ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: India and Pakistan are gearing up for a much-anticipated match in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Both teams are on a high after winning the first two matches. On the eve of the match, Pakistan captain Babar Azam was asked whether he was worried about losing his captaincy if Pakistan lost the big-ticket encounter. The Pakistan skipper said that he didn't get the captaincy because of one match, and one match will not cost him the captaincy.
"Ek match se meri kaptaani nahi jaaegi na mili thi. (I didn't get the captaincy because of one match and one match will not cost me captaincy," the 28-year-old batter replied, as quoted by The Times of India. It will be the first time that Pakistan will be playing India in India in more than seven years.
Responding to a reporter's query about whether people in Pakistan were reminding him of the abysmal 0-7 record against India in ODI World Cups and then requesting him to overturn it, Babar said, "I don't focus on the past. I try to focus on the future. Such records are made to be broken, and I will try to break them. I believe my team did well in the first two matches and will do well in the next matches as well," as quoted by The Times of India.
While addressing the reporters, Babar also said, "I also got a lot of calls for tickets. Basically, people call me for tickets. We don't take pressure about this past record at all."
Even though Pakistan have won both their matches in the ongoing world cup coming into this clash, Babar has not been able to leave an impact with the bat, having been dismissed for five against the Netherlands and 10 against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad. "My World Cup till now hasn't been as it should have been, but hopefully you will see some difference in the next matches," he said, as quoted by TOI.
Babar has not been able to score much against the Men in Blue in ODIs in the past and has endured an ordinary time with just 168 runs in seven matches. "Against India, we only come face-to-face in the World Cup. There is a big gap. It's not because of a bowler or... I say that I sometimes get out because of my mistake," he said.
India and Pakistan are set to lock horns in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 on Saturday, October 14, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and the excitement is sky-high among the cricket enthusiasts.
The much-anticipated showdown between India and Pakistan in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023, scheduled for October 14, is poised to be a thrilling spectacle for fans. What adds to the excitement is the pre-match ceremony, featuring live performances by mega-stars within the stadium.