As India and Pakistan gear up for Asia Cup 2023 clash, many including former cricketers have compared Babar Azam to Virat Kohli. Meanwhile, both Azam and Kohli have not paid heed to the comparisons. In the pre-match press conference, Azam was asked about his counterpart to which he had a heartwarming answer.
“I have only respect for Virat Kohli. He is elder to me, and I always respected him. When I started playing, I talked to him, and I got a lot of help from him. I don't know what people from outside are talking about, and I leave those talks to them, the Pakistan skipper said.
Azam feels that Pakistan almost have a home advantage with the amount of cricket they have played in Sri Lanka in the recent past.
"We have been here since July. We have played Test matches, some league (LPL) matches and then the ODIs (against Afghanistan). We are hoping that this will help us to do well against India tomorrow," said the 28-year-old.
India vs Pakistan clashes are always high voltage given the political tension between the two nations. But Azam believes that it is just another game and they are not concentrating on outside noise.
"There is no extra pressure. Yes, the India vs Pakistan match is always one of high intensity, but we have experienced players and we just need to concentrate on our strengths and do well," he added.
Azam started off his Asia Cup campaign in style with a match-winning 151-run knock against Nepal at Multan Cricket Stadium. Pakistan beat Nepal by a massive margin of 238 runs. Pakistan team management has decided not to tinker with the winning combination despite a few chinks in the armour. The co-hosts announced their playing XI on the eve of the match against India.
Pakistan's Playing XI vs India: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf
