<p>The Pakistan cricket team is in shambles at the moment. In the ongoing ODI World Cup, Babar Azam-led Men in Green have lost three games in a row after winning their first two. Thus, the 1992 winners find themselves at the fifth position and have a herculean task to revamp their campaign. Ahead of their upcoming clash versus South Africa in the south Indian city of Chennai on Friday (Oct 27), former Pakistani spinner Danish Kaneria has made a big claim. Kaneria slammed the team's performance and alleged that Hasan Ali, who was drafted in the side after Naseem Shah's injury, is playing only due to friendships.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>'The selections were based on friendships and personal relationships'</strong></h2>

<p>Speaking to Aaj Tak, Kaneria pointed out that Pakistan team’s World Cup selections were based on friendships and personal relationships.</p>

<p>He opined, "When the squad was announced, I was sure that this wasn't a well-balanced team. The selections were based on friendships and personal relationships. I knew that this team would struggle in the World Cup. They talk about everything but strategy. They needed to understand that the conditions in India will favor batting and spin. The selection was totally wrong."</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cwc-23-maxwell-makes-match-one-sided-when-his-bat-fires-ex-india-batter-on-aussie-stars-record-ton-651539">CWC '23: 'Maxwell makes match one-sided when his bat fires': Ex-India batter on Aussie star's record ton</a></strong></p>

<p>He said, "In Naseem Shah's absence, Pakistan are giving the new ball to Hasan Ali. Hasan Ali is only in the team because of friendships. Usama Mir plays for Multan Sultans, and Mushtaq Ahmed has good relations with Inzamam-ul-Haq. When a team is made for people's individual benefits and not for the country, you will only get such results."</p>

<p>Kaneria added, "When have two leg-spinners played together for Pakistan? When they played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the boundary is very short, Shadab Khan was dropped and Usama Mir was brought in. Also, why they didn't pick Imad Wasim."</p>

<p>A lot of questions have been raised on Pakistan's team combination, fitness and fielding standards, slow batting and ordinary bowling overall.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Amid so much criticism, it will be interesting to see how Babar &amp; Co. respond on the field versus the Proteas, who have been on a roll in this World Cup.<br />
<br />
Temba Bavuma-led South Africa have played five games, winning four -- with a convincing margin -- and lost a solitary game to the Netherlands.&nbsp;</p>


The Pakistan cricket team is in shambles at the moment. In the ongoing ODI World Cup, Babar Azam-led Men in Green have lost three games in a row after winning their first two.

The Pakistan cricket team is in shambles at the moment. In the ongoing ODI World Cup, Babar Azam-led Men in Green have lost three games in a row after winning their first two. Thus, the 1992 winners find themselves at the fifth position and have a herculean task to revamp their campaign. Ahead of their upcoming clash versus South Africa in the south Indian city of Chennai on Friday (Oct 27), former Pakistani spinner Danish Kaneria has made a big claim. Kaneria slammed the team's performance and alleged that Hasan Ali, who was drafted in the side after Naseem Shah's injury, is playing only due to friendships. 'The selections were based on friendships and personal relationships' Speaking to Aaj Tak, Kaneria pointed out that Pakistan team’s World Cup selections were based on friendships and personal relationships. He opined, "When the squad was announced, I was sure that this wasn't a well-balanced team. The selections were based on friendships and personal relationships. I knew that this team would struggle in the World Cup. They talk about everything but strategy. They needed to understand that the conditions in India will favor batting and spin. The selection was totally wrong." Also read: CWC '23: 'Maxwell makes match one-sided when his bat fires': Ex-India batter on Aussie star's record ton He said, "In Naseem Shah's absence, Pakistan are giving the new ball to Hasan Ali. Hasan Ali is only in the team because of friendships. Usama Mir plays for Multan Sultans, and Mushtaq Ahmed has good relations with Inzamam-ul-Haq. When a team is made for people's individual benefits and not for the country, you will only get such results." Kaneria added, "When have two leg-spinners played together for Pakistan? When they played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the boundary is very short, Shadab Khan was dropped and Usama Mir was brought in. Also, why they didn't pick Imad Wasim." A lot of questions have been raised on Pakistan's team combination, fitness and fielding standards, slow batting and ordinary bowling overall. Amid so much criticism, it will be interesting to see how Babar & Co. respond on the field versus the Proteas, who have been on a roll in this World Cup. Temba Bavuma-led South Africa have played five games, winning four -- with a convincing margin -- and lost a solitary game to the Netherlands.

Former spinner Danish Kaneria claims THIS player is in Pakistan team because of FRIENDSHIPS

Legendary Pakistani bowler Wasim Akram has lambasted Pakistan cricket team's poor fitness levels. Akram slammed the team's defeat against Afghanistan & questioned their eating habits. Priyanka Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: Wasim Akram lambasts Pakistan cricket team's poor fitness levels

<p>Pakistan's World Cup campaign hangs by a thread after a humiliating defeat against arch-rivals Afghanistan on Monday (Oct 23) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The Babar Azam-led team was played out of the park by a resolute Afghan side which did not put a foot wrong throughout the match.</p>

<p>After the defeat, which was their third consecutive loss of the campaign, Pakistan now find themselves nestled in a mid-table jam with Australia and Afghanistan - hoping to secure a top 4 spot for the knockouts. All three teams have four points but Australia have a game in hand.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While teams beneath viz. Bangladesh, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, England also have a realistic chance of leapfrogging Pakistan as they all have won one match and played a game less.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-2023-afghanistan-batter-thanks-former-indian-cricketer-for-win-against-england-647888"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;World Cup 2023: Afghanistan batter thanks former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja for win against England</strong></a></p>

<p>Realistically, for most teams, knocking India and New Zealand off the top of the points table seems like a foregone conclusion. The men-in-green have four points in the kitty, which is six and four points less than what India and New Zealand have conjured, respectively.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, South Africa occupy the third spot with six points and barring a tremendous dip in form, look highly unlikely to leave the position, which effectively means, seven teams are in contention to secure the last remaining spot.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Pakistan has to go all out</strong></h2>

<p>With the permutations and combinations in mind, Pakistan need to win all their remaining four matches to stand a good chance of qualifying for the knockouts. Pakistan missed out on a place in the semifinals during the 2019 World Cup despite securing 11 points and having five wins.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With rain expected to not have a major say going ahead in the tournament, Pakistan need six wins to qualify or hope that other results fall in their favour. Apart from the wins, Pakistan will have to recharge their Net Run Rate which is in the negative territory right now. The team lost out on the semifinals in the previous edition, solely due to a poor NRR.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-2023-formidable-afghanistan-stun-pakistan-by-8-wickets-secure-second-win-of-campaign-650409"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;World Cup 2023: Formidable Afghanistan stun Pakistan by 8 wickets, secure second win of campaign</strong></a></p>

<p>However, to go on a run of four consecutive wins would require a tremendous turnaround from the subcontinent team. They have a tough run of fixtures coming up with South Africa arriving in Chennai, followed by Bangladesh in Kolkata, New Zealand in Bengaluru and England in Kolkata yet again. A single slip-up and Pakistan will have to pack their bags and catch a return flight home.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Pakistan's World Cup campaign hangs by a thread after a humiliating defeat against arch-rivals Afghanistan on Monday (Oct 23) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Pakistan's World Cup campaign hangs by a thread after a humiliating defeat against arch-rivals Afghanistan on Monday (Oct 23) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The Babar Azam-led team was played out of the park by a resolute Afghan side which did not put a foot wrong throughout the match. After the defeat, which was their third consecutive loss of the campaign, Pakistan now find themselves nestled in a mid-table jam with Australia and Afghanistan - hoping to secure a top 4 spot for the knockouts. All three teams have four points but Australia have a game in hand. While teams beneath viz. Bangladesh, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, England also have a realistic chance of leapfrogging Pakistan as they all have won one match and played a game less. Also read | World Cup 2023: Afghanistan batter thanks former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja for win against England Realistically, for most teams, knocking India and New Zealand off the top of the points table seems like a foregone conclusion. The men-in-green have four points in the kitty, which is six and four points less than what India and New Zealand have conjured, respectively. Meanwhile, South Africa occupy the third spot with six points and barring a tremendous dip in form, look highly unlikely to leave the position, which effectively means, seven teams are in contention to secure the last remaining spot. Pakistan has to go all out With the permutations and combinations in mind, Pakistan need to win all their remaining four matches to stand a good chance of qualifying for the knockouts. Pakistan missed out on a place in the semifinals during the 2019 World Cup despite securing 11 points and having five wins. With rain expected to not have a major say going ahead in the tournament, Pakistan need six wins to qualify or hope that other results fall in their favour. Apart from the wins, Pakistan will have to recharge their Net Run Rate which is in the negative territory right now. The team lost out on the semifinals in the previous edition, solely due to a poor NRR. Also read | World Cup 2023: Formidable Afghanistan stun Pakistan by 8 wickets, secure second win of campaign However, to go on a run of four consecutive wins would require a tremendous turnaround from the subcontinent team. They have a tough run of fixtures coming up with South Africa arriving in Chennai, followed by Bangladesh in Kolkata, New Zealand in Bengaluru and England in Kolkata yet again. A single slip-up and Pakistan will have to pack their bags and catch a return flight home. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World Cup 2023: How can Pakistan still qualify for semifinal after defeat vs Afghanistan?

<p>Afghanistan continued their giant-killing spree in the World Cup&nbsp;by carving apart Pakistan in their league encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday (Oct 23). Chasing a demanding target of 283, Afghanistan batters put in a shift for the ages and emerged victorious by eight&nbsp;wickets, riding on enterprising knocks from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65) and Ibrahim Zadran (87), with Rahmat Shah (77*) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (48*) providing the finishing touches.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pakistan bowlers once again failed to prove themselves on the big stage as the side succumbed to its third consecutive defeat in the marquee event. Barring Shaheen Afridi, none of the bowlers could even test the Afghan batters who managed to play them with ease.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gurbaz, playing his own version of 'Bazball' cricket, dominated the first powerplay and took the game to the 1992 World Cup champions. He took apart Haris Rauf for 17 runs in his first over and never really allowed the pacer to get into any sort of rhythm. Notably, Rauf had conceded 23 runs in his first over in the last match against Australia as well.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-2023-afghanistan-batter-thanks-former-indian-cricketer-for-win-against-england-647888"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;World Cup 2023: Afghanistan batter thanks former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja for win against England</strong></a></p>

<p>It didn't help Pakistan's cause that the fielders were sloppy in gliding across the turf and gifted 15-20 runs easily. There was a brief window in the middle when Shaheen turned up for his second spell and sent Gurbaz packing before Hasan Ali snaffled up the wicket of Zadran. However, the Pakistan outfit never really went for the kill during this period.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was only last week that Afghanistan stumped&nbsp;England by playing out of their skins. The&nbsp;defending champions were forced to surrender tamely as the resolute Afghan team gelled together and utilised the subcontinent conditions to their full effect.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Many had predicted that Afghanistan would be too hot to handle on the turning pitch against an underfiring Pakistan and that is exactly what transpired. Akin to the England match, the victory against Pakistan did not have the usual ingredients of an upset win as the Afghan side steamrolled the opposition - thereby making the victory, even more sweeter.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-2023-afghanistan-stun-defending-champions-england-win-by-69-runs-647253"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;World Cup 2023: Afghanistan stun defending champions England, win by 69 runs</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Pakistan fumble and tumble their way to 282</strong></h2>

<p>Opting to bat first, Pakistan were off to a solid start, courtesy of Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq as the duo managed 56 runs in the first 10 overs, on what appeared to be a sluggish track. However, soon after the powerplay, Imam fell to a short ball for the third time in the competition, allowing Afghanistan to bring its spinners into the contest.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Surprising many, Afghanistan went with four spinners into the match and for large parts of the inning, the decision seemingly paid off as well.&nbsp;The scoring rate dipped with the spinners operating&nbsp;but Shafique and Babar Azam forged a fifty runs' stand for the second wicket. Noor Ahmad, on World Cup debut, struck twice in two overs - as he nipped out two in-form batters, Shafique and Rizwan.</p>

<p>Babar fell while attempting to up the ante. But Shadab and Iftikhar Ahmed provided the much-needed impetus in the final powerplay. The latter survived Rashid and showed his hitting prowess against the pacers. A valuable 27-ball 40 from Iftikhar and a handy 38-ball 40 from Shadab Khan powered Pakistan to 282/7.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the win Afghanistan keep alive their hopes of making an improbable place in the top 4 while Pakistan stare at an uphill task from hereon.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Afghanistan continued their giant-killing spree in the World Cup by carving apart Pakistan in their league encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday (Oct 23).

Afghanistan continued their giant-killing spree in the World Cup by carving apart Pakistan in their league encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday (Oct 23). Chasing a demanding target of 283, Afghanistan batters put in a shift for the ages and emerged victorious by eight wickets, riding on enterprising knocks from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65) and Ibrahim Zadran (87), with Rahmat Shah (77*) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (48*) providing the finishing touches. Pakistan bowlers once again failed to prove themselves on the big stage as the side succumbed to its third consecutive defeat in the marquee event. Barring Shaheen Afridi, none of the bowlers could even test the Afghan batters who managed to play them with ease. Gurbaz, playing his own version of 'Bazball' cricket, dominated the first powerplay and took the game to the 1992 World Cup champions. He took apart Haris Rauf for 17 runs in his first over and never really allowed the pacer to get into any sort of rhythm. Notably, Rauf had conceded 23 runs in his first over in the last match against Australia as well. Also read | World Cup 2023: Afghanistan batter thanks former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja for win against England It didn't help Pakistan's cause that the fielders were sloppy in gliding across the turf and gifted 15-20 runs easily. There was a brief window in the middle when Shaheen turned up for his second spell and sent Gurbaz packing before Hasan Ali snaffled up the wicket of Zadran. However, the Pakistan outfit never really went for the kill during this period. It was only last week that Afghanistan stumped England by playing out of their skins. The defending champions were forced to surrender tamely as the resolute Afghan team gelled together and utilised the subcontinent conditions to their full effect. Many had predicted that Afghanistan would be too hot to handle on the turning pitch against an underfiring Pakistan and that is exactly what transpired. Akin to the England match, the victory against Pakistan did not have the usual ingredients of an upset win as the Afghan side steamrolled the opposition - thereby making the victory, even more sweeter. Also read | World Cup 2023: Afghanistan stun defending champions England, win by 69 runs Pakistan fumble and tumble their way to 282 Opting to bat first, Pakistan were off to a solid start, courtesy of Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq as the duo managed 56 runs in the first 10 overs, on what appeared to be a sluggish track. However, soon after the powerplay, Imam fell to a short ball for the third time in the competition, allowing Afghanistan to bring its spinners into the contest. Surprising many, Afghanistan went with four spinners into the match and for large parts of the inning, the decision seemingly paid off as well. The scoring rate dipped with the spinners operating but Shafique and Babar Azam forged a fifty runs' stand for the second wicket. Noor Ahmad, on World Cup debut, struck twice in two overs - as he nipped out two in-form batters, Shafique and Rizwan. Babar fell while attempting to up the ante. But Shadab and Iftikhar Ahmed provided the much-needed impetus in the final powerplay. The latter survived Rashid and showed his hitting prowess against the pacers. A valuable 27-ball 40 from Iftikhar and a handy 38-ball 40 from Shadab Khan powered Pakistan to 282/7. With the win Afghanistan keep alive their hopes of making an improbable place in the top 4 while Pakistan stare at an uphill task from hereon. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World Cup 2023: Formidable Afghanistan stun Pakistan by 8 wickets, secure second win of campaign

<p>Amid media reports of a rift inside the Pakistan dressing room after a sluggish start to the World Cup campaign, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday (Oct 23) released a statement, denying such speculations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The statement was released at the same time when Pakistan started batting against Afghanistan in their crucial league phase encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The Pakistan Cricket Board strongly denies recent speculations about any internal discord in the national cricket team currently participating in the ICC World Cup 2023," read the statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Contrary to rumours circulated by a certain section of the media, the PCB unequivocally assures that the team is cohesive and there is no evidence to support these unsubstantiated claims."</p>

<p>Some reports claimed that Pakistan captain Babar Azam and vice-captain Shadab Khan had a falling out after the latter was left out of the game against Australia. According to some Pakistani journalists, there had been alleged physical altercations between other teammates and that verbal blows were also exchanged, damping the team camaraderie.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The PCB is disappointed by the dissemination of this false news and emphasises the importance of upholding journalistic ethics before spreading such allegations."</p>

<p>Pakistan started the World Cup in fine form, winning their opening two encounters. However, after losing the match against arch-rivals India in a rather crushing way, the team appeared jaded. The men-in-green did put up a fight against Australia but the challenging target of 368 proved too difficult for the Pakistani batters as the team suffered second&nbsp;consecutive defeat and slipped out of knockouts contention.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pak-vs-afg-head-to-head-world-cup-2023-pakistan-vs-afghanistan-date-venue-probable-playing-xi-649897"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;PAK vs AFG Head-to-head: World Cup 2023- Pakistan vs Afghanistan date, venue</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Pakistan off to a steady start</strong></h2>

<p>While off-field controversies threatened to derail the Pakistan World Cup campaign, the team shrugged them off and got to a steady start, batting first against Afghanistan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq played with a positive intent and passed the first powerplay unscathed. However, Imam departed in the 11th over with the scoreboard reading 56. Since then, Pakistan captain Babar Azam had joined Shafique and the duo had stitched a 50+ partnership already.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Playing XIs:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>Pakistan: </strong>Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf</p>

<p><strong>Afghanistan:</strong> Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Amid media reports of a rift inside the Pakistan dressing room after a sluggish start to the World Cup campaign, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday (Oct 23) released a statement, denying such speculations.

