Tag: ICC Men’s World Cup

MULTAN: Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam said Tuesday that the job is not done yet for the top-ranked ODI side as they aim to win the upcoming ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023 and ICC Men’s World Cup in India.

Babar Azam-led Pakistan enter the Asia Cup with momentum on their side. They topped the ICC rankings for ODI teams on Saturday after securing a 3-0 whitewash over Afghanistan in Sri Lanka. This is the second instance of the team surmounting the chart since April. Pakistan also boast the best win/loss ratio of 2.750 with 22 wins in 31 matches since in this World Cup cycle.

Reflecting on whether there is an added pressure for being the top-ranked side, Babar Azam said, “I would not say that there is a pressure. Rather, we enter this tournament with more confidence.

“This team has put in a lot of hard work and effort over the last few years and we achieving the top spot is a testimony of it. The job, however, is not done as we want to win the Asia Cup and the World Cup.

“We have some competitive and exciting next few months lined up and we are eager to do well for our country.

“Every player in this side wants to win matches for his country and raises their hand. They are always ready to put in the hard yards and never shy away from tough and difficult situations. We have had some amazing last few months and now it is time to build on the momentum.”

The much-anticipated Men’s ODI Asia Cup 2023 is finally here and it begins tomorrow with Pakistan, the top-ranked One-Day International side, taking on Nepal in the Group-A clash at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

The contest marks many firsts as Nepal, as a team, and Multan, as a venue, make their debuts in the continental tournament. It is also a maiden contest between Pakistan and Nepal at the top level.

Pakistan’s last outing in Multan in the format was in June last year and the home side enjoyed resounding success over the West Indies by thrashing them 3-0 in the three-match series. The team has played 10 ODIs here and won seven.

“It is always a great feeling to play in front of the passionate Multan crowd and we all are very excited that the Asia Cup is beginning from this city,” Pakistan captain Babar Azam said on the eve of the contest.

“I want to congratulate Nepal for qualifying for the Asia Cup and I hope that their participation will give a boost to the development of the sport in the country. We are looking forward to playing Nepal and I am sure it will be a good contest,” he added.

Pakistan will fly to Sri Lanka on 31 August to play India in the second Group-A match on 2 September at Kandy. The venue will also host the third and final match of the group between India and Nepal on 4 September.

Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2023: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi and Usama Mir.

Traveling reserve: Tayyab Tahir

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Pakistan men’s cricket team will tour Sri Lanka to play Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series in August, prior to the Asia Cup 2023, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Monday.

The two teams will play the first two matches in Hambantota on 22 and 24 before they travel to Colombo for the final ODI on 26.

These three matches will provide Babar Azam’s side with an opportunity to fine-tune their combinations ahead of the 50-over ACC Men’s Asia Cup, which begins on 30 August with Pakistan playing Nepal at the picturesque Multan Cricket Stadium.

The national men’s side will assemble in Sri Lanka on 17 August and will train on 19, 20 and 21 August.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have played four ODIs and Pakistan have won all of them. The two sides last played each other in the format in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019.

This year’s Asia Cup will kick off with host Pakistan taking on Nepal in the curtain raiser on August 30 in Multan.

Pakistan will host a total of four matches including a Super 4s fixture.

India’s group stage matches including the anticipated clash against Pakistan, scheduled on September 2, will be held in Kandy while the rest of the Super 4s matches, including the final will be played in Colombo.

The arch-rivals Pakistan and India will come face to face again on September 10 in Colombo if both manage to qualify for the Super 4s.

Like the previous edition, the Asia Cup schedule holds a possibility of treating the cricket fans with a maximum of three Pakistan-India matches in a single tournament if both arch-rivals, in a first, simultaneously qualify for the final.

The upcoming edition of the Asia Cup features six teams, divided into two groups, the top two teams from each group will then qualify for the Super 4s. The continental event will run from August 31 to September 17.

