The game plan for Pakistan’s team against England in the ICC World Cup 2023 was made public by skipper Babar Azam on Saturday.
Pakistan’s already challenging route to the World Cup semi-finals is now all but impossible due to New Zealand’s victory over Sri Lanka yesterday. They now need to defeat England handily in their final game.
Pakistan would need to defeat England by 287 runs if they choose to bat first.
Pakistan must dismiss England for 50 runs if they choose to bowl first in order to pursue the goal in two or three overs, or 100 runs.
“In cricket, anything can happen. We’ll try to end the tournament on a high note,” Azam stated during a pre-game press conference on Friday.
”We shall make an effort to carry out our net run-rate strategy. Our strategy outlines how to bat for the first ten overs and what to do in the next. If Fakhar Zaman plays for twenty to thirty overs, we can accomplish the necessary. The role of Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan will also be important during the match.”
Azam also retaliated against past cricket players who had attacked his leadership and performance during the major tournament.
”I’m not under any pressure. For the previous three years, I led the side in addition to performing. Speaking while watching TV is simple. I can be reached at my phone by anybody who wish to offer me advice,” he stated.
“I’m now concentrating on the upcoming game. Later, I’ll consider the captaincy’s future,” he continued.
Azam also talked candidly about how his World Cup performance was impacted by the circumstances in India.
“I bat according to the circumstances of the game. Conditions occasionally prevent us from playing freely. Conditions vary from venue to venue in India. We had no idea what to expect from the conditions when we went on our maiden trip to India. I acknowledge that my performance has fallen short of expectations,” he remarked.
In response to a query, Babar stated that he feels the game against South Africa cost Pakistan, adding that the squad should have won that game as well as the game against Afghanistan.
He remarked, “But regrettably, we lost, which is why we are in this situation.”
Babar declined to place the blame on anyone and instead claimed that the team’s inability to perform as a unit was the reason Pakistan failed in the competition.
CWC23: Babar Azam Co gear up for World Cup clash with England