Amid media reports of a rift inside the Pakistan dressing room after a sluggish start to the World Cup campaign, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday (Oct 23) released a statement, denying such speculations. The statement was released at the same time when Pakistan started batting against Afghanistan in their crucial league phase encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. "The Pakistan Cricket Board strongly denies recent speculations about any internal discord in the national cricket team currently participating in the ICC World Cup 2023," read the statement. "Contrary to rumours circulated by a certain section of the media, the PCB unequivocally assures that the team is cohesive and there is no evidence to support these unsubstantiated claims." Some reports claimed that Pakistan captain Babar Azam and vice-captain Shadab Khan had a falling out after the latter was left out of the game against Australia. According to some Pakistani journalists, there had been alleged physical altercations between other teammates and that verbal blows were also exchanged, damping the team camaraderie. "The PCB is disappointed by the dissemination of this false news and emphasises the importance of upholding journalistic ethics before spreading such allegations." Pakistan started the World Cup in fine form, winning their opening two encounters. However, after losing the match against arch-rivals India in a rather crushing way, the team appeared jaded. The men-in-green did put up a fight against Australia but the challenging target of 368 proved too difficult for the Pakistani batters as the team suffered second consecutive defeat and slipped out of knockouts contention. Also read | PAK vs AFG Head-to-head: World Cup 2023- Pakistan vs Afghanistan date, venue Pakistan off to a steady start While off-field controversies threatened to derail the Pakistan World Cup campaign, the team shrugged them off and got to a steady start, batting first against Afghanistan. Openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq played with a positive intent and passed the first powerplay unscathed. However, Imam departed in the 11th over with the scoreboard reading 56. Since then, Pakistan captain Babar Azam had joined Shafique and the duo had stitched a 50+ partnership already. Playing XIs: Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World Cup 2023: Rift brewing in Pakistan dressing room? PCB releases a statement

<p>Several players and coaches have explained why hitting sixes is a big deal and not as easy as it appears on the TV screen. But a reasoning given by Imam-ul-Haq when asked why Pakistan batters are not hitting as many sixes as other teams will leave everyone in splits. During the pre-match presser, the Pakistan Team opener said because the players are taking a more carb-heavy diet instead of consuming proteins, they haven't managed to hit many sixes in this World Cup 2023.</p>

<p>Following suffering two back-to-back losses at the hands of India and Australia, owing to mediocre performances with both bat and ball, Pakistan will look to show more zeal as they gear up for another tight clash against Afghanistan in Chennai.</p>

<p>The lack of intent by Pakistani batters has been a cause of concern, and media personnel, like everyone, wanted to know more about what’s stopping them from applying themselves.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-2023-pakistan-vs-afghanistan-match-preview-and-result-prediction-650132">World Cup 2023, Pakistan vs Afghanistan: Match preview and result prediction</a></strong></p>

<p>Providing a first-of-its-kind answer to this, the Pakistan opener said, “Maybe we want to eat more proteins and not that much carbs, but it is just that there is nothing we want to talk about. It is just we really do not feel it if we are not hitting six or not four, it is just that what are we doing for the team."</p>

<h2>Down but ready to battle</h2>

<p>Imam-ul-Haq admitted with Pakistan down in the past two games, the chances of improving now through extra training or practice are bleak, and the only way they can get better at producing desired results is if the players apply their skills and play as per the conditions.</p>

<p>"It's just that I don't believe that now we have a chance to do any kind of more practice. It's just we are in the tournament, and it's just about the top-up.</p>

<p>“We don't have that much time…but the thing is it's just that - yes, this is a spin venue ground, and we know that, and the guys individually really depend on how they practice, and it's just that every individual has their own preparations and we really back them, we really back their ability, and it's just that's how it is,” Imam added.</p>

<p>With the game scheduled in Chennai, spinners will come into play, and Pakistan is aware of Afghanistan's strength - the spin department. But Imam feels with past results favouring them, Pakistan can beat Afghanistan at the Chepauk.</p>

<p>"Of course, there are good spinners in Afghanistan who can bowl well in the middle overs. But we had beaten them in Hambantota 3-0. Even there, the conditions were very spin-friendly. So, we will back that and our ability. In the end, you have to play the ball. You don't have to play the bowler. So, it's just that you have to back your ability,” Imam added.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Several players and coaches have explained why hitting sixes is a big deal and not as easy as it appears on the TV screen. But a reasoning given by Imam-ul-Haq when asked why Pakistan batters are not hitting as many sixes as other teams will leave everyone in splits.

Several players and coaches have explained why hitting sixes is a big deal and not as easy as it appears on the TV screen. But a reasoning given by Imam-ul-Haq when asked why Pakistan batters are not hitting as many sixes as other teams will leave everyone in splits. During the pre-match presser, the Pakistan Team opener said because the players are taking a more carb-heavy diet instead of consuming proteins, they haven't managed to hit many sixes in this World Cup 2023. Following suffering two back-to-back losses at the hands of India and Australia, owing to mediocre performances with both bat and ball, Pakistan will look to show more zeal as they gear up for another tight clash against Afghanistan in Chennai. The lack of intent by Pakistani batters has been a cause of concern, and media personnel, like everyone, wanted to know more about what’s stopping them from applying themselves. ALSO READ: World Cup 2023, Pakistan vs Afghanistan: Match preview and result prediction Providing a first-of-its-kind answer to this, the Pakistan opener said, “Maybe we want to eat more proteins and not that much carbs, but it is just that there is nothing we want to talk about. It is just we really do not feel it if we are not hitting six or not four, it is just that what are we doing for the team." Down but ready to battle Imam-ul-Haq admitted with Pakistan down in the past two games, the chances of improving now through extra training or practice are bleak, and the only way they can get better at producing desired results is if the players apply their skills and play as per the conditions. "It's just that I don't believe that now we have a chance to do any kind of more practice. It's just we are in the tournament, and it's just about the top-up. “We don't have that much time…but the thing is it's just that - yes, this is a spin venue ground, and we know that, and the guys individually really depend on how they practice, and it's just that every individual has their own preparations and we really back them, we really back their ability, and it's just that's how it is,” Imam added. With the game scheduled in Chennai, spinners will come into play, and Pakistan is aware of Afghanistan's strength - the spin department. But Imam feels with past results favouring them, Pakistan can beat Afghanistan at the Chepauk. "Of course, there are good spinners in Afghanistan who can bowl well in the middle overs. But we had beaten them in Hambantota 3-0. Even there, the conditions were very spin-friendly. So, we will back that and our ability. In the end, you have to play the ball. You don't have to play the bowler. So, it's just that you have to back your ability,” Imam added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

CWC - We need to eat more protein than carbs…: Imam's bizarre reasoning behind PAK batters not hitting sixes

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidSyxgM744N8eB" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>Pakistan captain Babar Azam was critical of his side's fielding effort after the team succumbed against Australia in their World Cup encounter at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Babar said the men-in-green were 'not up to the mark' with the ball and that translated in the fielding as well.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chasing a challenging total of 368, Pakistan lost the contest by 62 runs, despite staying in contention, up until the 40th over.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"To be honest, we were not up to the mark with the ball. And if you drop the catch of someone like Warner, he won't spare you," said Babar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>David Warner (163) and Mitchell Marsh (121) set up the game beautifully for Australia as they marauded the Pakistani bowlers to all parts of the park. Warner was dropped early on in the innings as debutant Mir put down a dolly. The reprieve, in hindsight, proved to be the turning point of the match as the left-hander punished the Pakistan bowlers for erring in length, even by a fraction.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pakistan did fight back though, towards the end, as Shaheen Afridi shrugged off the disappointment of the powerplay overs and emerged with a five-fer. Babar termed the comeback by the bowlers in the end as one of the positives to take away from the match.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"All credit to fast bowlers and spinners, we came back well in the last 10 overs and we hit the right lengths and targeted the stumps."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-2023-australia-thwart-pakistan-challenge-win-by-62-runs-649379" target="_blank"><strong>Also read | World Cup 2023: Australia thwart Pakistan challenge, win by 62 runs after daddy hundreds from Warner, Marsh</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Proper cricket from those two: Cummins&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Meanwhile, a beaming Australian captain Pat Cummins, lauded his teammates for putting in an excellent shift, to earn a second win on the road.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"That was great. Great win. Always pretty tough playing here in Chinnaswamy but good to get a win. That was proper from those two (Warner and Marsh). Kind of really set the tone, that's how we want to play our cricket - take the game on," said Cummins.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We hit great areas and used the bounce well. Zampa's been awesome. He's been on the bed for the last week. That was fantastic - he showed his class. The wickets of Babar Azam and Iftikhar were important," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Warner was adjudged Player of the Match for his useful performance and said one needed to take those chances when it came their way.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Committing and backing my skills, I had a good hit yesterday, it was ticking along, I was just one bit of luck away and it helps when you're hitting the ball out of the middle. Playing on a ground like this as well, you got to take those chances," said Warne, adding that he had cramps which forced him to sit out the second innings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After the win, Australia have catapulted to the fourth spot in the points table and look certain to fight for a sixth World champion title.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Pakistan captain Babar Azam was critical of his side's fielding effort after the team succumbed against Australia in their World Cup encounter at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam was critical of his side's fielding effort after the team succumbed against Australia in their World Cup encounter at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Babar said the men-in-green were 'not up to the mark' with the ball and that translated in the fielding as well. Chasing a challenging total of 368, Pakistan lost the contest by 62 runs, despite staying in contention, up until the 40th over. "To be honest, we were not up to the mark with the ball. And if you drop the catch of someone like Warner, he won't spare you," said Babar. David Warner (163) and Mitchell Marsh (121) set up the game beautifully for Australia as they marauded the Pakistani bowlers to all parts of the park. Warner was dropped early on in the innings as debutant Mir put down a dolly. The reprieve, in hindsight, proved to be the turning point of the match as the left-hander punished the Pakistan bowlers for erring in length, even by a fraction. Pakistan did fight back though, towards the end, as Shaheen Afridi shrugged off the disappointment of the powerplay overs and emerged with a five-fer. Babar termed the comeback by the bowlers in the end as one of the positives to take away from the match. "All credit to fast bowlers and spinners, we came back well in the last 10 overs and we hit the right lengths and targeted the stumps." Also read | World Cup 2023: Australia thwart Pakistan challenge, win by 62 runs after daddy hundreds from Warner, Marsh Proper cricket from those two: Cummins Meanwhile, a beaming Australian captain Pat Cummins, lauded his teammates for putting in an excellent shift, to earn a second win on the road. "That was great. Great win. Always pretty tough playing here in Chinnaswamy but good to get a win. That was proper from those two (Warner and Marsh). Kind of really set the tone, that's how we want to play our cricket - take the game on," said Cummins. "We hit great areas and used the bounce well. Zampa's been awesome. He's been on the bed for the last week. That was fantastic - he showed his class. The wickets of Babar Azam and Iftikhar were important," he added. Warner was adjudged Player of the Match for his useful performance and said one needed to take those chances when it came their way. "Committing and backing my skills, I had a good hit yesterday, it was ticking along, I was just one bit of luck away and it helps when you're hitting the ball out of the middle. Playing on a ground like this as well, you got to take those chances," said Warne, adding that he had cramps which forced him to sit out the second innings. After the win, Australia have catapulted to the fourth spot in the points table and look certain to fight for a sixth World champion title. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World Cup 2023: 'He won't spare you', Babar Azam names Australian batter who cost Pakistan the match

<p>Riding on brilliant hundreds from David Warner (163) and Mitchell Marsh (121), Australia romped to a 62-run victory against Pakistan in World Cup Cricket 2023 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the south Indian city of Bengaluru on a breezy Friday (Oct 20) night. Chasing a challenging target&nbsp;of 368, Pakistan remained in the contest till the 39th over, before the wheels started coming off, courtesy of a stunning effort from Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Abdullah Shafique (64) and Imam-ul-Haq (70) started off brilliantly for the subcontinent side as Australia looked short of ideas, despite posting a mammoth total. The short boundaries allowed for proper stroke-making and the two batters had fun.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When it looked like Pakistan openers might replicate their Australian counterparts, Marcus Stoinis stepped up and delivered to break a 134-run partnership. Imam soon followed his partner as Stoinis dug in a short one, forcing the&nbsp;southpaw to hook one straight to Mitchell Starc at deep fine leg.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Skipper Babar Azam once again failed to capitalise on a start and fell to the guile of Zampa by smashing the ball to a diving Pat Cummins at short mid-on.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the end, Pakistan lost their last six wickets for just 36, suggesting that the lower middle order completely crumbled under pressure. Zampa was the pick of the bowlers as he got the ball to skid on the surface and deployed the deadly googlies at regular intervals. Iftikhar and Rizwan found it the hard way when the leg-spinner pinned them in front of the sticks.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-2023-netherlands-take-on-sri-lanka-in-lucknow-preview-and-result-prediction-649363"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;World Cup 2023, Netherlands take on Sri Lanka in Lucknow - Preview and result prediction</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Australia's batting masterclass</strong></h2>

<p>Put into bat first, Warner and Marsh, silencing the critics, put on a sensational opening stand of 259 with both of them scoring hundreds on a pitch where the new ball seemed to be coming on beautifully.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Warner was dropped early on in the innings as debutant Mir put down a dolly. The reprieve, in hindsight, proved to be the turning point of the match as the left-hander punished the Pakistan bowlers for erring in length, even by a fraction.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pakistan did fight back though towards the end as Shaheen Afridi shrugged off the disappointment of the powerplay overs and emerged with a five-fer.&nbsp;Even Haris Rauf, who was smashed for 56 runs in his first four overs, made a good comeback at the end as Australia lost 6 wickets for just 70 runs in the final 10 overs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the win, Australia have coasted to two consecutive victories after starting off the campaign dismally and finding themselves at the bottom of the pile. The five-time champions have now catapulted themselves to the fourth spot on the points table and find themselves right back for a spot in the knockouts.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Riding on brilliant hundreds from David Warner (163) and Mitchell Marsh (121), Australia romped to a 62-run victory against Pakistan in World Cup Cricket 2023 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the south Indian city of Bengaluru on a breezy Friday (Oct 20) night.

Riding on brilliant hundreds from David Warner (163) and Mitchell Marsh (121), Australia romped to a 62-run victory against Pakistan in World Cup Cricket 2023 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the south Indian city of Bengaluru on a breezy Friday (Oct 20) night. Chasing a challenging target of 368, Pakistan remained in the contest till the 39th over, before the wheels started coming off, courtesy of a stunning effort from Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood. Abdullah Shafique (64) and Imam-ul-Haq (70) started off brilliantly for the subcontinent side as Australia looked short of ideas, despite posting a mammoth total. The short boundaries allowed for proper stroke-making and the two batters had fun. When it looked like Pakistan openers might replicate their Australian counterparts, Marcus Stoinis stepped up and delivered to break a 134-run partnership. Imam soon followed his partner as Stoinis dug in a short one, forcing the southpaw to hook one straight to Mitchell Starc at deep fine leg. Skipper Babar Azam once again failed to capitalise on a start and fell to the guile of Zampa by smashing the ball to a diving Pat Cummins at short mid-on. In the end, Pakistan lost their last six wickets for just 36, suggesting that the lower middle order completely crumbled under pressure. Zampa was the pick of the bowlers as he got the ball to skid on the surface and deployed the deadly googlies at regular intervals. Iftikhar and Rizwan found it the hard way when the leg-spinner pinned them in front of the sticks. Also read | World Cup 2023, Netherlands take on Sri Lanka in Lucknow - Preview and result prediction Australia's batting masterclass Put into bat first, Warner and Marsh, silencing the critics, put on a sensational opening stand of 259 with both of them scoring hundreds on a pitch where the new ball seemed to be coming on beautifully. Warner was dropped early on in the innings as debutant Mir put down a dolly. The reprieve, in hindsight, proved to be the turning point of the match as the left-hander punished the Pakistan bowlers for erring in length, even by a fraction. Pakistan did fight back though towards the end as Shaheen Afridi shrugged off the disappointment of the powerplay overs and emerged with a five-fer. Even Haris Rauf, who was smashed for 56 runs in his first four overs, made a good comeback at the end as Australia lost 6 wickets for just 70 runs in the final 10 overs. With the win, Australia have coasted to two consecutive victories after starting off the campaign dismally and finding themselves at the bottom of the pile. The five-time champions have now catapulted themselves to the fourth spot on the points table and find themselves right back for a spot in the knockouts. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

World Cup 2023: Australia thwart Pakistan challenge, win by 62 runs after daddy hundreds from Warner, Marsh

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidEfnAqKjzLGw5" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>Pakistan bowler Haris Rauf was shredded apart by Australian openers during the World Cup match in Bengaluru on Friday (Oct 20) afternoon. Put into bat first, the Australian batters came out swinging and smashed Rauf, one of the fastest bowlers going around in the cricketing circuit right now, for the third-most expensive over in World Cup history by a Pakistan bowler.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Called in to bowl as second-change, Rauf bowled the first ball wide outside off, allowing David Warner to slash it over point for a boundary to start off the proceedings. On the very next ball, Rauf attempted to overcompensate and darted the ball on pads which was promptly dispatched over the fine leg fence for a maximum, followed by a single.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Afterwards, Marsh took over the action and carted Rauf for three consecutive boundaries, deflating the Pakistan fielding unit as their premier bowler was toyed with in the first over.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prior to Rauf, Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Akhtar had conceded 30 and 28 runs respectively in the 2011 edition of the World Cup in the same game against New Zealand.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CynazXkvUTu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CynazXkvUTu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CynazXkvUTu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CynazXkvUTu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by ICC (@icc)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Historically, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has been a high-scoring ground and Australian batters did not let go of the opportunity when asked to bat first. As of the last update, the five-time World champions had raced to 170&nbsp;without losing any wickets in 24 overs.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Haris Rauf's first over:<br />
<br />
4,6,1,WD,4,4,4 - 24 runs.<br />
<br />
Rauf taken to the cleaners! <a href="https://t.co/ldYpqlVALn">pic.twitter.com/ldYpqlVALn</a></p>
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) <a href="https://twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra/status/1715295493709005145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-world-cup-2023-live-streaming-for-free-how-to-watch-world-cup-live-streaming-in-your-country-india-639749"><strong>Also read | ICC World Cup 2023 Live Streaming for free: How to watch World Cup 2023 FREE live in India, other countries</strong></a></p>

<p>During the toss, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam emphasised that the 'good nature' of the pitch was the reason to bowl first.</p>

<p>"We will bowl first. The pitch looks really good. We have had a couple of good sessions. We are hoping to do well. We need to do well in batting. We will try our best. Shadab is not playing. Usama comes in," said Babar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Australian captain Pat Cummins also conceded that his team would have liked to bowl first as well.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We would have had a bowl as well. The energy was awesome even though they had a big partnership. The intent from our guys was excellent. The way we played against Lanka, we should do the same."</p>

<p><strong>Playing XIs:</strong>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Australia</strong>: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood</p>

<p><strong>Pakistan:&nbsp;</strong>Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Pakistan bowler Haris Rauf was shredded apart by Australian openers during the World Cup match in Bengaluru on Friday (Oct 20) afternoon. Put into bat first, the Australian batters came out swinging and smashed Rauf, one of the fastest bowlers going around in the cricketing circuit right now, for the third-most expensive over in World Cup history by a Pakistan bowler.

