Former Pakistan all-rounder Aaqib Javed has exuded confidence in Babar Azam & Co. to defeat arch-rivals India in the 2023 ODI World Cup later in the year. The ex-Pakistan star believes that the Men in Blue have multiple big names in their squad but their form and fitness gives Pakistan a glorious opportunity to secure a win.
"I think Pakistan side is balanced and the age graph of players is much better, India are on that stage where they have big names but their fitness and form is not up to the mark. They will struggle and might have to find new players to form a combination. I think Pakistan have a great chance of beating India in India," Javed told reporters.
Since the time International Cricket Council (ICC) unveiled the 2023 World Cup schedule, Indian and Pakistan cricket fans have marked their calendars for the most mouthwatering fixture of the tournament. After a few tweaks, India and Pakistan are scheduled to lock horns on October 14 at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. The two arch-rivals are likely to renew their rivalry in front of more than one lakh fans in the stadium with over a billion people watching it on televisions across the world.
Before the World Cup, India and Pakistan are scheduled to cross swords at least twice in the 2023 Asia Cup, slated to begin by the end of August. The Men in Blue and the Men in Green will face each other on September 2 and on September 10 (if both teams qualify for the Super 4 Stage). If both India and Pakistan play to their potential, the two teams are likely to square off once again in the final of the competition.
Recently, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced the national team squad for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Pakistan's squad Asia Cup: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim.
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