The World Cup is just a week away, teams have already announced their final squad and have reached India to start their final preparation campaign ahead of the World Cup. Pakistan and New Zealand squad landed in Hyderabad on Wednesday midnight. Both teams are scheduled to play their first warm-up matches against each other.
Team India has already reached Guwahati to play their first warm-up matches. The Men in Blue will play their first warm-up match against England at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Saturday, September 30. They will next face the Netherlands on October 3rd for their second warm-up game.
Former Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis believes India vs Pakistan is the ultimate game of all matches. The Babar Azam-led side has not played in India before and this would be a challenging thing for them to adjust to the Indian conditions. Pakistan last visited India in 2016 for the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan will be under pressure since it is a weaker team: Waqar Younis
Speaking to Star Sports the former Pakistan pacer stated, "Now, if I talk about Pakistan, they are miss and hit this time. The absence of Naseem Shah will be a big disadvantage because Naseem and Shaheen used to complement each other with new ball. The new ball is always crucial for us not only for this World Cup but also if you can see overall matches, it has been always a very important factor for us over the years and in the past World Cups also. When we used to strike and take wickets with the new ball, then we used to get some momentum for staying in a better position in the game. So, the absence of Naseem Shah is a very big loss for Pakistan."
He further added, "Then again, as we all know, it will be the biggest game, mother of all the games. So, when you will play in Ahmedabad, which has one of the biggest and finest stadiums in the world, you will have to control your nerves and not only Pakistan will be under pressure since it is a weaker team as compared to India but India will be also under pressure because the crowd in the stadium will create pressure on both the teams and that will balance the pressure in the game. However, if we judge purely based on the team’s performance, clearly India definitely will be a better team."
Here's how fans reacted
/mazaplay/media/agency_attachments/EqX62rkwonI9tRKyXUEH.png)
'Mind games khel raha hain'- Fans react to Waqar Younis' surprising comment ahead of IND vs PAK clash in 2023 World Cup
Former Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis believes India vs Pakistan is the ultimate game of all matches. India meets Pakistan on October 14.
Waqar Younis drops comments on Ind vs Pak (Source- Twitter)
The World Cup is just a week away, teams have already announced their final squad and have reached India to start their final preparation campaign ahead of the World Cup. Pakistan and New Zealand squad landed in Hyderabad on Wednesday midnight. Both teams are scheduled to play their first warm-up matches against each other.
Team India has already reached Guwahati to play their first warm-up matches. The Men in Blue will play their first warm-up match against England at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Saturday, September 30. They will next face the Netherlands on October 3rd for their second warm-up game.
Former Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis believes India vs Pakistan is the ultimate game of all matches. The Babar Azam-led side has not played in India before and this would be a challenging thing for them to adjust to the Indian conditions. Pakistan last visited India in 2016 for the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan will be under pressure since it is a weaker team: Waqar Younis
Speaking to Star Sports the former Pakistan pacer stated, "Now, if I talk about Pakistan, they are miss and hit this time. The absence of Naseem Shah will be a big disadvantage because Naseem and Shaheen used to complement each other with new ball. The new ball is always crucial for us not only for this World Cup but also if you can see overall matches, it has been always a very important factor for us over the years and in the past World Cups also. When we used to strike and take wickets with the new ball, then we used to get some momentum for staying in a better position in the game. So, the absence of Naseem Shah is a very big loss for Pakistan."
He further added, "Then again, as we all know, it will be the biggest game, mother of all the games. So, when you will play in Ahmedabad, which has one of the biggest and finest stadiums in the world, you will have to control your nerves and not only Pakistan will be under pressure since it is a weaker team as compared to India but India will be also under pressure because the crowd in the stadium will create pressure on both the teams and that will balance the pressure in the game. However, if we judge purely based on the team’s performance, clearly India definitely will be a better team."
Here's how fans reacted