Pakistan bowler Haris Rauf was shredded apart by Australian openers during the World Cup match in Bengaluru on Friday (Oct 20) afternoon. Put into bat first, the Australian batters came out swinging and smashed Rauf, one of the fastest bowlers going around in the cricketing circuit right now, for the third-most expensive over in World Cup history by a Pakistan bowler. Called in to bowl as second-change, Rauf bowled the first ball wide outside off, allowing David Warner to slash it over point for a boundary to start off the proceedings. On the very next ball, Rauf attempted to overcompensate and darted the ball on pads which was promptly dispatched over the fine leg fence for a maximum, followed by a single. Afterwards, Marsh took over the action and carted Rauf for three consecutive boundaries, deflating the Pakistan fielding unit as their premier bowler was toyed with in the first over. Prior to Rauf, Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Akhtar had conceded 30 and 28 runs respectively in the 2011 edition of the World Cup in the same game against New Zealand. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ICC (@icc) × Historically, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has been a high-scoring ground and Australian batters did not let go of the opportunity when asked to bat first. As of the last update, the five-time World champions had raced to 170 without losing any wickets in 24 overs. Haris Rauf's first over: 4,6,1,WD,4,4,4 - 24 runs. Rauf taken to the cleaners! pic.twitter.com/ldYpqlVALn — Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 20, 2023 × Also read | ICC World Cup 2023 Live Streaming for free: How to watch World Cup 2023 FREE live in India, other countries During the toss, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam emphasised that the 'good nature' of the pitch was the reason to bowl first. "We will bowl first. The pitch looks really good. We have had a couple of good sessions. We are hoping to do well. We need to do well in batting. We will try our best. Shadab is not playing. Usama comes in," said Babar. Australian captain Pat Cummins also conceded that his team would have liked to bowl first as well. "We would have had a bowl as well. The energy was awesome even though they had a big partnership. The intent from our guys was excellent. The way we played against Lanka, we should do the same." Playing XIs: Australia: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World Cup 2023: Rauf concedes 24 runs in an over, becomes 3rd-most expensive Pak bowler in WC history

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuid1Ydq07mOfYzi" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>Former Indian pacer S Sreesanth has hit back at Mickey Arthur after the latter made some audacious claims, despite being humbled by the men-in-blue in the World Cup encounter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After the loss, Arthur, Pakistan&nbsp;men's cricket team's technical director admitted that he is still looking forward to taking on the tournament hosts in the summit clash.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Mickey Arthur said we’ll meet in the final. I don’t think Pakistan can ever beat India in an ICC trophy or in any other event considering the team they have. Even our C team can beat Pakistan’s main XI. Make an IPL XI of players who are not playing, even they can defeat the Pakistan team,” said Sreesanth.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Pakistan cannot even dream of playing in such a big stadium. We gave them a chance, but if you play like that, you won’t get such chances again,” Sreesanth added.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-2023-icc-responds-to-mickey-arthurs-controversial-bcci-event-remarks-647944" target="_blank"><strong>Also read | World Cup 2023: ICC responds to Mickey Arthur's controversial 'BCCI event' remarks</strong></a></p>

<p><strong>Arthur's controversial remarks&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Ever since suffering the loss against India, Arthur has issued a slew of excuses to hide the dismal performance of the Pakistan team. He said the World Cup in India felt more like a BCCI event than an ICC event.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It didn't seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) event," said Arthur.</p>

<p>Arthur also accused the Narendra Modi Stadium's public address system organisers of favouring India by refusing to play "Dil Dil Pakistan", the nation's unofficial anthem.</p>

<p>"I didn't hear 'Dil Dil Pakistan' ('My heart is Pakistan') coming through too often tonight. So yes, that does play a role, but I'm not going to use that as an excuse."</p>

<p>India belted Pakistan by seven wickets in the match after the bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, outfoxed the opposition batters. In the end, India maintained their perfect World Cup record against the arch-rivals, extending it to eight wins in as many games.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Former Indian pacer S Sreesanth has hit back at Mickey Arthur after the latter made some audacious claims, despite being humbled by the men-in-blue in the World Cup encounter.

Former Indian pacer S Sreesanth has hit back at Mickey Arthur after the latter made some audacious claims, despite being humbled by the men-in-blue in the World Cup encounter. After the loss, Arthur, Pakistan men's cricket team's technical director admitted that he is still looking forward to taking on the tournament hosts in the summit clash. “Mickey Arthur said we’ll meet in the final. I don’t think Pakistan can ever beat India in an ICC trophy or in any other event considering the team they have. Even our C team can beat Pakistan’s main XI. Make an IPL XI of players who are not playing, even they can defeat the Pakistan team,” said Sreesanth. “Pakistan cannot even dream of playing in such a big stadium. We gave them a chance, but if you play like that, you won’t get such chances again,” Sreesanth added. Also read | World Cup 2023: ICC responds to Mickey Arthur's controversial 'BCCI event' remarks Arthur's controversial remarks Ever since suffering the loss against India, Arthur has issued a slew of excuses to hide the dismal performance of the Pakistan team. He said the World Cup in India felt more like a BCCI event than an ICC event. "It didn't seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) event," said Arthur. Arthur also accused the Narendra Modi Stadium's public address system organisers of favouring India by refusing to play "Dil Dil Pakistan", the nation's unofficial anthem. "I didn't hear 'Dil Dil Pakistan' ('My heart is Pakistan') coming through too often tonight. So yes, that does play a role, but I'm not going to use that as an excuse." India belted Pakistan by seven wickets in the match after the bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, outfoxed the opposition batters. In the end, India maintained their perfect World Cup record against the arch-rivals, extending it to eight wins in as many games. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World Cup 2023: 'Even India's C team can beat them', Former Indian cricketer claps back at Pakistan

<p>Rohit Sharma-led Team India have been in top form in the home ODI World Cup. After three games, India have equal number of wins and will lock horns with Bangladesh on Thursday (Oct 19) in Pune. On Saturday (Oct 14), India met Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad and demolished their arch-rivals by seven wickets, and 117 balls to spare.</p>

<p>With this win, India are atop in the points table and marching ahead with high chances of entering the semi-finals in the top-two. Rashid Latif, former Pakistan captain, lauded India's ace spinner Kuldeep Yadav after the Men in Blue's easy win over his national side and predicted the 29-year-old Kuldeep to end as the highest wicket-taker of the ongoing edition.</p>

<p>Latif feels Babar Azam-led Pakistani batters weren't aggressive against Kuldeep and only tried to play out his overs in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;Writing in his column for The Indian Express, he said, "Against Kuldeep, we looked timid, we were trying to just play out his ten overs. Not a single Pakistan batsman was able to pick Kuldeep (Yadav), and I think if he is not rested in a few matches, Kuldeep will end up being the leading wicket-taker of the tournament."</p>

<p>At the moment, Kuldeep has five wickets (third-most by an Indian) and occupies the sixth spot in the leading wicket-taker list. Jasprit Bumrah leads the overall chart with eight wickets, who was also the Player-of-the-Match versus Pakistan for his 2 for 19, whereas Ravindra Jadeja also features in the top five (fifth) with equal number of scalps as Kuldeep.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/just-one-in-8-attempts-sehwag-gives-epic-reply-to-vaughans-england-in-world-cup-semis-remark-647543">'Just one in 8 attempts': Sehwag gives EPIC reply to Vaughan's 'England in World Cup semis' remark</a></strong></p>

<p>Latif, however, feels India should play R Ashwin in every game. Ashwin, who was selected in the World Cup squad at the last minute after Axar Patel's injury, played versus Australia but has warmed the bench in the next two games. "I was surprised that India didn’t pick Ashwin. I feel he should play all the matches for India. If Ashwin had played I don’t think we could have even got 190 on the board,” Latif added.</p>

<p>India will look to maintain their winning run when they lock horns with the Bangla Tigers on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Rohit Sharma-led Team India have been in top form in the home ODI World Cup. After three games, India have equal number of wins and will lock horns with Bangladesh on Thursday (Oct 19) in Pune.

Rohit Sharma-led Team India have been in top form in the home ODI World Cup. After three games, India have equal number of wins and will lock horns with Bangladesh on Thursday (Oct 19) in Pune. On Saturday (Oct 14), India met Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad and demolished their arch-rivals by seven wickets, and 117 balls to spare. With this win, India are atop in the points table and marching ahead with high chances of entering the semi-finals in the top-two. Rashid Latif, former Pakistan captain, lauded India's ace spinner Kuldeep Yadav after the Men in Blue's easy win over his national side and predicted the 29-year-old Kuldeep to end as the highest wicket-taker of the ongoing edition. Latif feels Babar Azam-led Pakistani batters weren't aggressive against Kuldeep and only tried to play out his overs in Ahmedabad. Writing in his column for The Indian Express, he said, "Against Kuldeep, we looked timid, we were trying to just play out his ten overs. Not a single Pakistan batsman was able to pick Kuldeep (Yadav), and I think if he is not rested in a few matches, Kuldeep will end up being the leading wicket-taker of the tournament." At the moment, Kuldeep has five wickets (third-most by an Indian) and occupies the sixth spot in the leading wicket-taker list. Jasprit Bumrah leads the overall chart with eight wickets, who was also the Player-of-the-Match versus Pakistan for his 2 for 19, whereas Ravindra Jadeja also features in the top five (fifth) with equal number of scalps as Kuldeep. Also read: 'Just one in 8 attempts': Sehwag gives EPIC reply to Vaughan's 'England in World Cup semis' remark Latif, however, feels India should play R Ashwin in every game. Ashwin, who was selected in the World Cup squad at the last minute after Axar Patel's injury, played versus Australia but has warmed the bench in the next two games. "I was surprised that India didn’t pick Ashwin. I feel he should play all the matches for India. If Ashwin had played I don’t think we could have even got 190 on the board,” Latif added. India will look to maintain their winning run when they lock horns with the Bangla Tigers on Thursday. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Kuldeep Yadav will end as ODI World Cup 2023's highest wicket-taker, predicts former Pakistan captain

<p>Pakistan losing to India didn’t sit well with anyone from that part of the world. While several experts came down hard on the batters, exposing the deficiencies in their technique, others questioned the overall functioning of the PCB. Former captain and legend Wasim Akram is one of them, who, during a chat show in Pakistan, made shocking revelations that seem to turn quite a few heads around.</p>

<p>Speaking on A-Sports following Pakistan’s record eighth loss to India in World Cup history in Ahmedabad the past week, Akram sounded concerned about Pakistan players' fitness, claiming that there is no fitness test or the famous Yo-Yo test for these players.</p>

<p>Drawing comparisons with how fit and polished their counterparts are on the field, Akram said, "I am concerned about the fitness of these players.”</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rashid-latif-tears-into-pakistan-cricket-setup-blames-political-vendetta-aggressive-changes-for-poor-show-647447">Rashid Latif tears into Pakistan cricket setup, blames political vendetta, aggressive changes for poor show</a></strong></p>

<p>“Now, there is no fitness test. When Misbah was the coach and selector, he used to get the Yo-Yo Test and other tests done. A professional cricketer should undergo a fitness test at least once in a month. If you won't do this, you will face this (defeat vs India)," Akram said on a Pakistan TV show.</p>

<p>He even went on to say that because of ongoing tensions behind the scenes in PCB, there was a lot of unrest in the dressing room, resulting in them failing to deliver on the big day.</p>

<p>Asked to bat first after losing the toss, Pakistan got off to a good start. Though both openers got out inside the first 12 overs, Captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan steadied the ship with an 82-run stand. However, the Indian bowlers inflicted crucial blows, triggering a collapse&nbsp;and reducing them from 155 for two to 191 all out.</p>

<p>Rohit Sharma scored a stunning 86 as he guided India to a seven-wicket win in Ahmedabad.</p>

<p>"PCB has seen three chairmen in the last three years. It created a scare among the team members and management about whether they would be part of the next series or not. From 154 for two and then 191 all out was really, really disappointing," the former Pakistan captain added.</p>

<h2>Rashid Latif bashes Pakistan Cricket</h2>

<p>Another former captain, Rashid Latif, bashed the Pakistan Cricket on the same grounds, saying the political vendetta and aggressive changes over the past year led to this situation.</p>

<p>“The continuous political interference is ruining Pakistan cricket,” Rashid Latif said, as quoted in The Indian Express.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“In the past twelve months, we have seen three different persons heading the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). We have seen Ramiz Raja, then Najam Sethi, and now Zaka Ashraf is at the helm. And not to forget, in the same timeline, we have had five selectors as well. Mohammad Wasim, Micky Arthur, Shahid Afridi, Haroon Rasheed, and now Inzamam-ul-Haq,” Latif added while talking about the reason behind the fall of Pakistan Cricket.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Pakistan losing to India didn’t sit well with anyone from that part of the world. While several experts came down hard on the batters, exposing the deficiencies in their technique, others questioned the overall functioning of the PCB.

Pakistan losing to India didn’t sit well with anyone from that part of the world. While several experts came down hard on the batters, exposing the deficiencies in their technique, others questioned the overall functioning of the PCB. Former captain and legend Wasim Akram is one of them, who, during a chat show in Pakistan, made shocking revelations that seem to turn quite a few heads around. Speaking on A-Sports following Pakistan’s record eighth loss to India in World Cup history in Ahmedabad the past week, Akram sounded concerned about Pakistan players' fitness, claiming that there is no fitness test or the famous Yo-Yo test for these players. Drawing comparisons with how fit and polished their counterparts are on the field, Akram said, "I am concerned about the fitness of these players.” ALSO READ: Rashid Latif tears into Pakistan cricket setup, blames political vendetta, aggressive changes for poor show “Now, there is no fitness test. When Misbah was the coach and selector, he used to get the Yo-Yo Test and other tests done. A professional cricketer should undergo a fitness test at least once in a month. If you won't do this, you will face this (defeat vs India)," Akram said on a Pakistan TV show. He even went on to say that because of ongoing tensions behind the scenes in PCB, there was a lot of unrest in the dressing room, resulting in them failing to deliver on the big day. Asked to bat first after losing the toss, Pakistan got off to a good start. Though both openers got out inside the first 12 overs, Captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan steadied the ship with an 82-run stand. However, the Indian bowlers inflicted crucial blows, triggering a collapse and reducing them from 155 for two to 191 all out. Rohit Sharma scored a stunning 86 as he guided India to a seven-wicket win in Ahmedabad. "PCB has seen three chairmen in the last three years. It created a scare among the team members and management about whether they would be part of the next series or not. From 154 for two and then 191 all out was really, really disappointing," the former Pakistan captain added. Rashid Latif bashes Pakistan Cricket Another former captain, Rashid Latif, bashed the Pakistan Cricket on the same grounds, saying the political vendetta and aggressive changes over the past year led to this situation. “The continuous political interference is ruining Pakistan cricket,” Rashid Latif said, as quoted in The Indian Express. “In the past twelve months, we have seen three different persons heading the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). We have seen Ramiz Raja, then Najam Sethi, and now Zaka Ashraf is at the helm. And not to forget, in the same timeline, we have had five selectors as well. Mohammad Wasim, Micky Arthur, Shahid Afridi, Haroon Rasheed, and now Inzamam-ul-Haq,” Latif added while talking about the reason behind the fall of Pakistan Cricket. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

World Cup: No fitness, Yo-Yo tests for Pakistan players: Wasim Akram's shocking revelation turns heads

<p>A complaint has been filed against star Pakistan keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan for offering prayers (namaz) on the cricket field during the game against the Netherlands in World Cup 2023. Vineet Jindal, an advocate in the Supreme Court of India, wrote to the ICC, saying Rizwan offering prayers during the match ‘raises questions about the spirit of the game.’</p>

<p>“This is a complaint about Pakistan Cricket Player, Mohammad Rizwan, who was seen offering namaz on the cricket field during his team’s opening match of the ongoing ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 on Friday (Oct 6) against the Netherlands in Hyderabad,” reads the complaint filed by Jindal with the ICC chairman Greg Barclay.</p>

<p>“The act of Mohammad Rizwan when he read namaz on the cricket field amid many Indians is symbolic of the intentional depiction of his religion, which stands against the spirit of the sports,” it added.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rashid-latif-tears-into-pakistan-cricket-setup-blames-political-vendetta-aggressive-changes-for-poor-show-647447">Rashid Latif tears into Pakistan cricket setup, blames political vendetta, aggressive changes for poor show</a></strong></p>

<p>In the complaint he filed, the lawyer said Rizwan offering the prayers defeated the whole purpose of the spirit of cricket, further questioning his ideology behind it. He added that by doing so, Rizwan was purposely depicting his religion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Vineet posted the photo of his complaint on his social media handle, receiving attention from everywhere.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">खेल की भावना को जीवित रखने के लिए, अधिवक्ता विनीत जिंदल ने 6 अक्टूबर 2023 को क्रिकेट मैच के दौरान "नमाज़" की पेशकश करने के लिए पाकिस्तान क्रिकेट टीम के विकेटकीपर और बल्लेबाज मोहम्मद रिज़वान के खिलाफ अंतर्राष्ट्रीय क्रिकेट परिषद में शिकायत दर्ज की।<br />
शिकायत की कॉपी आईसीसी एथिक्स… <a href="https://t.co/w2Ezm6KaTy">pic.twitter.com/w2Ezm6KaTy</a></p>
— Adv.Vineet Jindal (@vineetJindal19) <a href="https://twitter.com/vineetJindal19/status/1713086170102710678?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>“This very act of the player raises questions about the spirit of the match and raises a question of the ideology, the player follows while playing the match. The act of displaying his religion by Mohammed Rizwan purposefully depicts his intent to message that he is a Muslim, defeating the spirit of sports. Rizwan was seen offering prayers amid the field while his teammates were waiting for the drinks during the break,” the complaint read.</p>

<p>Following his match-winning hundred against Sri Lanka the other day, Rizwan dedicated his knock (on X – previously known as Twitter) to the people of Gaza, putting himself in a controversial sphere, given the dos and don’ts laid by the cricket’s governing body.</p>

<p>“The act of representation of his religion by Mohammed Rizwan in the field and further followed by his statement in his press conference regarding the dedication of his victory to the people of Gaza further attests to his religious and political ideology,” the statement read.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Pakistan have won two and lost one in three matches played in this World Cup so far. They will next face Australia in Bengaluru on Friday (Oct 20).&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


A complaint has been filed against star Pakistan keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan for offering prayers (namaz) on the cricket field during the game against the Netherlands in World Cup 2023.

