National team captain Babar Azam has insisted that Pakistan will have to play top quality cricket to lift T20 World Cup title.
“I am happy and excited because when you go to play in a major event, you have different excitement. It’s the aim of any cricketer to play in a World Cup, so that kind of feeling is coming over me. The hope is always to lift the trophy, but for that to happen, we have to play top cricket against every side,” Babar said in a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast.
In a candid and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024-focused conversation, Babar said Pakistan’s performance in the last two ICC Men’s T20 World Cups had been good, but unfortunately, they could not finish on a high. “We were also runners-up in the ACC T20 Asia Cup 2022. So, at the back of our minds, we are thinking about how we have played two finals and a semifinal and how we can overcome the mistakes that derailed our campaigns.
“Effort is in our hands, but results, we do not know. How we present ourselves on the ground, our body language and how we communicate with each other will matter. We must be positive, so results will come.”
“As a batter, I have achieved decently and, as a captain, I have won a few series. But lifting the ICC trophy is a different motivation. You go to a different level and get a lot of praise. So, the motivation, aspiration and dream remains to lift an ICC trophy and present it to Pakistan,” he added.
He said conditions in the USA might pose challenges as a national side, Pakistan would be playing there for the first time.
“We are in the process of collating various cricket and match-related information from players who have played there, which can help and assist us in our preparations.”
Babar said an India-Pakistan match was always the most talked about and discussed too much everywhere in the world.
“The players get different vibes and excitement. What will happen is that everyone supports their country, so the focus is on that match.”
“The whole world is focused on the day when the India-Pakistan match is held. Naturally, there will be nerves, but we need to keep our focus, stick to the basics and play easy cricket. It is always a pressure game; the more you keep cool and calm, believe in your skills and hard work, then things get easier,” he remarked.—APP
