IND vs PAK: 'India vs Pakistan match causes nervousness' - Babar Azam's honest admission ahead of blockbuster T20 WC 2024 clash

Pakistan captain Babar Azam feels that the India-Pakistan clashes at the World Cups are the biggest fixtures in World cricket.

Babar Azam, who was re-appointed as the Pakistani white-ball captain in April, is gearing up with his side for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The Men in Green have found decent success at the shortest format's World Cup and they will enter this edition as the runners-up from the previous one in Australia.  

In the edition before 2022, Pakistan had lost to eventual champions Australia in the semi-finals in 2021 wherein they had won their first game over India. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan had given their team a 10-wicket win in UAE which ultimately proved to be costly for the Indian team which got knocked out of the Group stages itself. 

What did Babar Azam say? 

While speaking in the PCB podcast recently, Babar Azam discussed about the Indo-Pak clashes. He claimed that there is no bigger fixture than that and that it is also the most talked about match. Babar observed that there is a different kind of vibe during an India-Pakistan match as the fans keep buzzing around in the stadiums and make it much more exciting.  

"We know the Pakistan-India fixture generates more discussion than any other match. There is a different vibe altogether for this fixture, and there’s a lot of excitement too not just among players but also among the fans," Babar said via PCB podcast. 

Babar Azam then noticed that wherever he went around the world, people kept talking about the Indo-Pak matches. He believes this is the fixture that fans eagerly wait for years to happen. In the previous edition, Babar's side was extremely close to winning their tie against India but an inevitable knock from Virat Kohli saved the night for all Indians.  

"Wherever you go in the world, you’ll have people talking about the India-Pakistan match with everyone supporting their country. Every fan eagerly waits for this fixture and focuses on this one particular match," Babar added. 

Babar speaks about the nervousness 

Babar Azam went on to state that the expectations and hype around this match will cause nervousness among the players. The Pakistani skipper said that if a particular player is able to focus on doing the basics right, then they will be able to handle the pressure much better, and things, too, become much easier for a player. 

"Obviously, the expectations and the hype around this match causes some nervousness. It all comes down to how you handle it and the more you focus on the basics, the easier it will be for you as a player." 

Babar Azam then gave a suggestion to his Pakistani players that they should be able to calm themselves down in the big game. He claimed that it would be much easier for the players if they just focus on doing what they should.

"It’s a game of immense pressure, and if you keep your head cool, stay calm and trust your hard work and skills, things will be easier, Babar Azam concluded.