new york,Updated: June 2, 2024 16:41 IST
India and Pakistan are set to face off in the group stages of the T20 World Cup 2024. Drawn in Group A in the tournament, India and Pakistan will face off in New York on June 9. Ahead of the highly anticipated match, Pakistan captain Babar Azam admitted to being nervous. Speaking on the PCB Podcast, Babar said that India vs Pakistan will be the most talked about match of the tournament.
India last faced Pakistan in the 2023 World Cup when Rohit Sharma’s team dominated Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India have fielded a solid and well-balanced team in the T20 World Cup and will likely have the advantage against Pakistan this time around too.
“India-Pakistan matches are always the most talked about. Wherever you go in the world, there is too much talk about it. There is a different atmosphere and excitement among the players. Everyone is rooting for their country so there is a lot of attention on the match,” Babar Azam said.
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The Pakistan captain spoke about having faith in their own abilities and staying focused on the game. In the last tournament, Pakistan dominated India for most of the match but then Virat Kohli put in a brilliant performance to pull India out of a tight spot.
“The whole world is watching on the day India vs Pakistan is played. Of course, you will be nervous but we need to stay focused, stick to the basics and play easy cricket. It’s always a pressure game. The more you stay calm and believe in your skills and effort, the easier things will be,” Babar Azam said about the nerves.
Pakistan have been in a slump recently, losing a T20I to Ireland and then the T20I series to England. Talking about his role as captain, Babar said that as the leader of the team, he cannot afford to get emotional.
“With captaincy comes additional expectations and I understand the responsibility. You have the players, the management and you have to maintain communication with them. You have to control your emotions and support the players as you have to bring out the best performance from them. You have to always support them and give them confidence that they are the best and can improve further,” Babar Azam concluded.
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