A complaint has been filed against star Pakistan keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan for offering prayers (namaz) on the cricket field during the game against the Netherlands in World Cup 2023. Vineet Jindal, an advocate in the Supreme Court of India, wrote to the ICC, saying Rizwan offering prayers during the match ‘raises questions about the spirit of the game.’ “This is a complaint about Pakistan Cricket Player, Mohammad Rizwan, who was seen offering namaz on the cricket field during his team’s opening match of the ongoing ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 on Friday (Oct 6) against the Netherlands in Hyderabad,” reads the complaint filed by Jindal with the ICC chairman Greg Barclay. “The act of Mohammad Rizwan when he read namaz on the cricket field amid many Indians is symbolic of the intentional depiction of his religion, which stands against the spirit of the sports,” it added. ALSO READ: Rashid Latif tears into Pakistan cricket setup, blames political vendetta, aggressive changes for poor show In the complaint he filed, the lawyer said Rizwan offering the prayers defeated the whole purpose of the spirit of cricket, further questioning his ideology behind it. He added that by doing so, Rizwan was purposely depicting his religion. Vineet posted the photo of his complaint on his social media handle, receiving attention from everywhere. खेल की भावना को जीवित रखने के लिए, अधिवक्ता विनीत जिंदल ने 6 अक्टूबर 2023 को क्रिकेट मैच के दौरान "नमाज़" की पेशकश करने के लिए पाकिस्तान क्रिकेट टीम के विकेटकीपर और बल्लेबाज मोहम्मद रिज़वान के खिलाफ अंतर्राष्ट्रीय क्रिकेट परिषद में शिकायत दर्ज की। शिकायत की कॉपी आईसीसी एथिक्स… pic.twitter.com/w2Ezm6KaTy — Adv.Vineet Jindal (@vineetJindal19) October 14, 2023 × “This very act of the player raises questions about the spirit of the match and raises a question of the ideology, the player follows while playing the match. The act of displaying his religion by Mohammed Rizwan purposefully depicts his intent to message that he is a Muslim, defeating the spirit of sports. Rizwan was seen offering prayers amid the field while his teammates were waiting for the drinks during the break,” the complaint read. Following his match-winning hundred against Sri Lanka the other day, Rizwan dedicated his knock (on X – previously known as Twitter) to the people of Gaza, putting himself in a controversial sphere, given the dos and don’ts laid by the cricket’s governing body. “The act of representation of his religion by Mohammed Rizwan in the field and further followed by his statement in his press conference regarding the dedication of his victory to the people of Gaza further attests to his religious and political ideology,” the statement read. Meanwhile, Pakistan have won two and lost one in three matches played in this World Cup so far. They will next face Australia in Bengaluru on Friday (Oct 20). WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

World Cup: Complaint filed against Mohammad Rizwan for offering prayers on field during Netherlands game

<p>Former Pakistan captain and veteran keeper-batter Rashid Latif bashed the current situation of Pakistan cricket and its board in the country. Following their loss to India for the record eighth time in World Cup history in Ahmedabad by seven wickets, Latif pointed fingers towards political vendetta and aggressive changes in the top brass as reasons behind the team’s yet another failure on the big stage.</p>

<p>“The continuous political interference is ruining Pakistan cricket,” Rashid Latif said, as quoted in The Indian Express.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“In the past twelve months, we have seen three different persons heading the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). We have seen Ramiz Raja, then Najam Sethi, and now Zaka Ashraf is at the helm. And not to forget, in the same timeline, we have had five selectors as well. Mohammad Wasim, Micky Arthur, Shahid Afridi, Haroon Rasheed, and now Inzamam-ul-Haq,” Latif added while talking about the reason behind the fall of Pakistan Cricket.&nbsp;</p>

<p>From being 155 for two at one stage to getting all out on 191 on a batting paradise at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Pakistan lost momentum and thus the match later on. For India, skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front, hitting a magnificent 86, including six sixes, helping India cross the line with relative ease.</p>

<p>Although Pakistan Captain Babar Azam completed his fifty and Muhammad Rizwan contributed with 49 in the middle overs, none of the batters could put pressure back on the Indian bowlers.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cwc-we-got-to-move-on-quickly-but-players-must-enjoy-the-win-first-trott-on-afgs-famous-win-over-england-647374">CWC: We got to move on quickly but players must enjoy the win first: Trott on AFG’s famous win over England</a></strong></p>

<p>“The selectors should also be blamed because there was no vision. Saud Shakeel, Abdullah Shafique and Hasan Ali were not in contention a year ago, and suddenly, they are in the ODI World Cup.</p>

<p>“Saud and Abdullah had never played a high-intensity game, and you cannot blame them. Fakhar Zaman was our main player for the past three years and all of a sudden, he was dropped. I agree that he was not in good form, but in my opinion, he should have batted at No 4 to face Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav,” Latif bashed the selection criteria.</p>

<h2>Shaheen looked fatigued; Pakistan lacked mental toughness</h2>

<p>The bowlers looked fatigued, starting with Shaheen, who is said to be carrying an injury. Besides him, Haris Rauf failed to terrorize batters with his steamy pace the way he does in the shortest format. And as per Rashid, with Indians being so good against the spin, they could have hit Shadab Khan with their eyes closed.</p>

<p>“I don’t know if Shaheen Afridi is injured, but he looked fatigued. Haris Rauf will have to learn how to hit the good lengths consistently. In the T20Is, the four-over spell can make you a superstar by firing all the cylinders in 24 balls. But in the ODIs and Test cricket, you need that mental toughness that was lacking in Ahmedabad,” the Pakistan veteran added.</p>

<p>“Shadab Khan’s spells against the minor teams are exceptional but when it comes to the top five side, he struggles. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jos Buttler, Glenn Maxwell, and David Miller face the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Rashid Khan and Tabraiz Shamsi in the nets; they will pick Shadab with their eyes shut,” Rashid slammed Pakistan team’s vice-captain.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Former Pakistan captain and veteran keeper-batter Rashid Latif bashed the current situation of Pakistan cricket and its board in the country. Following their loss to India for the record eighth time in World Cup history in Ahmedabad by seven wickets, Latif pointed fingers towards political vendetta and aggressive changes in the top brass as reasons behind the team’s yet another failure on the big stage.

Former Pakistan captain and veteran keeper-batter Rashid Latif bashed the current situation of Pakistan cricket and its board in the country. Following their loss to India for the record eighth time in World Cup history in Ahmedabad by seven wickets, Latif pointed fingers towards political vendetta and aggressive changes in the top brass as reasons behind the team’s yet another failure on the big stage. “The continuous political interference is ruining Pakistan cricket,” Rashid Latif said, as quoted in The Indian Express. “In the past twelve months, we have seen three different persons heading the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). We have seen Ramiz Raja, then Najam Sethi, and now Zaka Ashraf is at the helm. And not to forget, in the same timeline, we have had five selectors as well. Mohammad Wasim, Micky Arthur, Shahid Afridi, Haroon Rasheed, and now Inzamam-ul-Haq,” Latif added while talking about the reason behind the fall of Pakistan Cricket. From being 155 for two at one stage to getting all out on 191 on a batting paradise at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Pakistan lost momentum and thus the match later on. For India, skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front, hitting a magnificent 86, including six sixes, helping India cross the line with relative ease. Although Pakistan Captain Babar Azam completed his fifty and Muhammad Rizwan contributed with 49 in the middle overs, none of the batters could put pressure back on the Indian bowlers. ALSO READ: CWC: We got to move on quickly but players must enjoy the win first: Trott on AFG’s famous win over England “The selectors should also be blamed because there was no vision. Saud Shakeel, Abdullah Shafique and Hasan Ali were not in contention a year ago, and suddenly, they are in the ODI World Cup. “Saud and Abdullah had never played a high-intensity game, and you cannot blame them. Fakhar Zaman was our main player for the past three years and all of a sudden, he was dropped. I agree that he was not in good form, but in my opinion, he should have batted at No 4 to face Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav,” Latif bashed the selection criteria. Shaheen looked fatigued; Pakistan lacked mental toughness The bowlers looked fatigued, starting with Shaheen, who is said to be carrying an injury. Besides him, Haris Rauf failed to terrorize batters with his steamy pace the way he does in the shortest format. And as per Rashid, with Indians being so good against the spin, they could have hit Shadab Khan with their eyes closed. “I don’t know if Shaheen Afridi is injured, but he looked fatigued. Haris Rauf will have to learn how to hit the good lengths consistently. In the T20Is, the four-over spell can make you a superstar by firing all the cylinders in 24 balls. But in the ODIs and Test cricket, you need that mental toughness that was lacking in Ahmedabad,” the Pakistan veteran added. “Shadab Khan’s spells against the minor teams are exceptional but when it comes to the top five side, he struggles. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jos Buttler, Glenn Maxwell, and David Miller face the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Rashid Khan and Tabraiz Shamsi in the nets; they will pick Shadab with their eyes shut,” Rashid slammed Pakistan team’s vice-captain. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Rashid Latif tears into Pakistan cricket setup, blames political vendetta, aggressive changes for poor show

<p>Former Pakistan cricketers have slammed Mickey Arthur, the director of cricket, for his rather bizarre excuses after humiliating defeat against India at the World Cup. Arthur's comments in the aftermath of the defeat left everyone surprised with a section of former players suggesting the team director to address the real issues, instead of focusing on superficial ones.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Wasim Akram, one of the greatest players to have ever played the sport for Pakistan said he did not want to hear 'random stuff' from Arthur.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“What did you plan against Kuldeep Yadav? That's what we want to hear, not this random stuff. You can't get away from this,” Akram told Arthur during a show on Pakistan's national channel&nbsp;<i>A Sports.</i></p>

<p>Moin Khan, the former Pakistan wicketkeeper stated that Arthur should be talking about the areas for which he was hired.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“He's diverting attention. People are disheartened, and you are saying such emotional things. They should discuss things that they are appointed for, rather than such things. I understand it's an ICC event. But as a coach, you shouldn't really be saying such things,” said Moin.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Shoaib Malik said Pakistan should instead focus on what India did right and praise them for outplaying Pakistan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I think we should rather praise them. If there's an event in our country, we should also utilise our home conditions like this,” Malik said.</p>

<h2><strong>What did Arthur say?</strong></h2>

<p>Fresh after the loss, Arthur said the blur of blue at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad felt like playing at a BCCI event, instead of an ICC event.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It didn't seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) event," said Arthur.</p>

<p>Arthur accused the stadium's public address system organisers of favouring India by refusing to play "Dil Dil Pakistan", the nation's unofficial anthem.</p>

<p>"I didn't hear 'Dil Dil Pakistan' ('My heart is Pakistan') coming through too often tonight. So yes, that does play a role, but I'm not going to use that as an excuse."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-2023-didnt-hear-dil-dil-pakistan-pakistans-mickey-arthur-slams-bcci-in-bizarre-manner-646939"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;World Cup 2023: 'Didn't hear Dil Dil Pakistan...', Pakistan's Mickey Arthur slams BCCI in bizarre manner</strong></a></p>

<p>Arthur, however, signed off by admitting that&nbsp;Pakistan's 'timid' playing style was perhaps the reason for the side's downfall.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I thought we were a little bit timid. I did think we could probably have taken on the Indian spinners just a little bit more," said Arthur.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I think we've got to realise that there are two ways to always skin a cat. And we've had success by taking it deep and then cashing in at the back end but we couldn't do that," added the former Pakistan coach.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Former Pakistan cricketers have slammed Mickey Arthur, the director of cricket, for his rather bizarre excuses after humiliating defeat against India at the World Cup.

Former Pakistan cricketers have slammed Mickey Arthur, the director of cricket, for his rather bizarre excuses after humiliating defeat against India at the World Cup. Arthur's comments in the aftermath of the defeat left everyone surprised with a section of former players suggesting the team director to address the real issues, instead of focusing on superficial ones. Wasim Akram, one of the greatest players to have ever played the sport for Pakistan said he did not want to hear 'random stuff' from Arthur. “What did you plan against Kuldeep Yadav? That's what we want to hear, not this random stuff. You can't get away from this,” Akram told Arthur during a show on Pakistan's national channel A Sports. Moin Khan, the former Pakistan wicketkeeper stated that Arthur should be talking about the areas for which he was hired. “He's diverting attention. People are disheartened, and you are saying such emotional things. They should discuss things that they are appointed for, rather than such things. I understand it's an ICC event. But as a coach, you shouldn't really be saying such things,” said Moin. Meanwhile, Shoaib Malik said Pakistan should instead focus on what India did right and praise them for outplaying Pakistan. “I think we should rather praise them. If there's an event in our country, we should also utilise our home conditions like this,” Malik said. What did Arthur say? Fresh after the loss, Arthur said the blur of blue at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad felt like playing at a BCCI event, instead of an ICC event. "It didn't seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) event," said Arthur. Arthur accused the stadium's public address system organisers of favouring India by refusing to play "Dil Dil Pakistan", the nation's unofficial anthem. "I didn't hear 'Dil Dil Pakistan' ('My heart is Pakistan') coming through too often tonight. So yes, that does play a role, but I'm not going to use that as an excuse." Also read | World Cup 2023: 'Didn't hear Dil Dil Pakistan...', Pakistan's Mickey Arthur slams BCCI in bizarre manner Arthur, however, signed off by admitting that Pakistan's 'timid' playing style was perhaps the reason for the side's downfall. "I thought we were a little bit timid. I did think we could probably have taken on the Indian spinners just a little bit more," said Arthur. "I think we've got to realise that there are two ways to always skin a cat. And we've had success by taking it deep and then cashing in at the back end but we couldn't do that," added the former Pakistan coach. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

'He's diverting attention...': Former Pakistan players slam Mickey Arthur for 'BCCI event' remark

<p>Pakistan men's cricket team director Mickey Arthur was not a happy man after his team's abject surrender against arch rivals India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad during the World Cup encounter. Arthur took a dig at the BCCI - the governing body for cricket in India, saying the absence of support for Pakistan in the 132,000-capacity stadium made the&nbsp;occasion look more like "a BCCI event" rather than an international marquee match-up.</p>

<p>After Pakistanis failed to secure visas from Indian consulates to cross the border, the majority of the Ahmedabad stadium was awash with blue-jersey-wearing Indian supporters, which seemingly didn't go down well with Arthur.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It didn't seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) event," said Arthur.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arthur accused the stadium's public address system organisers of favouring India by refusing to play "Dil Dil Pakistan", the nation's unofficial anthem.</p>

<p>"I didn't hear 'Dil Dil Pakistan' ('My heart is Pakistan') coming through too often tonight. So yes, that does play a role, but I'm not going to use that as an excuse."</p>

<p>Despite the bizarre excuses, Arthur admitted that Pakistan's 'timid' playing style was perhaps the reason for the side's downfall.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I thought we were a little bit timid. I did think we could probably have taken on the Indian spinners just a little bit more," said Arthur.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I think we've got to realise that there are two ways to always skin a cat. And we've had success by taking it deep and then cashing in at the back end but we couldn't do that," added the former Pakistan coach.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/odi-world-cup-rohit-sharmas-fifty-paints-ahmedabad-blue-as-india-maintain-perfect-winning-record-vs-pakistan-646866"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;ODI World Cup: Rohit Sharma's knock paints Ahmedabad blue as India extend winning record vs Pakistan to 8-0</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Aakash Chopra slams Arthur</strong></h2>

<p>After Arthur's comments went viral, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra slammed Arthur&nbsp;for making excuses.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"DJ wale babu mera gana baja do (DJ guy, please play my song)…I mean seriously???? Did we hear Sri Lanka complain about the fact that the Hyderabad crowd was chanting ‘Pakistan Jeetega’?? I’ll be genuinely surprised if the DJ at Narendra Modi Stadium played ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ even once today," said Chopra on X, formerly known as Twitter.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">DJ wale babu mera gana baja do…I mean seriously????<br />
<br />
Did we hear Sri Lanka complain about the fact that the Hyderabad crowd was chanting ‘Pakistan Jeetega’??<br />
<br />
I’ll be genuinely surprised if the DJ at Narendra Modi Stadium played ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ even once today. <a href="https://t.co/Nt6yM8Otme">https://t.co/Nt6yM8Otme</a></p>
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketaakash/status/1713237366314504267?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>With the win, India now find themselves on top of the points table and well on their way to securing a top 4 finish. The Men-in-Blue will now face Bangladesh next week on Thursday (Oct 19) at the&nbsp;Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Pakistan will square up against Australia on Friday (Oct&nbsp;20) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Pakistan men's cricket team director Mickey Arthur was not a happy man after his team's abject surrender against arch rivals India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad during the World Cup encounter.

