A day after unwinding by shopping and playing golf ahead of their must-win World Cup 2023 game against England, the Pakistan cricket team had a net session at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on November 8. No team member skipped the practice session as they worked hard a few days ahead of their last league game of the tournament. After the practice session, a specially-abled fan requested autographs from Pakistani players before they boarded the bus to go back to the hotel. Pakistan players including Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, and others met the fan and gave him their autographs. Pakistan’s team director Mickey Arthur also had a conversation with the fan.
Pakistan leg-spinner Usama Mir on the sidelines told the reporters that the team is in good spirits after beating New Zealand to keep their campaign alive.
"We are hopeful of making it to the semi-finals. Every member of the team understands the importance of the match and wants to give the best. The relationship between everyone is friendly," Mir said.
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"We are all trying to do good. I am also trying to develop my bowling. It's an important game for us. After winning the last match, we are all confident," he added.
Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan were in full swing in the nets session and will be available for the match against Jos Buttler-led England who ended their five-match losing streak with a 160-run win over the Netherlands in Pune on the back of Ben Stokes’ maiden World Cup hundred and Chris Woakes’ all-round display.
Before their game, Pakistan players will have their eyes glued to the game between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. They will be hoping that Kusal Mendis’ Sri Lanka beat the Kiwis as it will mean that a win over England will likely seal their place in the semi-final.
On the other hand, if New Zealand beat Sri Lanka, Pakistan will have their work cut out. They will know the equation against England about the margin of runs or the number of overs in which they will be required to chase down the total.
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