Hosts Pakistan are placed in the same group as arch-rivals India and Nepal while the other group includes defending champions and co-hosts Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The Asia Cup 2023 will be played in the ODI format and will serve as an opportunity for the Asian teams to bolster their preparations for the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup.

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday constituted a 14-member committee, headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, to decide the Pakistan cricket team’s participation in the World Cup to be held in India this year, ARY News reported.

The committee, headed by foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, includes the interior minister, the law minister, the Inter-Provincial Coordination minister, the information and broadcasting minister, the adviser on Kashmir affairs, the adviser on Establishment, the foreign secretary, PSPM and representatives of secret agencies and sensitive departments.

The committee has been authorised to consider Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup, say sources.

The committee would present its recommendations regarding the participation of the Pakistan team in the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 in India to PM Shehbaz, who will then take the final decision.

The development comes days after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wrote a letter to Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Interior and the Foreign Ministry to seek an official clearance to travel to India for the ICC Men’s World Cup in October-November.

In the letter, the PCB shared Pakistan’s schedule with the government, which says the team will play its nine league matches in five cities, including the big clash against India in Ahmedabad on October 15.

The ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 will begin on October 5 with holders England taking on runners-up New Zealand at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, which will also host the final.

Pakistan will clash with arch-rival India on October 15 at the same venue, which can accumulate a mammoth 130,000 fans.

As per the ICC-released schedule, a total of 10 teams will participate in the mega event – featuring 45 matches – and compete for the prestigious silverware across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19.

With the ongoing Cricket World Cup (CWC) Qualifier coming to its closure, the last two teams – Sri Lanka and the Netherlands – have also been locked in and thus all the 10 teams participating have been confirmed.

Like the previous edition, the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 will also be played in a round-robin format – each team playing nine matches with the rest of the opponents.

The top four teams by the end of the group stage will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled to be held in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16.

Whereas, the final of the tournament will take place on November 19 at the grand Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Notably, all three knockout matches of the ICC Men’s World Cup will have a reserve day.

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India’s experienced off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday, heaped praise on Pakistan’s bowling attack ahead of the ICC Men’s World Cup, scheduled to commence on October 5.

Ravichandran Ashwin, the top-ranked Test bowler, believes that Pakistan are equipped with a quality pace bowling attack and that the last previous clashes between the arch-rivals have been extraordinary.

“Match between Pakistan and India in the World Cup will be a blockbuster,” said Ashwin. “The last few matches between the arch-rivals have been extraordinary.”

“Pakistan have a quality pace attack and it is going to be a balanced match.”

It is apropos to mention that the most anticipated clash of the upcoming World Cup between arch-rivals Pakistan and India will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the largest cricket stadium in the world with a capacity of 132,000.

Earlier this week, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the anticipated schedule of the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

As per the ICC-released schedule, a total of 10 teams will participate in the mega event – featuring 45 matches – and compete for the prestigious silverware across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19.

Like the previous edition, the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 will also be played in a round-robin format – each team playing nine matches with the rest of the opponents.

The top four teams by the end of the group stage will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled to be held in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16.

Whereas, the final of the tournament will take place on November 19 at the grand Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Notably, all three knockout matches of the ICC Men’s World Cup will have a reserve day.

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KARACHI: Pakistan great Wasim Akram shared a piece of advice regarding the national cricket team’s participation in the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India, scheduled to commence on October 5.

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, while speaking at a private ceremony here, opined that the national side should play their World Cup matches as scheduled on the announced venues.

“Pakistan should play wherever their matches are scheduled. Playing at any venue should not be an issue,” opined Wasim Akram.

He further backed his opinion by citing his experience of touring India as a player and as a commentator.

“I have had a good experience as a commentator and a former player in India. Anyone who travels to India, be it an actor or a sportsperson, gets a good response,” shared Akram.

Wasim Akram then once again expressed his belief in the current team’s ability to foster in the upcoming World Cup and claimed that the Indian conditions would also favour them.

