'Whenever we go to India we get love from their fans' - Babar Azam
Babar Azam feels that they will get the same amount of support in India as well, as most of their matches have been sold out.
Crickate
As the nations finalize their preparations for the mega-event, the World Cup 2023 is quickly approaching. Pakistan is among the top contenders for the World Cup because they will play in similar conditions to those of their home in India. However, the Babar Azam-led squad will miss the support of their fans, who may not be present in India in significant numbers.
However, captain Babar Azam is confident that they will receive the same level of support in India, as the majority of their matches have sold out. Babar stated that he has heard from former cricketers that they receive support in India, and he is hopeful that the same will be true for him this time around.
"I've seen that all of our matches have been sold out even when we're playing with other nations, the stadium is packed. It's fortunate that the admirers over there support us and shower us with affection. Whenever we visit, their admirers shower us with love. I'm going for the first time, but I've heard positive things about the support there from those who have been there before. However, we will mourn our fans," Babar said during a press conference.
The Pakistan captain was questioned further about his subpar performance with the bat against India. Notably, Babar has a poor record against India in both ODIs and T20Is, with only one fifty-plus score in 11 innings across both formats. When asked if he will turn the tables this time, he responded that he is eager to play in front of a packed stadium in Ahmedabad and will do his best for the team.
"I'm very excited to perform in the largest and most crowded stadium, Ahmedabad. I will endeavor to give my all and perform well. I am not overly concerned with my performance, but I do my best for my team. On the day, I'll do my best, and Allah will reward me with the finest outcome," he added.
Pakistan will play warm up games against New Zealand and Australia
Notably, Pakistan and India will face off on October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in a highly anticipated match. Prior to their first league match against Netherlands in Hyderabad on October 6, Pakistan will play two warm-up matches against New Zealand on September 29 and Australia on October 3. The ODI World Cup 2023 will begin on October 5 in Ahmedabad with a match between England and New Zealand.
