Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez is of the opinion that India are definitely favourites for winning the ODI World Cup in October-November but Pakistan can also cause a major upset if they can gain some momentum heading into the tournament, and also handle the pressure of playing in India's home patch.
Speaking exclusively to Sports Tak, Hafeez said that India have been world beaters since the era of Sourav Ganguly but their recent form in crunch ties in ICC tournaments leaves a lot to be desired. "From the Ganguly era, India have had the mindset that they can be world beaters. They are always favourites in every tournament. They have a very high success rate when playing at home."
"But when big events come around, I have noticed one thing about India they have not been able to perform big in the recent ICC events. There are many reasons for this. The pressure of playing an ICC event and the knockouts is very different from a bilateral series. Just like how playing domestic and international cricket cannot be compared."
However, this might actually work in their favour, especially in favourable conditions, Hafeez said, "In recent times, we have seen that India has not been able to handle this pressure. They have lost many important matches or did not qualify on many occasions, and lost the semi-finals multiple times. In such a situation, it would be a pinching point for them. They have to prove themselves to the world that they can win ICC events. The good thing for India is that they are aware of the conditions."
About his home nation Pakistan, Hafeez expects their bowlers to shine but wants to see the team handle pressure in a better way. "They have many fast bowlers who can be matchwinners. Shaheen Afridi, if he remains fit, is one bowler who the world wants to see. He can turn the tide of the match on his own. The spin stars Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim and Mohammad Nawaz, and also Ihsanullah, who can bowl at a speed of 150."
"Their biggest challenge would be to handle pressure. Because playing in India, the pressure increases substantially. What will be key for Pakistan is the momentum with which they enter the tournament."
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