“Pakistan team is talented enough to progress ahead into the tournament. We are also well aware of the playing conditions in India,” Akram stated.

Akram then also lauded Babar Azam’s captaincy skills and also urged cricket fans to let the latter enjoy it.

“There is no problem with Babar Azam’s captaincy. Let him enjoy it,” he said.

Legendary pacer Wasim Akram also spoke highly of Pakistan’s ace speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi and termed him a world-class bowler.

“Shaheen Afridi is still young. The more he plays the more it will benefit him and I think, he is a world-class bowler,” stated Akram.

It is worth mentioning here that the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the anticipated schedule of the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 earlier today.

As per the ICC-released schedule, a total of 10 teams will participate in the mega event – featuring 45 matches – and compete for the prestigious silverware across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19.

Like the previous edition, the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 will also be played in a round-robin format – each team playing nine matches with the rest of the opponents.

The top four teams by the end of the group stage will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled to be held in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16.

Whereas, the final of the tournament will take place on November 19 at the grand Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Notably, all three knockout matches of the ICC Men’s World Cup will have a reserve day.

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, stated that it is “evaluating all aspects” of the national team’s participation in the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup in India this year.

Following the conclusion of the Asia Cup tie, Pakistan’s participation in this year’s World Cup in India still remains uncertain after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) declared that it must abide by the federal government’s instructions.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the foreign ministry Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan was of the view that “politics should not be mixed with sports”.

“Pakistan is of the view that politics should not be mixed with sports. India’s policy of not playing cricket in Pakistan is disappointing,” said Baloch.

“We are observing and evaluating all aspects relating to our participation in the World Cup including the security situation for Pakistani cricketers and we will offer our views to PCB in due course,” she added.

The World Cup dates and locations are still up in the air with just over three months till the tournament’s commencement since Pakistan’s participation in the mega event is still a matter of debate.

Notably, India had already decided against travelling to Pakistan for this year’s Asia Cup and consequently, the PCB threatened to boycott the World Cup.

The two cricket boards then gradually moved towards a compromise and as a result, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) accepted the PCB-proposed ‘hybrid model’, according to which Pakistan will host four matches of the continental event while the rest will be played in Sri Lanka.

It is worth mentioning here that due to ongoing political tensions between Pakistan and India, the two sides have not competed in a bilateral series since 2012.

Pakistan team last travelled to India in 2016 for the T20 World Cup, while India last travelled to Pakistan back in 2008 for the Asia Cup.

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LAHORE: Pakistan men’s cricket team’s Chief Selector Haroon Rasheed on Tuesday opened up regarding the possibility of Sarfaraz Ahmed’s inclusion in the squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup in India this year.

Although Sarfaraz Ahmed has proved his mettle in the Test format after making a remarkable comeback to the format in December, Chief Selector Haroon Rasheed insisted that his performance in the shorter format needs to be evaluated.

“As far as Sarfaraz Ahmed is concerned, he has given outstanding performance in Test cricket, there is no doubt about it, and that’s why you see him in the Test squad. But talking about his performance in One-Day and shorter formats, it is obviously premature,” said Rasheed in an interview with a local media outlet here.

Haroon Rasheed however pointed out that there is still plenty of time for evaluations and considerations and that no player should be written off at this point.

He added that each player’s skills and shortcomings will be carefully considered by the selectors when they meet to make the final decision on the team selection. Finding people who can prosper in the particular conditions anticipated in India would be their main focus.

“The Asia Cup is happening in Sri Lanka, and we don’t know what decision will be made for the World Cup in India. There are spin-friendly and slow pitches there, where you need batters who can play spinners well,” said Haroon Rasheed.

“So you can’t rule anyone out, but when we sit down for the final selection, we will weigh their good and bad points and see who can benefit us more in those conditions, and then decisions will be made,” he added.

It is worth mentioning here that Sarfaraz Ahmed last played an ODI for Pakistan back in 2021.

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