Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, asserted that “records are meant to be broken” as his team prepared to face India in the 2017 ICC Cricket World Cup. On October 14, Saturday, the thrilling match will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
According to Babar Azam , his team won’t worry about the past and will just focus on defeating the two-time champs. In the World Cup, India has a perfect 7-0 record against Pakistan.
I avoid dwelling on the past. As we all know, records are made to be broken, let’s concentrate on what’s to come. As we did in the first two games, we’ll aim to play well, but it all depends on how you play on the day,” Babar Azam stated on the eve of the encounter.
Babar Azam continued by saying that he has reminded his teammates that Saturday’s game in the biggest stadium in the world is a “golden opportunity” for them to make history at the World Cup. He also highlighted Pakistan’s 10-wicket victory over India in Dubai in 2021, which put an end to their five-game T20I World Cup losing record (from 2007 to 2016).
“The India-Pakistan game is a significant, intense match. Each of these games is difficult. I’ve informed the guys that this is their best chance to shine. A large stadium with plenty of seating makes this a fantastic opportunity for us to perform for them. Were we not the Twenty20 record-breakers? I don’t give a damn about the past,” he said.
Babar Azam continued by claiming that he thinks the 132,000 spectators yelling in support of India will also be cheering for his squad.
“There is no pressure. Large stadiums like the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) are where we have played. However, I do believe that Ahmedabad will back India solely. If Pakistani fans had been permitted, it would have been better. But I anticipate that our supporters will be fans as well,” the 28-year-old continued.
The top ODI batter highlighted that Ahmedabad’s conditions were different from those in Hyderabad, the site of Pakistan’s two World Cup games and two warm-up games. Shaheen Afridi, the team’s primary bowler in the competition, was also mentioned by the star speedster.
“Yes, the circumstances here are unique. You would do better at a location where you had spent a few days, but we will make an adjustment. Our primary bowler is him. Shaheen believes that he is a major match bowler, the captain said.