Pakistan men's cricket team director Mickey Arthur was not a happy man after his team's abject surrender against arch rivals India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad during the World Cup encounter. Arthur took a dig at the BCCI - the governing body for cricket in India, saying the absence of support for Pakistan in the 132,000-capacity stadium made the occasion look more like "a BCCI event" rather than an international marquee match-up. After Pakistanis failed to secure visas from Indian consulates to cross the border, the majority of the Ahmedabad stadium was awash with blue-jersey-wearing Indian supporters, which seemingly didn't go down well with Arthur. "It didn't seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) event," said Arthur. Arthur accused the stadium's public address system organisers of favouring India by refusing to play "Dil Dil Pakistan", the nation's unofficial anthem. "I didn't hear 'Dil Dil Pakistan' ('My heart is Pakistan') coming through too often tonight. So yes, that does play a role, but I'm not going to use that as an excuse." Despite the bizarre excuses, Arthur admitted that Pakistan's 'timid' playing style was perhaps the reason for the side's downfall. "I thought we were a little bit timid. I did think we could probably have taken on the Indian spinners just a little bit more," said Arthur. "I think we've got to realise that there are two ways to always skin a cat. And we've had success by taking it deep and then cashing in at the back end but we couldn't do that," added the former Pakistan coach. Also read | ODI World Cup: Rohit Sharma's knock paints Ahmedabad blue as India extend winning record vs Pakistan to 8-0 Aakash Chopra slams Arthur After Arthur's comments went viral, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra slammed Arthur for making excuses. "DJ wale babu mera gana baja do (DJ guy, please play my song)…I mean seriously???? Did we hear Sri Lanka complain about the fact that the Hyderabad crowd was chanting ‘Pakistan Jeetega’?? I’ll be genuinely surprised if the DJ at Narendra Modi Stadium played ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ even once today," said Chopra on X, formerly known as Twitter. DJ wale babu mera gana baja do…I mean seriously???? Did we hear Sri Lanka complain about the fact that the Hyderabad crowd was chanting ‘Pakistan Jeetega’?? I’ll be genuinely surprised if the DJ at Narendra Modi Stadium played ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ even once today. https://t.co/Nt6yM8Otme — Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 14, 2023 × With the win, India now find themselves on top of the points table and well on their way to securing a top 4 finish. The Men-in-Blue will now face Bangladesh next week on Thursday (Oct 19) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Meanwhile, Pakistan will square up against Australia on Friday (Oct 20) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World Cup 2023: 'Didn't hear Dil Dil Pakistan...', Pakistan's Mickey Arthur slams BCCI in bizarre manner

<p>Pakistan captain Babar Azam was scathing in his assessment after his side succumbed in a rather timid manner to arch rivals India in the ongoing World Cup. Speaking at the post-match ceremony at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Babar said the Pakistani team was not up to the task on the day.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Put in to bat first, the Pakistani side crumbled after getting a decent start as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan failed to capitalise on starts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We started well. We got a good partnership going. We just planned to play normal cricket and build partnerships, but suddenly we had a collapse in the middle order and did not finish well. Not good for us. The way we started, we wanted to target 280-290, but the collapse cost us. And the total was not good. With the new ball, probably we are not up to the mark. Different game, different situation," said Babar after the match.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Pakistani skipper also praised his Indian counterpart, adding: "Rohit&nbsp;(Sharma) was outstanding today. We tried to take wickets and win the match, but didn't happen."</p>

<h2><strong>Rohit Sharma praises bowlers&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Indian captain Rohit Sharma was all praise for his bowlers and said restricting the Pakistani batting lineup to 190 was a 'great effort'.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The bowlers were the ones who set the game for us today as well. Restricting them to around 190 was a great effort. I don't think it was a 190-pitch. At one stage, we were looking at 280 or 270,"&nbsp;said Sharma.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We've got six individuals who can do the job for us with the ball. It cannot be everyone's day every day. The guy who is having a good day needs to make sure he gets the job done for the team. And obviously, my job as the captain is important there as well - to read the conditions, assess who is the guy who can trouble the batters."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-2023-too-easy-for-us-fans-react-as-india-thump-pakistan-yet-again-646875"><strong>Also read | World Cup 2023: 'Too easy for us', Fans react as India thump Pakistan yet again</strong></a></p>

<p>"All in all it's looking good. We don't want to get too excited or too low as well. We want to stay balanced and that's the key playing a tournament like the World Cup. We've got to keep calm, keep it balanced and keep moving forward."</p>

<p>With the win, India now find themselves on top of the points table and well on their way to securing a top 4 finish. The Men-in-Blue will now face Bangladesh next week on Thursday (Oct 19) at the&nbsp;Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Pakistan captain Babar Azam was scathing in his assessment after his side succumbed in a rather timid manner to arch rivals India in the ongoing World Cup. Speaking at the post-match ceremony at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Babar said the Pakistani team was not up to the task on the day.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam was scathing in his assessment after his side succumbed in a rather timid manner to arch rivals India in the ongoing World Cup. Speaking at the post-match ceremony at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Babar said the Pakistani team was not up to the task on the day. Put in to bat first, the Pakistani side crumbled after getting a decent start as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan failed to capitalise on starts. "We started well. We got a good partnership going. We just planned to play normal cricket and build partnerships, but suddenly we had a collapse in the middle order and did not finish well. Not good for us. The way we started, we wanted to target 280-290, but the collapse cost us. And the total was not good. With the new ball, probably we are not up to the mark. Different game, different situation," said Babar after the match. The Pakistani skipper also praised his Indian counterpart, adding: "Rohit (Sharma) was outstanding today. We tried to take wickets and win the match, but didn't happen." Rohit Sharma praises bowlers Indian captain Rohit Sharma was all praise for his bowlers and said restricting the Pakistani batting lineup to 190 was a 'great effort'. "The bowlers were the ones who set the game for us today as well. Restricting them to around 190 was a great effort. I don't think it was a 190-pitch. At one stage, we were looking at 280 or 270," said Sharma. "We've got six individuals who can do the job for us with the ball. It cannot be everyone's day every day. The guy who is having a good day needs to make sure he gets the job done for the team. And obviously, my job as the captain is important there as well - to read the conditions, assess who is the guy who can trouble the batters." Also read | World Cup 2023: 'Too easy for us', Fans react as India thump Pakistan yet again "All in all it's looking good. We don't want to get too excited or too low as well. We want to stay balanced and that's the key playing a tournament like the World Cup. We've got to keep calm, keep it balanced and keep moving forward." With the win, India now find themselves on top of the points table and well on their way to securing a top 4 finish. The Men-in-Blue will now face Bangladesh next week on Thursday (Oct 19) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World Cup 2023: 'We were not up to the mark...', Babar Azam's scathing criticism after Pak slump vs India

<p>In what turned out to be a one-sided contest in the end, India thumped Pakistan in fine fashion in front of a capacity crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday (Oct 14) evening. The much-hyped India-Pakistan contest could not live up to its full billing once again as India brought their superior A-game that left the Pakistani side flabbergasted as to what hit them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Indian bowlers beautifully set up the game after restricting Pakistan to a below-par total of 190 on a pitch that was excessively flat. Put into bat first by Indian captain Rohit Sharma, Pakistan batters had the upper hand in the first 30 overs as they only lost two wickets and had both Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan at the crease.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After the match, Indian fans went ballistic on social media, even though it was the third encounter of their eight-match league stage campaign.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rohit Sharma vs Pak bowlers tonight 😁 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvPAK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC2023</a> <a href="https://t.co/z5Z5D6qLbY">pic.twitter.com/z5Z5D6qLbY</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1713192462964203624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Indian fans were highly appreciative of&nbsp;Jasprit Bumrah whose excellent spell completely titled the game in India's favour.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Every Indian right now be like 🇮🇳🙌<br />
<br />
💥 Bumrah in today's match: 2/19 &amp; a catch.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaspritBumrah?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaspritBumrah</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvPAK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsPAK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CricketComesHome?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CricketComesHome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC23</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BharatArmy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BharatArmy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COTI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COTI</a>🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/tHEIbHwsCt">pic.twitter.com/tHEIbHwsCt</a></p>
— The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/thebharatarmy/status/1713164177022566445?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Seasoned cricket commentator said the defeat for Pakistan was inevitable, especially after their recent performances.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pakistan got out of jail against Sri Lanka and have now been outplayed by India. Lots of thinking to do, especially with their traditional strength, their bowling.</p>
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) <a href="https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha/status/1713201515610153244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Team India all the way!<br />
<br />
A great win today in Ahmedabad, powered by all round excellence.<br />
<br />
Congratulations to the team and best wishes for the matches ahead.</p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1713202787633475646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Since 2013, Pakistan has batted in 12 ODI innings against India and they have been bowled out 8 times.<br />
<br />
Biggest rivalry only on paper. 💆 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndvPak?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndvPak</a></p>
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) <a href="https://twitter.com/FarziCricketer/status/1713199537618297294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">As usual Pakistan not realising where the boundaries are.</p>
— Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) <a href="https://twitter.com/GabbbarSingh/status/1713200236775276813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Can't wait to watch India vs Sri Lanka at the Wankhede later on in the tournament ❤️</p>
— Manas Singh (@menacesingh) <a href="https://twitter.com/menacesingh/status/1713203098494378168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">With our frontline bowlers clicking, and top order knocking off the runs, Shardul Thakur is just not getting a chance to prove that he should be dropped.</p>
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) <a href="https://twitter.com/rameshsrivats/status/1713202388570382770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Even former Pakistani cricketers say the light side of things after their batting unit capitulated.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Every Pakistani cricket fan right now 💔 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC23</a> <a href="https://t.co/ewTOjDZR1R">pic.twitter.com/ewTOjDZR1R</a></p>
— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) <a href="https://twitter.com/MHafeez22/status/1713170197350363272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>With the win, India now find themselves on top of the points table and well on their way to securing a top 4 finish. The Men-in-Blue will now face Bangladesh next week on Thursday (Oct 19) at the&nbsp;Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


In what turned out to be a one-sided contest in the end, India thumped Pakistan in fine fashion in front of a capacity crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday (Oct 14) evening.

In what turned out to be a one-sided contest in the end, India thumped Pakistan in fine fashion in front of a capacity crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday (Oct 14) evening. The much-hyped India-Pakistan contest could not live up to its full billing once again as India brought their superior A-game that left the Pakistani side flabbergasted as to what hit them. Indian bowlers beautifully set up the game after restricting Pakistan to a below-par total of 190 on a pitch that was excessively flat. Put into bat first by Indian captain Rohit Sharma, Pakistan batters had the upper hand in the first 30 overs as they only lost two wickets and had both Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan at the crease. After the match, Indian fans went ballistic on social media, even though it was the third encounter of their eight-match league stage campaign. Rohit Sharma vs Pak bowlers tonight 😁 #INDvPAK #CWC2023 pic.twitter.com/z5Z5D6qLbY — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) October 14, 2023 × Indian fans were highly appreciative of Jasprit Bumrah whose excellent spell completely titled the game in India's favour. Every Indian right now be like 🇮🇳🙌 💥 Bumrah in today's match: 2/19 & a catch.#JaspritBumrah #INDvPAK #INDvsPAK #CricketComesHome #CWC23 #TeamIndia #BharatArmy #COTI🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/tHEIbHwsCt — The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) October 14, 2023 × Seasoned cricket commentator said the defeat for Pakistan was inevitable, especially after their recent performances. Pakistan got out of jail against Sri Lanka and have now been outplayed by India. Lots of thinking to do, especially with their traditional strength, their bowling. — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) October 14, 2023 × Team India all the way! A great win today in Ahmedabad, powered by all round excellence. Congratulations to the team and best wishes for the matches ahead. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 14, 2023 × Since 2013, Pakistan has batted in 12 ODI innings against India and they have been bowled out 8 times. Biggest rivalry only on paper. 💆 #IndvPak — Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) October 14, 2023 × As usual Pakistan not realising where the boundaries are. — Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) October 14, 2023 × Can't wait to watch India vs Sri Lanka at the Wankhede later on in the tournament ❤️ — Manas Singh (@menacesingh) October 14, 2023 × With our frontline bowlers clicking, and top order knocking off the runs, Shardul Thakur is just not getting a chance to prove that he should be dropped. — Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) October 14, 2023 × Even former Pakistani cricketers say the light side of things after their batting unit capitulated. Every Pakistani cricket fan right now 💔 #PAKvIND #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/ewTOjDZR1R — Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) October 14, 2023 × With the win, India now find themselves on top of the points table and well on their way to securing a top 4 finish. The Men-in-Blue will now face Bangladesh next week on Thursday (Oct 19) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World Cup 2023: 'Too easy for us', Fans react as India thump Pakistan yet again

<p>For those who know and those who don’t, India leads Pakistan 7-0 in the Cricket World Cup history, with the eighth match scheduled to get underway at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday (Oct 14). While history favours India heading into this marquee clash, Pakistan Captain and star batter Babar Azam feels the streaks are meant to be broken, and his team could create history by winning this match, upsetting over 100,000 fans inside the stadium.</p>

<p>Speaking to the media on the eve of the most-talked-about cricket match in this World Cup between India and Pakistan, Babar said whatever happened in the past cannot be changed, but his team can change what’s ahead of them.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-winning-in-india-is-tough-but-we-aim-to-knock-hosts-off-their-perch-england-seamer-sends-warning-646379">World Cup: Winning in India is tough but we aim to knock hosts ‘off their perch’: England seamer sends warning</a></strong></p>

<p>Admitting to not worrying too much about this high-pressure game, Babar said his team would give their best on the field, leaving it to their efforts and God to yield them the desired result.</p>

<p>"I believe there is no point focusing on whatever has happened in the past. I believe we need to focus on what is ahead of us," Babar told media personnel ahead of the India-Pakistan match.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"All these streaks are made to be broken. God willing, we will try to give our best tomorrow. Anything can happen on the day. I fully believe my team has done well in the first three matches, and will continue doing so in the coming matches," he added.</p>

<h2>‘Playing in front of large crowd is an opportunity and not pressure’</h2>

<p>Having spoken earlier about playing under pressure in front of over 100,000 people at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad, Babar said he and his team look at this as an opportunity.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Claiming to have felt crowd pressure of this magnitude before (a reference to playing at the MCG in Australia), the ranked number one ODI batter expects the spectators to support his team as well during this match.</p>

<p>"This is not pressure," Babar said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We have played in front of large crowds before. MCG and all the big stadiums. Yes, this is also a big stadium. And yes, Ahmedabad will be mostly blue. If Pakistan fans had been allowed, they would have loved to support us. But when we entered Hyderabad, we saw a lot of supporters of the Pakistan team. I expect the same, and we are looking forward to the match."</p>

<p>The match will begin at 2 pm IST.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, a star-studded ceremony before the start of the game will also take place at the stadium, with several musicians and top names from the Bollywood industry gracing the occasion with their presence.</p>

<p>The match will be broadcast on Star Sports network on TV and Hotstar online.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


For those who know and those who don’t, India leads Pakistan 7-0 in the Cricket World Cup history, with the eighth match scheduled to get underway at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday (Oct 14).

