Babar Azam Talks About Pakistan's Visit To India For ICC World Cup 2023; Says They Want To Win The Tournament

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam opened up about traveling to India for the ICC World Cup 2023. He said that although it’s his side’s first visit to India, they have done research on conditions. He also talked about his ambitions to win the trophy 

The ICC World Cup 2023 is just a fortnight away from us. The mega event will take place from 5th October in India. Talking about the Pakistan Cricket Team, they will be one of the favorites entering into the tournament, especially with them being familiar with Asian conditions and the quality of the players they have. 

The spotlight will be on captain Babar Azam as well as he will hold the key to Pakistan’s success. He’s currently the No.1 ranked ODI batter and it’s fair to say that his performances will depict the kind of campaign the team will have. Pakistan will be arriving in India on 27th September in Hyderabad. 

Ahead of the team’s departure, Babar Azam talked about the challenges they will be having in India. He added that he’s honored to captain the team. Speaking during the press conference, he elaborated: 

“All of us are proud of travelling for the World Cup. Although we have not played in India before, we are not taking too much pressure. We have done our research and we have heard the conditions are similar to how they play out in other Asian countries. It is quite an honour for me to travel as the captain this time around, I hope we come back with a trophy this time.” 

The top four is a small goal for us, We want to come out as winners – Babar Azam 

Babar Azam was further asked if he envisioned Pakistan finishing the World Cup in the top four. Replying to this, he said that the top four is a small goal for them as they want to come out as winners. He explained: 

“The top four is a small goal for us. We want to come out as winners. We did not have enough time to put together a camp before the World Cup because we had been playing for too long continuously. We wanted to give the players a break so they come back refreshed and with the hunger to win. You play well when you have that hunger.”

Ahead of opening their campaign against the Netherlands, Pakistan will play their first warm-up game against New Zealand on September 29. They will then take on Australia in another warmup fixture on 3rd October. 

Here’s the Pakistan squad for the ICC World Cup 2023: 

Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Muhammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Wasim Junior, Agha Salman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir.