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The Pakistan cricket team is back in the Indian shores after seven years as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 beckons. Pakistan open their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on Friday, before facing arch-rivals India in Ahmedabad on October 14. However, their preparations for the World Cup haven’t been ideal as the Babar Azam-led side failed to reach the Asia Cup final last month. Pakistan also lost both of their World Cup games against New Zealand and Australia, respectively. It will be interesting to see whether Pakistan can turn their fortune around in the World Cup finals.
Cricket World Cup factfile on Pakistan:
– WORLD RANKING –
2
– MATCH SCHEDULE (IST) –
Oct 06: v Netherlands at Hyderabad (2 PM)
Oct 10: v Sri Lanka at Hyderabad (2 PM)
Oct 14: v India at Ahmedabad (2 PM)
Oct 20: v Australia at Bengaluru (2 PM)
Oct 23: v Afghanistan at Chennai (2 PM)
Oct 27: v South Africa at Chennai (2 PM)
Oct 31: v Bangladesh at Kolkata (2 PM)
Nov 04: v New Zealand at Bengaluru (10:30 AM)
Nov 11: v England at Kolkata (2 PM)
– SQUAD –
Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.
– LEADING RUN-SCORER IN SQUAD –
Babar Azam: 5,409 runs; highest score 158; average 58.16; Hundreds 19; Fifties 28
– LEADING WICKET-TAKER IN SQUAD –
Hasan Ali: 91 wickets; best bowling 5-34; average 30.36
– PREVIOUS WORLD CUP APPEARANCES –
1975: Group stage
1979: Semi-finals
1983: Semi-finals
1987: Semi-finals
1992: Champions
1996: Quarter-finals
1999: Runners-up
2003: Group stage
2007: Group stage
2011: Semi-finals
2015: Quarter-finals
2019: Group stage
– WHAT THE CAPTAIN SAYS –
“We are going to play World Cup and not just going to play against India only. There are eight other teams, and it’s not only India, and only if we beat them then we will make it into the final. We are not focused on only one team, we are focused on all other teams in the tournament.”
— Babar Azam plays down the hype of facing India
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