For those who know and those who don’t, India leads Pakistan 7-0 in the Cricket World Cup history, with the eighth match scheduled to get underway at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday (Oct 14). While history favours India heading into this marquee clash, Pakistan Captain and star batter Babar Azam feels the streaks are meant to be broken, and his team could create history by winning this match, upsetting over 100,000 fans inside the stadium. Speaking to the media on the eve of the most-talked-about cricket match in this World Cup between India and Pakistan, Babar said whatever happened in the past cannot be changed, but his team can change what’s ahead of them. ALSO READ: World Cup: Winning in India is tough but we aim to knock hosts ‘off their perch’: England seamer sends warning Admitting to not worrying too much about this high-pressure game, Babar said his team would give their best on the field, leaving it to their efforts and God to yield them the desired result. "I believe there is no point focusing on whatever has happened in the past. I believe we need to focus on what is ahead of us," Babar told media personnel ahead of the India-Pakistan match. "All these streaks are made to be broken. God willing, we will try to give our best tomorrow. Anything can happen on the day. I fully believe my team has done well in the first three matches, and will continue doing so in the coming matches," he added. ‘Playing in front of large crowd is an opportunity and not pressure’ Having spoken earlier about playing under pressure in front of over 100,000 people at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad, Babar said he and his team look at this as an opportunity. Claiming to have felt crowd pressure of this magnitude before (a reference to playing at the MCG in Australia), the ranked number one ODI batter expects the spectators to support his team as well during this match. "This is not pressure," Babar said. "We have played in front of large crowds before. MCG and all the big stadiums. Yes, this is also a big stadium. And yes, Ahmedabad will be mostly blue. If Pakistan fans had been allowed, they would have loved to support us. But when we entered Hyderabad, we saw a lot of supporters of the Pakistan team. I expect the same, and we are looking forward to the match." The match will begin at 2 pm IST. Meanwhile, a star-studded ceremony before the start of the game will also take place at the stadium, with several musicians and top names from the Bollywood industry gracing the occasion with their presence. The match will be broadcast on Star Sports network on TV and Hotstar online. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

All streaks are meant to be broken: Babar Azam shrugs off past records ahead of India-Pakistan World Cup tie

<p>The mother of all clashes – India vs Pakistan is finally upon us. Two heavyweights in world cricket, the two Asian giants are up against each other for the first time in World Cup 2023. The Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the marquee clash on Saturday (Oct 14) as the world awaits the drama that unfolds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here is the preview and result prediction of the India vs Pakistan World Cup 2023 game.</p>

<h2>India ready to better CWC record tally</h2>

<p>India currently leads Pakistan 7-0 in the Cricket World Cup history, having previously beaten them in the last edition (in 2019 in England). The Men in Blue fared well against their arch-rivals in their previous outings (once during the Asia Cup 2023), beating them in the Super Four stage by 228 runs.</p>

<p>Coming off fresh from twin wins in two matches in this World Cup 2023, beating Australia and Afghanistan, respectively, India will hold an upper hand heading into this high-octane encounter in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-pak-world-cup-2023-weather-report-from-ahmedabad-will-rain-play-spoilsport-in-india-pakistan-match-646287">IND vs PAK, World Cup 2023: Weather report from Ahmedabad- Will rain play spoilsport in India-Pakistan match?</a></strong></p>

<p>Although it’s unclear if Shubman Gill will play or not as he recovers from the dengue fever, India is likely to opt for the same batting order, with Captain Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan opening the innings. The middle order will look the same, but it’s the bowling department where the fans can see a change happening.</p>

<p>It would be a toss-up between Ravi Ashwin and Shardul Thakur for the number eight spot, and going by boundary dimensions and how the Ahmedabad pitch could fare, India could be tempted to bring in experienced Ashwin for this match.</p>

<h3>Pakistan to cause worry? Possible!</h3>

<p>Pakistan hasn’t beaten India across seven outings in this tournament, but given how they succeeded in chasing the highest team total in World Cup history, discounting them in this match would be a mistake.</p>

<p>In Abdullah Shafique, Pakistan has a reliable opener,&nbsp;captain Babar Azam is yet to fire in this CWC, while Muhammad Rizwan is their batter to look out for.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Considering the middle order of both teams hasn’t been tested enough yet, the onus would fall on them in this clash.</p>

<p>Pakistan’s bowling is their go-to department, and in the absence of dynamite Naseem Shah, Hasan Ali has filled in his shoes, performing against Sri Lanka by picking four wickets. Alongside him, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf will hold the key in this game.</p>

<p><strong>Result Prediction -</strong></p>

<p>This India vs Pakistan World Cup match guarantees to be an exciting affair, with both teams giving their best to come on top. However, with crowd support and given their recent run of form, India will start as favourites in this match.</p>

<p><strong>Predicted XIs –</strong></p>

<p><strong>India –</strong> Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Pakistan –</strong> Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (captain), Muhammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


The mother of all clashes – India vs Pakistan is finally upon us. Two heavyweights in world cricket, the two Asian giants are up against each other for the first time in World Cup 2023.

The mother of all clashes – India vs Pakistan is finally upon us. Two heavyweights in world cricket, the two Asian giants are up against each other for the first time in World Cup 2023. The Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the marquee clash on Saturday (Oct 14) as the world awaits the drama that unfolds. Here is the preview and result prediction of the India vs Pakistan World Cup 2023 game. India ready to better CWC record tally India currently leads Pakistan 7-0 in the Cricket World Cup history, having previously beaten them in the last edition (in 2019 in England). The Men in Blue fared well against their arch-rivals in their previous outings (once during the Asia Cup 2023), beating them in the Super Four stage by 228 runs. Coming off fresh from twin wins in two matches in this World Cup 2023, beating Australia and Afghanistan, respectively, India will hold an upper hand heading into this high-octane encounter in Ahmedabad. ALSO READ: IND vs PAK, World Cup 2023: Weather report from Ahmedabad- Will rain play spoilsport in India-Pakistan match? Although it’s unclear if Shubman Gill will play or not as he recovers from the dengue fever, India is likely to opt for the same batting order, with Captain Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan opening the innings. The middle order will look the same, but it’s the bowling department where the fans can see a change happening. It would be a toss-up between Ravi Ashwin and Shardul Thakur for the number eight spot, and going by boundary dimensions and how the Ahmedabad pitch could fare, India could be tempted to bring in experienced Ashwin for this match. Pakistan to cause worry? Possible! Pakistan hasn’t beaten India across seven outings in this tournament, but given how they succeeded in chasing the highest team total in World Cup history, discounting them in this match would be a mistake. In Abdullah Shafique, Pakistan has a reliable opener, captain Babar Azam is yet to fire in this CWC, while Muhammad Rizwan is their batter to look out for. Considering the middle order of both teams hasn’t been tested enough yet, the onus would fall on them in this clash. Pakistan’s bowling is their go-to department, and in the absence of dynamite Naseem Shah, Hasan Ali has filled in his shoes, performing against Sri Lanka by picking four wickets. Alongside him, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf will hold the key in this game. Result Prediction - This India vs Pakistan World Cup match guarantees to be an exciting affair, with both teams giving their best to come on top. However, with crowd support and given their recent run of form, India will start as favourites in this match. Predicted XIs – India – Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah Pakistan – Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (captain), Muhammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India vs Pakistan, World Cup 2023: Match preview and result prediction

<p>Pakistan batter&nbsp;Mohammad Rizwan dedicated his side's victory against Sri Lanka on Tuesday (Oct 10) to the people of Gaza, amid the ongoing fight between Hamas terrorists and Israel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Rizwan said: "This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza.&nbsp;Happy to contribute in the win. Credits to the whole team and especially Abdullah Shafique and Hassan Ali for making it easier."</p>

<p>Thanking the hospitality in Hyderabad, Riwan added: "Extremely grateful to the people of Hyderabad for the amazing hospitality and support throughout."</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza. 🤲🏼<br />
<br />
Happy to contribute in the win. Credits to the whole team and especially Abdullah Shafique and Hassan Ali for making it easier.<br />
<br />
Extremely grateful to the people of Hyderabad for the amazing hospitality and support throughout.</p>
— Muhammad Rizwan (@iMRizwanPak) <a href="https://twitter.com/iMRizwanPak/status/1711992170394300793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>After the win, Rizwan also compared the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, the venue for the match to his hometown ground of Rawalpindi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pakistan successfully chased the total of 345, the highest in the World Cup's 48-year history, primarily due to Rizwan's century. Speaking after the match, Rizwan said the fans got behind him when he was struggling with the cramps and whenever he hit a boundary.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I felt like I was playing in front of the Rawalpindi crowd; our ground in Lahore is big, and a lot of people come there. This ground felt like Rawalpindi,” said Rizwan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“The way the crowd showed love today, and not just for me but for the whole Pakistan team, and they even supported Sri Lanka. I am happy that the crowd in Hyderabad has supported cricket, both Sri Lanka and us. I had a lot of fun with them," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/odi-world-cup-2023-pak-batter-mohammad-rizwan-names-two-turning-points-during-record-win-vs-sri-lanka-645214"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;ODI World Cup 2023: Pak batter Mohammad Rizwan names 'two turning points' during record win vs Sri Lanka</strong></a></p>

<p>Moreover, videos circulating on social media showed the crowd chanting, "Jeetega bhai, Jeetega, Pakistan jeetega",&nbsp;(Pakistan will win), in response to a question posed by the in-stadium DJ.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What is happening in Israel?</strong></h2>

<p>More than 1,000 Israelis have been killed after Hamas - a terror outfit operating from the Gaza Strip - launched an ambush attack on Israel on Saturday (Oct 7).&nbsp;</p>

<p>A spectacular intelligence failure meant that thousands of crude missiles and rockets were fired that overwhelmed Israel's state-of-the-art Iron Dome missile defence system. Simultaneously, a group of ground fighters of Hamas illegally entered Israel and kidnapped, raped and slaughtered civilians, before retreating.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/uefa-postpones-matches-in-israel-amid-deteriorating-situation-644493"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;UEFA postpones matches in Israel amid deteriorating situation</strong></a></p>

<p>Since the attack, the fighting has only escalated as Israel has vowed to return the favour by flattening the Gaza Strip.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has predicted a “long and difficult war”, with reports claiming that Jerusalem may try to take full control of Gaza for the first time since it unilaterally withdrew from the territory in 2005.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Pakistan batter Mohammad Rizwan dedicated his side's victory against Sri Lanka on Tuesday (Oct 10) to the people of Gaza, amid the ongoing fight between Hamas terrorists and Israel.

Pakistan batter Mohammad Rizwan dedicated his side's victory against Sri Lanka on Tuesday (Oct 10) to the people of Gaza, amid the ongoing fight between Hamas terrorists and Israel. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Rizwan said: "This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza. Happy to contribute in the win. Credits to the whole team and especially Abdullah Shafique and Hassan Ali for making it easier." Thanking the hospitality in Hyderabad, Riwan added: "Extremely grateful to the people of Hyderabad for the amazing hospitality and support throughout." This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza. 🤲🏼 Happy to contribute in the win. Credits to the whole team and especially Abdullah Shafique and Hassan Ali for making it easier. Extremely grateful to the people of Hyderabad for the amazing hospitality and support throughout. — Muhammad Rizwan (@iMRizwanPak) October 11, 2023 × After the win, Rizwan also compared the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, the venue for the match to his hometown ground of Rawalpindi. Pakistan successfully chased the total of 345, the highest in the World Cup's 48-year history, primarily due to Rizwan's century. Speaking after the match, Rizwan said the fans got behind him when he was struggling with the cramps and whenever he hit a boundary. “I felt like I was playing in front of the Rawalpindi crowd; our ground in Lahore is big, and a lot of people come there. This ground felt like Rawalpindi,” said Rizwan. “The way the crowd showed love today, and not just for me but for the whole Pakistan team, and they even supported Sri Lanka. I am happy that the crowd in Hyderabad has supported cricket, both Sri Lanka and us. I had a lot of fun with them," he added. Also read | ODI World Cup 2023: Pak batter Mohammad Rizwan names 'two turning points' during record win vs Sri Lanka Moreover, videos circulating on social media showed the crowd chanting, "Jeetega bhai, Jeetega, Pakistan jeetega", (Pakistan will win), in response to a question posed by the in-stadium DJ. What is happening in Israel? More than 1,000 Israelis have been killed after Hamas - a terror outfit operating from the Gaza Strip - launched an ambush attack on Israel on Saturday (Oct 7). A spectacular intelligence failure meant that thousands of crude missiles and rockets were fired that overwhelmed Israel's state-of-the-art Iron Dome missile defence system. Simultaneously, a group of ground fighters of Hamas illegally entered Israel and kidnapped, raped and slaughtered civilians, before retreating. Also read | UEFA postpones matches in Israel amid deteriorating situation Since the attack, the fighting has only escalated as Israel has vowed to return the favour by flattening the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has predicted a “long and difficult war”, with reports claiming that Jerusalem may try to take full control of Gaza for the first time since it unilaterally withdrew from the territory in 2005. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World Cup 2023: Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan dedicates win against Sri Lanka to 'brothers and sisters' in Gaza

<p>Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in pursuit of 345 in match 8 of the CWC 2023 edition on Tuesday (Oct 10) in Hyderabad.&nbsp;Sri Lanka opted to bat first and rode on centuries from Kusal Mendis (122) and&nbsp;Sadeera Samarawickrama (108) to post 344 for nine. While they hardly got going in the final few overs, it seemed like a winning score nonetheless.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>In reply, Pakistan were even jolted early and were reeling at 37 for 2 with Imam-ul-Haq and skipper, and their Mr. Dependable, Babar Azam back in the pavallion. It appeared that the Men in Green would go down easily before opener Abdullah Shafique -- playing his first game in ODI World Cup -- and keeper-batter Mohammed Rizwan stood tall with an impressive 176-run third-wicket stand. Shafique's 113 and Rizwan's 131 not out led the one-time winners to a convincing six-wicket win.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After their win over Sri Lanka, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar lauded Rizwan-Shafique's show. He feels this bodes well for the side as no significant contribution came from Babar. He further opined that Pakistan need not depend solely on Babar now with many others standing up to the occasion.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-afg-cwc-23-shardul-thakur-takes-a-stunner-to-send-rahmanullah-gurbaz-packing-watch-645364">Ind vs Afg, CWC '23: Shardul Thakur takes a STUNNER to send Rahmanullah Gurbaz packing - Watch</a></strong></p>

<p>Gavaskar said on Star Sports, "When you are chasing 350 runs, it takes a lot. They also lost a couple of early wickets in the game. I think more than anything else, I mean, we have all known about what Rizwan can do. But Abdullah Shafique, he looked like a Test batter. The way he anchored the innings with Rizwan, it was great."</p>

<p>The cricketer-turned-commentator added, "More than anything else, Pakistan would have realised that they do not have to depend on Babar. And if Babar fails, there are other batters who are there to score the runs. And I think that is such an important thing for Babar himself because the pressure will not be on him that he has to score all the time."</p>

<p>With the win over SL, Pakistan maintained their dominance over their Asian neighbours in World Cup history, leading 8-0.</p>

<p>Pakistan are at the second spot in the overall standings in the World Cup with two back-to-back wins. They will now face arch-rivals India on Saturday (Oct 14) in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in pursuit of 345 in match 8 of the CWC 2023 edition on Tuesday (Oct 10) in Hyderabad. Sri Lanka opted to bat first and rode on centuries from Kusal Mendis (122) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (108) to post 344 for nine.

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in pursuit of 345 in match 8 of the CWC 2023 edition on Tuesday (Oct 10) in Hyderabad. Sri Lanka opted to bat first and rode on centuries from Kusal Mendis (122) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (108) to post 344 for nine. While they hardly got going in the final few overs, it seemed like a winning score nonetheless. In reply, Pakistan were even jolted early and were reeling at 37 for 2 with Imam-ul-Haq and skipper, and their Mr. Dependable, Babar Azam back in the pavallion. It appeared that the Men in Green would go down easily before opener Abdullah Shafique -- playing his first game in ODI World Cup -- and keeper-batter Mohammed Rizwan stood tall with an impressive 176-run third-wicket stand. Shafique's 113 and Rizwan's 131 not out led the one-time winners to a convincing six-wicket win. After their win over Sri Lanka, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar lauded Rizwan-Shafique's show. He feels this bodes well for the side as no significant contribution came from Babar. He further opined that Pakistan need not depend solely on Babar now with many others standing up to the occasion. Also read: Ind vs Afg, CWC '23: Shardul Thakur takes a STUNNER to send Rahmanullah Gurbaz packing - Watch Gavaskar said on Star Sports, "When you are chasing 350 runs, it takes a lot. They also lost a couple of early wickets in the game. I think more than anything else, I mean, we have all known about what Rizwan can do. But Abdullah Shafique, he looked like a Test batter. The way he anchored the innings with Rizwan, it was great." The cricketer-turned-commentator added, "More than anything else, Pakistan would have realised that they do not have to depend on Babar. And if Babar fails, there are other batters who are there to score the runs. And I think that is such an important thing for Babar himself because the pressure will not be on him that he has to score all the time." With the win over SL, Pakistan maintained their dominance over their Asian neighbours in World Cup history, leading 8-0. Pakistan are at the second spot in the overall standings in the World Cup with two back-to-back wins. They will now face arch-rivals India on Saturday (Oct 14) in Ahmedabad. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

CWC '23: Pak don't have to depend on Babar anymore, feels Gavaskar after Rizwan-Shafique's heroics vs SL

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidLt60YNUJFfLY" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>Just days ahead of the hotly-anticipated India-Pakistan World Cup encounter, the ticketing process mess continues to get uglier. BCCI on Wednesday (Oct 11) announced the sale of additional tickets for the match, scheduled to take place on October 14 at the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Further, tickets for the India-Bangladesh encounter to take place in Pune were also put on sale.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The host board added that the sale of tickets will go live from 8 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Grab your tickets for two highly anticipated upcoming India matches! Tickets for #TeamIndia #CWC23 league matches against Pakistan &amp; Bangladesh in Ahmedabad &amp; Pune respectively go LIVE today!" BCCI informed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The fans can book the tickets on the official website at https://tickets.cricketworldcup.com.</p>

<h2><strong>Fans slam BCCI</strong></h2>

<p>After the announcement, fans' reaction was on the expected lines, with many slamming BCCI for a muddled ticketing process.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It's too early, sell it on the day of those two games only," said one user sarcastically, while another added: "The match is 2 days later and they still haven’t sold out an India Pakistan game!! YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE THIS UP!"</p>

<p>A third added: "How shameful it was that Chepauk wasn't sold out for #INDvAUS 2 of the biggest teams in WC. The same is going to happen for #INDvPAK now. Keep doing your nuisance and whatever scam you guys are up to with WC tickets."</p>

