Babar Azam, the captain of the Pakistan cricket team, has expressed his desire to avoid repeating the mistakes made during the previous cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, where the team is currently undergoing a preparatory camp, Babar emphasized the importance of not solely focusing on the high-profile match against India in the ODI World Cup on October 15.
He stated that “All nine fixtures in the tournament would be significant, and the team’s objective is to perform well against all the participating teams.”
Pakistan’s league matches in the World Cup are scheduled to take place in five different cities.
The team will begin their campaign in Hyderabad, where they will face the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, the two teams that qualified from Zimbabwe, on October 6 and 12 respectively.
The much-anticipated match against India will take place in Ahmedabad on October 15. Pakistan will then travel to Bengaluru to play against Australia on October 20, followed by matches against Afghanistan and South Africa in Chennai on October 23 and 27 respectively.
The team will subsequently play against Bangladesh in Kolkata and New Zealand in Bengaluru on October 31 and November 4 respectively, before concluding their league-stage fixtures against England in Kolkata.
Babar emphasized that as professionals, the team is prepared to play in any location and adapt to different conditions.
He acknowledged the challenges posed by playing in diverse environments but expressed his determination to score runs and win matches for Pakistan in every country.
He reiterated that their focus is not solely on one team but on performing well against all their opponents.
However, Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup is subject to government approval, although a tentative approval has been granted, pending a review closer to the event.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sent a letter to the government seeking advice on whether the team is allowed to travel to India and if there are any concerns regarding the venues for their matches.
The PCB has also offered to send a security delegation if requested by the Pakistani government.
Meanwhile, most of the Pakistan players are currently attending a conditioning camp in Karachi ahead of their two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which is set to begin on July 16 in Galle.
This series marks Pakistan’s first away series in the 2023-2025 WTC cycle. They also have away tours of Australia (three Tests) and South Africa (two Tests) lined up, in addition to hosting England (three Tests), West Indies (two Tests), and Bangladesh (two Tests) at home.
Reflecting on Pakistan’s performance in the previous WTC cycle, Babar identified areas where the team lacked and emphasized the need to improve.
He mentioned the importance of building longer partnerships and taking wickets with the ball.
He also highlighted the need to increase the run rate while batting, aiming to score at a rate of 4 runs per over compared to the previous cycle’s average of 3.5 runs per over.
When asked about drawing inspiration from the playing styles of England and Australia in Test cricket, Babar asserted that his team has its own approach to the game.
He explained that they strive to play their best and adapt to different situations, citing their successful chase of 342 runs in Galle last year as an example.
Babar acknowledged the importance of being flexible and adjusting their tactics based on the requirements of the situation.
He emphasized the team’s commitment to continuous learning and improvement by incorporating new elements into their game plan.
In summary, Babar Azam expressed his team’s determination to rectify the mistakes made in the previous WTC cycle and focus on performing well in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
He highlighted the significance of all matches in the ODI World Cup and emphasized the team’s goal to win against all opponents, rather than solely focusing on the match against India.
Babar also discussed the team’s approach to Test cricket and their plans to improve their performance in various aspects of the game.
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