IND vs PAK: "Pakistan will have to play the World Cup qualifiers"- Shoaib Akhtar's shocking verdict on Babar Azam's team

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar cautioned the Babar Azam-led team ahead of the highly anticipated match against India in the T20 World Cup 2024. Shoaib Akhtar said that Pakistan should play out of their skins to make a comeback after losing to the United States of America (USA) in the first game.

The Babar Azam-led team kicked off their T20 World Cup campaign on a disappointing note. The Men in Green lost to the United States of America in a Super Over in Dallas on Thursday, June 6. The Pakistan cricket team failed to defend a total of 159 runs in a thrilling contest during the ongoing T20 tournament.

The Pakistan team will face the Rohit Sharma-led team at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Sunday, June 9. The 2009 T20 World Cup champions are also battling with injuries. Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim missed the first match against the USA and is uncertain about their second match.

The Men in Green have only managed to defeat India once in T20 World Cup history. Pakistan secured victory against India in the T20 World Cup 2021 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, the Indian team took revenge against Pakistan by recording a memorable win in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.

There Can Be No Bigger Shame Than That - Shoaib Akhtar

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Shoaib Akhtar stated that Pakistan will be almost eliminated from the tournament if they lose against India. Akhtar highlighted that Pakistan will have to play the World Cup qualifiers next year, describing it as a bigger shame in Pakistan cricket.

"If they lose from here and the USA beat Ireland, then Pakistan will have to play the World Cup qualifiers against Namibia and others next year for the 2026 World Cup. There can be no bigger shame than that. But they will have to play out of their skins to make the comeback. Hopefully, Babar can create some magic tomorrow. It will be challenging, but there is a chance. If they can beat India, the rest will be easy, and they will cruise through with extra motivation," said Akhtar.

India Is One Of The Strongest Teams - Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar acknowledged the tough challenge India poses but added that the two teams will play on drop-in pitches. Akhtar urged Pakistan to play with courage and make the most of the seam-bowling conditions.

"India is one of the strongest teams and is a contender in winning the World Cup. It will be tough for Pakistan. However, there is a silver lining. I won't let fans get disappointed too much because the two teams will play on drop-in pitches. Despite India's advantages, the word is that the ball is seaming a lot and kicking through. So Pakistan has a chance. Trust me. Whenever we are down and out, Pakistan has always made a comeback. They need to play with a bit of daleri," Akhtar concluded.

Pakistan currently holds third place in Group A, trailing behind the United States of America and India. The top two teams of the group will advance to the Super 8 stages of the marquee tournament. They will face Canada and Ireland in their last two group-stage matches of the T20 World Cup 2024.

Also read: IND vs PAK to be a one-sided contest? Aakash Chopra warns Rohit Sharma and Co