<p><strong>BCCI release 14,000 tickets&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Wednesday's announcement comes days after BCCI announced the sale of 14,000 tickets for the same match.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The release of 14,000 tickets for the highly anticipated India v. Pakistan match to be held on October 14, 2023, at Ahmedabad," read BCCI's statement at the time.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/odi-world-cup-2023-bcci-announces-sale-of-14000-tickets-for-india-vs-pakistan-match-643882" target="_blank"><strong>Also read | ODI World Cup 2023: BCCI announces sale of 14,000 tickets for India vs Pakistan match</strong></a></p>

<p>The game, which was originally scheduled to be played on October 15 in Ahmedabad, had been rescheduled due to security reasons.</p>

<p>The venue city police urged the BCCI to change the date as October 15 marks the beginning of Navaratri - a nine-day celebration culminating on October 24 with famous Hindu festival Dussehra.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Squads for World Cup:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav</p>

<p>Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Just days ahead of the hotly-anticipated India-Pakistan World Cup encounter, the ticketing process mess continues to get uglier. BCCI on Wednesday (Oct 11) announced the sale of additional tickets for the match, scheduled to take place on October 14 at the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Just days ahead of the hotly-anticipated India-Pakistan World Cup encounter, the ticketing process mess continues to get uglier. BCCI on Wednesday (Oct 11) announced the sale of additional tickets for the match, scheduled to take place on October 14 at the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Further, tickets for the India-Bangladesh encounter to take place in Pune were also put on sale. The host board added that the sale of tickets will go live from 8 PM Indian Standard Time (IST). "Grab your tickets for two highly anticipated upcoming India matches! Tickets for #TeamIndia #CWC23 league matches against Pakistan & Bangladesh in Ahmedabad & Pune respectively go LIVE today!" BCCI informed. The fans can book the tickets on the official website at https://tickets.cricketworldcup.com. Fans slam BCCI After the announcement, fans' reaction was on the expected lines, with many slamming BCCI for a muddled ticketing process. "It's too early, sell it on the day of those two games only," said one user sarcastically, while another added: "The match is 2 days later and they still haven’t sold out an India Pakistan game!! YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE THIS UP!" A third added: "How shameful it was that Chepauk wasn't sold out for #INDvAUS 2 of the biggest teams in WC. The same is going to happen for #INDvPAK now. Keep doing your nuisance and whatever scam you guys are up to with WC tickets." BCCI release 14,000 tickets Wednesday's announcement comes days after BCCI announced the sale of 14,000 tickets for the same match. "The release of 14,000 tickets for the highly anticipated India v. Pakistan match to be held on October 14, 2023, at Ahmedabad," read BCCI's statement at the time. Also read | ODI World Cup 2023: BCCI announces sale of 14,000 tickets for India vs Pakistan match The game, which was originally scheduled to be played on October 15 in Ahmedabad, had been rescheduled due to security reasons. The venue city police urged the BCCI to change the date as October 15 marks the beginning of Navaratri - a nine-day celebration culminating on October 24 with famous Hindu festival Dussehra. Squads for World Cup: India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World Cup 2023: Fans slam BCCI after it releases more tickets ahead of India-Pakistan clash

<p>Preparations are in full swing as India are set to host Pakistan in a marquee ODI World Cup 2023 clash on Saturday (Oct 14) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad. Ahead of the big-ticket clash, as many as over 11,000 personnel of various agencies, including Gujarat Police, NSG, RAF, and home guards among others are set to&nbsp;be deployed in Ahmedabad and at the&nbsp;stadium for the smooth conduct of the match, a senior officer said told.</p>

<p>The official confirmed that the high-level security arrangements have been put in place following threats.&nbsp;A detailed meeting has been held between the&nbsp;Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel,&nbsp;Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi, state DGP Vikas Sahay, GS Malik and other senior police officers in Gandhinagar to analyse and review the police's action plan.</p>

<p>Malik said while addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad, "Along with more than 7,000 police personnel, we will deploy nearly 4,000 home guards to secure the stadium and to maintain law and order in communally sensitive areas of the city during the match. In addition to these personnel, we will deploy three 'hit teams' and one anti-drone team of the NSG. Nine teams of our bomb detection and disposal squad will also be utilised."</p>

<p>"Apart from 13 companies of the state reserve police (SRP), we will deploy three companies of Rapid Action Force as part of our security setup. The RAF will keep a watch on communally sensitive areas of the city. To help people in case of a stampede, we have already prepared an evacuation plan and rehearsals are also going on at the stadium," Malik further claimed.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-2023-huge-blow-for-india-shubman-gill-hospitalised-in-chennai-unlikely-to-play-vs-pakistan-644769">CWC 2023: India batter Shubman Gill discharged from Chennai hospital, unlikely to play vs Pakistan - Report</a></strong></p>

<p>Talking about India and Pakistan's CWC 2023 performance so far, the home side were off to a winning start with a six-wicket victory over Australia on Sunday (Oct 8) in Chennai whereas Pakistan beat the Netherlands by 81 runs in their opener in Hyderabad last week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So far, India have never lost to Pakistan in ODI World Cup history and enjoy a 7-0 lead in overall head-to-head record. Will Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. keep their record intact or will Babar Azam-led Men in Green open their account versus their arch-rivals this time around? Only time will tell...</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Preparations are in full swing as India are set to host Pakistan in a marquee ODI World Cup 2023 clash on Saturday (Oct 14) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Preparations are in full swing as India are set to host Pakistan in a marquee ODI World Cup 2023 clash on Saturday (Oct 14) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad. Ahead of the big-ticket clash, as many as over 11,000 personnel of various agencies, including Gujarat Police, NSG, RAF, and home guards among others are set to be deployed in Ahmedabad and at the stadium for the smooth conduct of the match, a senior officer said told. The official confirmed that the high-level security arrangements have been put in place following threats. A detailed meeting has been held between the Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi, state DGP Vikas Sahay, GS Malik and other senior police officers in Gandhinagar to analyse and review the police's action plan. Malik said while addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad, "Along with more than 7,000 police personnel, we will deploy nearly 4,000 home guards to secure the stadium and to maintain law and order in communally sensitive areas of the city during the match. In addition to these personnel, we will deploy three 'hit teams' and one anti-drone team of the NSG. Nine teams of our bomb detection and disposal squad will also be utilised." "Apart from 13 companies of the state reserve police (SRP), we will deploy three companies of Rapid Action Force as part of our security setup. The RAF will keep a watch on communally sensitive areas of the city. To help people in case of a stampede, we have already prepared an evacuation plan and rehearsals are also going on at the stadium," Malik further claimed. Also read: CWC 2023: India batter Shubman Gill discharged from Chennai hospital, unlikely to play vs Pakistan - Report Talking about India and Pakistan's CWC 2023 performance so far, the home side were off to a winning start with a six-wicket victory over Australia on Sunday (Oct 8) in Chennai whereas Pakistan beat the Netherlands by 81 runs in their opener in Hyderabad last week. So far, India have never lost to Pakistan in ODI World Cup history and enjoy a 7-0 lead in overall head-to-head record. Will Rohit Sharma & Co. keep their record intact or will Babar Azam-led Men in Green open their account versus their arch-rivals this time around? Only time will tell... WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

11,000 security personnel to be deployed for India vs Pakistan ODI World Cup match in Ahmedabad

<p>Pakistan opened their Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign with an 81-run win over the Netherlands on Friday 6) Oct in Hyderabad, India. Far from convincing, but this win will up their momentum in this long 10-team tournament. While Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel starred with the bat, hitting 68 each, Bas de Leede’s heroics with both bat and ball kept the Netherlands in the game.</p>

<p>Electing to bowl first after winning the toss, the Netherlands bowlers reduced Pakistan to 38 for three at one stage inside the Powerplay, with both openers and Captain Babar Azam returning to the pavilion. Keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and young Saud Shakeel steadied Pakistan’s innings with a 120-run stand.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While Saud was the aggressor of the two, hitting the Dutch bowlers to all parts of the ground, Rizwan played a typical Rizwan-kind-of-innings. During the second half of the first innings, Bas de Leede turned the momentum towards the Netherlands with four wickets.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/odi-world-cup-shubman-gill-feeling-better-medicines-havent-ruled-him-out-for-sundays-game-rahul-dravid-643420">ODI World Cup - Shubman Gill feeling better, medics haven't ruled him out for Sunday's game: Rahul Dravid</a></strong></p>

<p>Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz then gave the finishing touches as Pakistan, despite losing wickets at regular intervals, scored a fighting total of 286 runs.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Haris shines as Pakistan beat Netherlands</h2>

<p>Hasan Ali picked the Netherlands' first wicket by removing Max O'Dowd on five. Vikramjit Singh, the in-form batter, kept the chase going with his beautiful stroke play.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Coming in as a part-timer in Friday’s game, Iftikhar Ahmed bowled Colin Ackermann on 17.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Star with the ball in hand earlier, Bas de Leede came to the crease to accelerate the Netherlands chase. Stitching a 70-run stand with Vikramjit, who scored 52 off 67 balls, de Leede completed his fifty and had the Dutch positioned evenly.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Following Vikramjit’s wicket, seamer Haris Rauf picked two to further put the Netherlands’ back against the wall. His fellow pacers Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali picked a wicket each, but Rauf headlined the second innings with three scalps to his name. Shadab Khan returned with a wicket, and Nawaz had Bas de Leede’s number.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Though Logan van Beek slammed a few shots to keep the fans entertained, it wasn’t enough for the Dutch team to remain in the chase, as they got all out on 205 in 41 overs.</p>

<p>While Pakistan will face Sri Lanka on October 10 in their next tie before flying to Ahmedabad for the marquee India clash, the Netherlands will go one-on-one against New Zealand in Hyderabad on October 9.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Pakistan opened their Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign with an 81-run win over the Netherlands on Friday 6) Oct in Hyderabad, India. Far from convincing, but this win will up their momentum in this long 10-team tournament.

Pakistan opened their Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign with an 81-run win over the Netherlands on Friday 6) Oct in Hyderabad, India. Far from convincing, but this win will up their momentum in this long 10-team tournament. While Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel starred with the bat, hitting 68 each, Bas de Leede’s heroics with both bat and ball kept the Netherlands in the game. Electing to bowl first after winning the toss, the Netherlands bowlers reduced Pakistan to 38 for three at one stage inside the Powerplay, with both openers and Captain Babar Azam returning to the pavilion. Keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and young Saud Shakeel steadied Pakistan’s innings with a 120-run stand. While Saud was the aggressor of the two, hitting the Dutch bowlers to all parts of the ground, Rizwan played a typical Rizwan-kind-of-innings. During the second half of the first innings, Bas de Leede turned the momentum towards the Netherlands with four wickets. ALSO READ: ODI World Cup - Shubman Gill feeling better, medics haven't ruled him out for Sunday's game: Rahul Dravid Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz then gave the finishing touches as Pakistan, despite losing wickets at regular intervals, scored a fighting total of 286 runs. Haris shines as Pakistan beat Netherlands Hasan Ali picked the Netherlands' first wicket by removing Max O'Dowd on five. Vikramjit Singh, the in-form batter, kept the chase going with his beautiful stroke play. Coming in as a part-timer in Friday’s game, Iftikhar Ahmed bowled Colin Ackermann on 17. Star with the ball in hand earlier, Bas de Leede came to the crease to accelerate the Netherlands chase. Stitching a 70-run stand with Vikramjit, who scored 52 off 67 balls, de Leede completed his fifty and had the Dutch positioned evenly. Following Vikramjit’s wicket, seamer Haris Rauf picked two to further put the Netherlands’ back against the wall. His fellow pacers Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali picked a wicket each, but Rauf headlined the second innings with three scalps to his name. Shadab Khan returned with a wicket, and Nawaz had Bas de Leede’s number. Though Logan van Beek slammed a few shots to keep the fans entertained, it wasn’t enough for the Dutch team to remain in the chase, as they got all out on 205 in 41 overs. While Pakistan will face Sri Lanka on October 10 in their next tie before flying to Ahmedabad for the marquee India clash, the Netherlands will go one-on-one against New Zealand in Hyderabad on October 9. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

ODI World Cup 2023: Pakistan boss over Netherlands despite Bas de Leede’s heroics, win by 81 runs

<p>Pakistan have kicked off their ICC ODI World Cup 2023 campaign on Friday (Oct 6)&nbsp;versus the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad. Being asked to bat first, the Men in Green were off to a poor start as they lost their top three in a jiffy. Fakhar Zaman, who has seen a dip in form of late, Imam-ul-Haq and captain Babar Azam were back in the hut as the 1992 winners were reeling at 38 for 3 as&nbsp;Logan van Beek, Paul van Meekeren and Colin Ackermann chipped in with regular wickets.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Here is the video of the Netherlands bowlers' early breakthroughs versus Babar-led Pakistan:</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyDVtC7Pmti/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyDVtC7Pmti/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyDVtC7Pmti/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyDVtC7Pmti/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by ICC (@icc)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/just-too-good-to-watch-tim-paine-on-englands-humiliating-loss-vs-new-zealand-in-cwc-23-opener-643299">'Just too good to watch': Tim Paine on England's humiliating loss vs New Zealand in CWC '23 opener</a></strong></p>

<p>After Pakistan's poor start, Mohammed Rizwan and&nbsp;Saud Shakeel's 120-run fourth-wicket stand brought them back into the contest. The duo entered the record books, stitching the fourth-highest partnership for&nbsp;fourth-wicket, or below, in ODI World Cup history.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>Highest partnerships for 4th wicket or below for Pakistan in World Cups</b><br />
147* - Imran Khan &amp; Zaheer Abbas vs NZ, Nottingham, 1983<br />
144 - Imran Khan &amp; Shahid Mahboob vs SL, Leeds, 1983<br />
126 - Babar Azam &amp; Haris Sohail vs NZ, Birmingham, 2019<br />
120 - Mohammad Rizwan &amp; Saud Shakeel vs NED, Hyderabad, 2023<br />
118 - Inzamam-ul-Haq &amp; Abdul Razzaq vs AUS, Leeds, 1999<br />
118 - Misbah-ul-Haq &amp; Umar Akmal vs KEN, Hambantota, 2011</p>

<p>Early in the match, Babar said at the toss, "We will try our best with the bat. We believe in our openers, Imam and Fakhar. Shaheen is there as well. Hasan is back in the side. We are looking at 290-300 plus.."</p>

<p><strong>Playing XIs</strong></p>

<p ng-bind-html="comm[ts].comm" ng-class="get_comm_class(comm[ts]) " ng-hide="comm[ts].geo != null &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.length &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1" ng-if="comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:news' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:video' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:comments'"><b>Netherlands:</b>&nbsp;Vikramjit Singh, Max ODowd, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards(w/c), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Saqib Zulfiqar, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren</p>

<p ng-bind-html="comm[ts].comm" ng-class="get_comm_class(comm[ts]) " ng-hide="comm[ts].geo != null &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.length &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1" ng-if="comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:news' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:video' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:comments'"><b>Pakistan:&nbsp;</b>Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Pakistan have kicked off their ICC ODI World Cup 2023 campaign on Friday (Oct 6) versus the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad.

Pakistan have kicked off their ICC ODI World Cup 2023 campaign on Friday (Oct 6) versus the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad. Being asked to bat first, the Men in Green were off to a poor start as they lost their top three in a jiffy. Fakhar Zaman, who has seen a dip in form of late, Imam-ul-Haq and captain Babar Azam were back in the hut as the 1992 winners were reeling at 38 for 3 as Logan van Beek, Paul van Meekeren and Colin Ackermann chipped in with regular wickets. Here is the video of the Netherlands bowlers' early breakthroughs versus Babar-led Pakistan: View this post on Instagram A post shared by ICC (@icc) × Also read: 'Just too good to watch': Tim Paine on England's humiliating loss vs New Zealand in CWC '23 opener After Pakistan's poor start, Mohammed Rizwan and Saud Shakeel's 120-run fourth-wicket stand brought them back into the contest. The duo entered the record books, stitching the fourth-highest partnership for fourth-wicket, or below, in ODI World Cup history. Highest partnerships for 4th wicket or below for Pakistan in World Cups 147* - Imran Khan & Zaheer Abbas vs NZ, Nottingham, 1983 144 - Imran Khan & Shahid Mahboob vs SL, Leeds, 1983 126 - Babar Azam & Haris Sohail vs NZ, Birmingham, 2019 120 - Mohammad Rizwan & Saud Shakeel vs NED, Hyderabad, 2023 118 - Inzamam-ul-Haq & Abdul Razzaq vs AUS, Leeds, 1999 118 - Misbah-ul-Haq & Umar Akmal vs KEN, Hambantota, 2011 Early in the match, Babar said at the toss, "We will try our best with the bat. We believe in our openers, Imam and Fakhar. Shaheen is there as well. Hasan is back in the side. We are looking at 290-300 plus.." Playing XIs Netherlands: Vikramjit Singh, Max ODowd, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards(w/c), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Saqib Zulfiqar, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

CWC '23: Pakistan lose top-order in a jiffy versus Netherlands in Hyderabad face-off - Watch video

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidwIW14tEPQfda" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>Former Australian cricketer Dav&nbsp;Whatmore believes Pakistan men's cricket team captain Babar Azam needs the support of senior players in the team to be successful in the World Cup that kicked off on Thursday (October 5) in India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>WION's cricket expert and World Cup-winning coach with Sri Lanka in 1996 said Babar is still a youngster, despite being handed the captaincy reins years ago.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"He is still a youngster when it comes to captaincy. His leadership is improving. What he needs is the support of senior players around him," said Whatmore.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Whatmore, Babar had already made his mark and earned respect from his compatriots by letting his bat do the talking. However, now was the time that the players around him galvanised and backed him for the mega event.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"He certainly is leading from the front with the bat, he's earning their respect there but he needs all the respect and support from the senior players. Hopefully he will get that."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/icc-world-cup-2023-1986-wc-winning-coach-dav-whatmore-picks-game-changers-for-wc-642233" target="_blank"><strong>Watch | ICC World Cup 2023: 1996 WC-winning coach Dav Whatmore picks game-changers for WC</strong></a></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/icc-world-cup-2023-1986-wc-winning-coach-dav-whatmore-picks-game-changers-for-wc-642233/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Pakistan's opening group game&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Pakistan will be squaring up against underdogs Netherlands in their opening encounter at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday (October 6). The team will be coming into the contest on the back of a string of below-par performances.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Men-in-Green were touted to win the Asia Cup held in Sri Lanka and Pakistan last month but failed to turn up. The team was pulverised by a strong Indian XI and never managed to recover from thereon. It failed to reach the final as Sri Lanka pipped them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The warmup games ahead of the WCC gave more headache to Babar Azam and co. as the bowling department looked a pale shadow of its former self. The team could not defend a 340+ total against New Zealand and conceded as many runs in the second warm-up against Australia.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-dav-whatmore-outlines-five-key-battles-ahead-of-england-vs-new-zealand-curtain-raiser-642615" target="_blank"><strong>Also read | ODI World Cup 2023: Dav Whatmore outlines key battles ahead of England vs New Zealand curtain-raiser</strong></a></p>

<p>The absence of Naseem Shah, who was ruled out of the WC, just weeks before the start has come as a blow to Pakistan's chances at the marquee event. If Shaheen Afridi fails to get going in the initial overs with the new ball, Pakistan rarely does have a B-plan, experts argue, and that will be the biggest test of Babar's captaincy.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Pakistan squad:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Former Australian cricketer Dav Whatmore believes Pakistan men's cricket team captain Babar Azam needs the support of senior players in the team to be successful in the World Cup that kicked off on Thursday (October 5) in India.

