Pakistan’s cricket team captain, Babar Azam, has expressed optimism about his team’s chances in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup, despite concerns over their participation due to tensions with host nation India. Azam’s confidence comes on the back of a dominant performance by Pakistan, winning 4-1 in the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, briefly placing them at the top of the one-day rankings for the first time. Azam, who became the fastest player to reach 5,000 ODI runs en route to his 18th century, and opener Fakhar Zaman, who achieved the rare feat of hitting three successive ODI centuries, have bolstered Pakistan’s batting line-up.
In a post-match press conference, Babar Azam expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance and said that Pakistan is in a good position for the World Cup. He praised the team’s bowlers for their disciplined bowling and the batsmen for their composed innings.
However, he also acknowledged that there is still room for improvement, particularly in the fielding department. He emphasized the importance of taking catches and saving runs in the modern game and said that the team will be working on their fielding ahead of the World Cup.
Pakistan has a strong record in ICC tournaments, having won the World Cup in 1992 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017. However, the team has struggled in recent years and is currently ranked sixth in the ICC ODI rankings.
Overall, Babar Azam’s positive outlook and confidence in his team will be reassuring for Pakistan fans ahead of the World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in October and November 2023 in India.
