cricket tournament.
“Imad will not play in the first match but we are hopeful he will be available for the remaining matches,” he added.
Pakistan have been experimenting a lot with their batting order of late, with Babar, Mohammed Rizwan and Saim Ayub being rotated in the opening slot in the last few matches.
Moreover, the same can be seen in the midfield, where Pakistan have no consistency.
When asked about his plans regarding the team combination, especially the batting order, Babar ruled out a “fixed batting order” for the batsmen.
“It depends on the situation and the strategy,” he said.
“Unfortunately, Saim Ayub did not perform as expected. He is a game-changer but he did not get the opportunities he needed,” he said.
Unconditional Faith
Shadab Khan has been the talk of Pakistan cricket for the past one year due to his form. The all-rounder has played a total of eight matches and managed to score just 93 runs at an average of 18.60 and pick up just six wickets with the ball.
Despite this, he remains a go-to man for the Pakistan captain, with Babar believing him to be the “most reliable” player.
“As captain, I have confidence in all my players but Shadab is the most reliable one as he thrives in all situations.”
Speaking about the upcoming match between Pakistan and USA on June 6, the skipper said he is confident of his team performing well.
“The conditions at home are in America’s favour but I believe our team has the capability to play good cricket,” he asserted.
Babar stressed the importance of veteran players taking responsibility and avoiding past mistakes as the team prepares for the World Cup.
Team: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammed Abbas Afridi, Mohammed Amir, Mohammed Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.
Pakistan match schedule:
6 June – vs USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas
9 June – India vs. Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
June 11 – vs Canada, Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
June 16 – vs Ireland, Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, FL