Former Australian cricketer Dav Whatmore believes Pakistan men's cricket team captain Babar Azam needs the support of senior players in the team to be successful in the World Cup that kicked off on Thursday (October 5) in India. WION's cricket expert and World Cup-winning coach with Sri Lanka in 1996 said Babar is still a youngster, despite being handed the captaincy reins years ago. "He is still a youngster when it comes to captaincy. His leadership is improving. What he needs is the support of senior players around him," said Whatmore. According to Whatmore, Babar had already made his mark and earned respect from his compatriots by letting his bat do the talking. However, now was the time that the players around him galvanised and backed him for the mega event. "He certainly is leading from the front with the bat, he's earning their respect there but he needs all the respect and support from the senior players. Hopefully he will get that." Watch | ICC World Cup 2023: 1996 WC-winning coach Dav Whatmore picks game-changers for WC × Pakistan's opening group game Pakistan will be squaring up against underdogs Netherlands in their opening encounter at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday (October 6). The team will be coming into the contest on the back of a string of below-par performances. The Men-in-Green were touted to win the Asia Cup held in Sri Lanka and Pakistan last month but failed to turn up. The team was pulverised by a strong Indian XI and never managed to recover from thereon. It failed to reach the final as Sri Lanka pipped them. The warmup games ahead of the WCC gave more headache to Babar Azam and co. as the bowling department looked a pale shadow of its former self. The team could not defend a 340+ total against New Zealand and conceded as many runs in the second warm-up against Australia. Also read | ODI World Cup 2023: Dav Whatmore outlines key battles ahead of England vs New Zealand curtain-raiser The absence of Naseem Shah, who was ruled out of the WC, just weeks before the start has come as a blow to Pakistan's chances at the marquee event. If Shaheen Afridi fails to get going in the initial overs with the new ball, Pakistan rarely does have a B-plan, experts argue, and that will be the biggest test of Babar's captaincy. Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World Cup 2023: Dav Whatmore says Pakistan's Babar Azam needs support of senior players to be successful

<p>The ODI World Cup 2023 edition kicked off on Thursday (October 5) with the defending champions England taking on New Zealand in Ahmedabad. On Friday (October 6), Babar Azam-led Pakistan will face the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Ahead of the clash, Dav Whatmore -- Sri Lanka's ODI World Cup-winning coach and former Australian cricketer -- pointed out that the Men in Green need to improve in the fielding department in order to progress ahead in the marquee competition in India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking to Wion, Whatmore opined on how Pakistan is shaping up for the 50-over showpiece event. Pakistan enter the CWC '23 edition on the back of a disastrous run in the Asia Cup and two back-to-back defeats in the warm-up games. However, the No. 2 ranked ODI side is backed as one of the strongest contenders due to the subcontinental conditions and a well-oiled side.</p>

<p>Whatmore reflected on their warm-up losses and stated, "Look, they should have won that game (versus New Zealand in the warm-ups). But it is at the same ground where they open up their campaign versus the Netherlands (in Hyderabad). Anybody would argue the fact that they will win. They should win comfortably tomorrow. I think they lost a bit of confidence versus New Zealand. Against Australia in their second warm-up match, they whacked them over the park. Australia allowed them to come close with their bowling effort (Pakistan managed 337 in pursuit of 352). Hence, confidence would have been jolted a bit. But, they should do well tomorrow which will lift their confidence."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-2023-fans-slam-bcci-as-stadium-wears-deserted-look-in-england-vs-new-zealand-opener-642959">World Cup 2023: Fans slam BCCI as stadium wears deserted look in England vs New Zealand opener</a></strong></p>

<p>Whatmore further stated on Pakistan's unpredictable tag and said, "They have been inconsistent. They have been guilty in that regard. But in this tournament, where the focus will be on them from the whole world, they will be as consistent as they possibly can."</p>

<p>The former SL coach mentioned the area of concern for Babar &amp; Co. In this regard, he asserted, "Their fielding historically has never been up to the mark. They have been guilty of some bad pictures of fielding. That department of the game can improve surely. On the batting, they have done well. They have got over 300 in both practice games. They fell short versus the Kiwis and had some easy bowling to hit versus the Aussies but their batting is not too good. They know their roles and if they get good starts, they have a good platform to really launch in the last ten overs -- like every other team."</p>

<p>Pakistan were extremely poor in the field versus the Aussies in their last warm-up encounter in Hyderabad. They will like to start afresh in their tournament-opener versus the Dutch on Friday.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Pakistan squad for CWC '23:</strong>&nbsp;Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


The ODI World Cup 2023 edition kicked off on Thursday (October 5) with the defending champions England taking on New Zealand in Ahmedabad. On Friday (October 6), Babar Azam-led Pakistan will face the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

The ODI World Cup 2023 edition kicked off on Thursday (October 5) with the defending champions England taking on New Zealand in Ahmedabad. On Friday (October 6), Babar Azam-led Pakistan will face the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Ahead of the clash, Dav Whatmore -- Sri Lanka's ODI World Cup-winning coach and former Australian cricketer -- pointed out that the Men in Green need to improve in the fielding department in order to progress ahead in the marquee competition in India. Speaking to Wion, Whatmore opined on how Pakistan is shaping up for the 50-over showpiece event. Pakistan enter the CWC '23 edition on the back of a disastrous run in the Asia Cup and two back-to-back defeats in the warm-up games. However, the No. 2 ranked ODI side is backed as one of the strongest contenders due to the subcontinental conditions and a well-oiled side. Whatmore reflected on their warm-up losses and stated, "Look, they should have won that game (versus New Zealand in the warm-ups). But it is at the same ground where they open up their campaign versus the Netherlands (in Hyderabad). Anybody would argue the fact that they will win. They should win comfortably tomorrow. I think they lost a bit of confidence versus New Zealand. Against Australia in their second warm-up match, they whacked them over the park. Australia allowed them to come close with their bowling effort (Pakistan managed 337 in pursuit of 352). Hence, confidence would have been jolted a bit. But, they should do well tomorrow which will lift their confidence." Also read: World Cup 2023: Fans slam BCCI as stadium wears deserted look in England vs New Zealand opener Whatmore further stated on Pakistan's unpredictable tag and said, "They have been inconsistent. They have been guilty in that regard. But in this tournament, where the focus will be on them from the whole world, they will be as consistent as they possibly can." The former SL coach mentioned the area of concern for Babar & Co. In this regard, he asserted, "Their fielding historically has never been up to the mark. They have been guilty of some bad pictures of fielding. That department of the game can improve surely. On the batting, they have done well. They have got over 300 in both practice games. They fell short versus the Kiwis and had some easy bowling to hit versus the Aussies but their batting is not too good. They know their roles and if they get good starts, they have a good platform to really launch in the last ten overs -- like every other team." Pakistan were extremely poor in the field versus the Aussies in their last warm-up encounter in Hyderabad. They will like to start afresh in their tournament-opener versus the Dutch on Friday. Pakistan squad for CWC '23: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Pakistan's fielding has...': Dav Whatmore on Babar Azam-led Men in Green ahead of their CWC '23 opener

<p>Former Pakistan veteran Moin Khan feels the team hasn’t gelled well yet, something that was visible during their loss to New Zealand in the World Cup warm-up tie in Hyderabad. Per the ex-keeper-batter, some of the seniors in the team were reluctant to approach captain Babar Azam to give suggestions when the bowlers' backs were against the wall during the second innings.</p>

<p>Moin feels that Shaheen, Rizwan, and even Shadab trying to avoid approaching the captain during a tense hour in the lead-up to the marquee event are not healthy signs for a team that aims to win the lift at the end of this tournament.</p>

<p>Speaking with Pakistan Cricket following the team's first warm-up tie loss to New Zealand by five wickets despite scoring 330 plus, Moin said such a scenario was there for everyone to see, claiming the players looked scattered.</p>

<p>“I saw this 100%. The players looked scattered, they were hesitant to even give suggestions to Babar, whether it was Rizwan, Shadab or Shaheen. It was visible that the team wasn’t gelled up. There were no discussions, and even if there were suggestions and Babar was following them, they weren’t working,” said Moin Khan speaking to Cricket Pakistan.</p>

<h2>Moin addresses the elephant in the room&nbsp;</h2>

<p>With several reports of top players (mainly Babar and Shaheen) getting into unnecessary arguments following their side’s humiliating loss to India in the Asia Cup, there were speculations of unrest in the dressing room.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking on the same lines and narrative spread via media, Moin said he understands there could be issues among players, but that shouldn’t come forward while representing their country at the top level.</p>

<p>Citing examples of how the body language of the players was during the Super Four tie against India, Moin said,&nbsp;“Another thing was, against India, players are scared. And those who really are scared that their suggestions won’t work… that’s fear. As a cricketer, you have to play on your potential and you should contribute 100%. It’s okay if your suggestions go wrong, it happens. But your body language shows whether you want to win, and that wasn’t visible."</p>

<p>"And I’m pretty sure there were some issues in the dressing room. And I know, in a professional environment, there are differences, but you have to end them to perform better. You have to move on,” Moin added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pakistan will play their next warm-up game against Australia on Tuesday, October 3, in Hyderabad.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Former Pakistan veteran Moin Khan feels the team hasn’t gelled well yet, something that was visible during their loss to New Zealand in the World Cup warm-up tie in Hyderabad.

Former Pakistan veteran Moin Khan feels the team hasn’t gelled well yet, something that was visible during their loss to New Zealand in the World Cup warm-up tie in Hyderabad. Per the ex-keeper-batter, some of the seniors in the team were reluctant to approach captain Babar Azam to give suggestions when the bowlers' backs were against the wall during the second innings. Moin feels that Shaheen, Rizwan, and even Shadab trying to avoid approaching the captain during a tense hour in the lead-up to the marquee event are not healthy signs for a team that aims to win the lift at the end of this tournament. Speaking with Pakistan Cricket following the team's first warm-up tie loss to New Zealand by five wickets despite scoring 330 plus, Moin said such a scenario was there for everyone to see, claiming the players looked scattered. “I saw this 100%. The players looked scattered, they were hesitant to even give suggestions to Babar, whether it was Rizwan, Shadab or Shaheen. It was visible that the team wasn’t gelled up. There were no discussions, and even if there were suggestions and Babar was following them, they weren’t working,” said Moin Khan speaking to Cricket Pakistan. Moin addresses the elephant in the room With several reports of top players (mainly Babar and Shaheen) getting into unnecessary arguments following their side’s humiliating loss to India in the Asia Cup, there were speculations of unrest in the dressing room. Speaking on the same lines and narrative spread via media, Moin said he understands there could be issues among players, but that shouldn’t come forward while representing their country at the top level. Citing examples of how the body language of the players was during the Super Four tie against India, Moin said, “Another thing was, against India, players are scared. And those who really are scared that their suggestions won’t work… that’s fear. As a cricketer, you have to play on your potential and you should contribute 100%. It’s okay if your suggestions go wrong, it happens. But your body language shows whether you want to win, and that wasn’t visible." "And I’m pretty sure there were some issues in the dressing room. And I know, in a professional environment, there are differences, but you have to end them to perform better. You have to move on,” Moin added. Pakistan will play their next warm-up game against Australia on Tuesday, October 3, in Hyderabad. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

CWC 2023: Team didn't gel well, there were no discussions - Moin Khan after Pakistan’s loss to NZ in warm-up

<p>Babar Azam-led Pakistan reached India on Thursday (Sep 28) ahead of the CWC 2023 edition, which gets underway on October 05 in Ahmedabad. The players received a warm reception on arrival and the video of the same was shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) official handle on X, formerly Twitter.</p>

<p>However, PCB chief Zaka Ashraf has made heads turn with a controversial statement. While interacting with the press, he spoke at length about PCB's recently-shared central contracts for Team Pakistan and ended up labelling India as an 'enemy country'.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a video shared on X, Ashraf explained&nbsp;the reason for the landmark hike for players in the central contracts and stated,&nbsp;"You should keep in mind that when the players go to an enemy country or where the competition is being held, you should support them so that they can perform well."</p>

<p>The video has gone viral in no time with many schooling the PCB chief for his choice of words.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pakistan morale should be high as they r going to "DUSHMAN MULK"<br />
Says Zaka Ashraf chairman of Pakistan cricket Board <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCBMedia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheRealPCBMedia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/vikrantgupta73?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vikrantgupta73</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/rawatrahul9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rawatrahul9</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/manoj_dimri?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@manoj_dimri</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SushantNMehta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SushantNMehta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/zakaashraf81?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@zakaashraf81</a> <a href="https://t.co/t7y9cqdz5B">pic.twitter.com/t7y9cqdz5B</a></p>
— Kunal (@kunal11_23) <a href="https://twitter.com/kunal11_23/status/1707107682321309720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pakistan-team-must-weather-ahmedabad-pressure-india-better-team-on-merit-waqar-younis-640665">World Cup: Pakistan Team must weather Ahmedabad pressure, India better team on merit - Waqar Younis</a></strong></p>

<p>Talking about Team Pakistan, Babar &amp; Co. is set to play two warm-up games before the CWC 2023 edition. Their first warm-up game is on Friday evening (Sep 29) versus New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. They will then lock horns with Australia on October 03 at the same venue before their tournament opener on October 06, where they face the Netherlands on October 07 in Hyderabad. They remain in Hyderabad till their second game before travelling to Ahmedabad to face arch-rivals India on October 14.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>Pakistan squad for World Cup</b>: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Babar Azam-led Pakistan reached India on Thursday (Sep 28) ahead of the CWC 2023 edition, which gets underway on October 05 in Ahmedabad. The players received a warm reception on arrival and the video of the same was shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) official handle on X, formerly Twitter.

Babar Azam-led Pakistan reached India on Thursday (Sep 28) ahead of the CWC 2023 edition, which gets underway on October 05 in Ahmedabad. The players received a warm reception on arrival and the video of the same was shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) official handle on X, formerly Twitter. However, PCB chief Zaka Ashraf has made heads turn with a controversial statement. While interacting with the press, he spoke at length about PCB's recently-shared central contracts for Team Pakistan and ended up labelling India as an 'enemy country'. In a video shared on X, Ashraf explained the reason for the landmark hike for players in the central contracts and stated, "You should keep in mind that when the players go to an enemy country or where the competition is being held, you should support them so that they can perform well." The video has gone viral in no time with many schooling the PCB chief for his choice of words. Pakistan morale should be high as they r going to "DUSHMAN MULK" Says Zaka Ashraf chairman of Pakistan cricket Board @TheRealPCBMedia @vikrantgupta73 @rawatrahul9 @manoj_dimri @SushantNMehta @zakaashraf81 pic.twitter.com/t7y9cqdz5B — Kunal (@kunal11_23) September 27, 2023 × Also read: World Cup: Pakistan Team must weather Ahmedabad pressure, India better team on merit - Waqar Younis Talking about Team Pakistan, Babar & Co. is set to play two warm-up games before the CWC 2023 edition. Their first warm-up game is on Friday evening (Sep 29) versus New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. They will then lock horns with Australia on October 03 at the same venue before their tournament opener on October 06, where they face the Netherlands on October 07 in Hyderabad. They remain in Hyderabad till their second game before travelling to Ahmedabad to face arch-rivals India on October 14. Pakistan squad for World Cup: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

PCB chief Zaka Ashraf indirectly calls India 'enemy country' ahead of CWC '23, video goes viral - Watch

<p>India and Pakistan will face off at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14 in the World Cup 2023. As the world would be watching another chapter in cricket's greatest rivalry unfolding, players from both teams would be under pressure to deliver on the D-day. Former Pakistan captain and legend Waqar Younis feels for the Pakistani side to overturn the records, they must weather Ahmedabad's crowd pressure, with more than 100,000 cheering for the Indian Team.</p>

<p>Speaking to Star Sports, Waqar said controlling the nerves would mean everything, rather crucial for Pakistan as they are the weaker team than India in their conditions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These remarks have, however, come on the back of India's star performance against the arch-rivals in the Asia Cup 2023, where India not only beat Pakistan in a one-sided rain-hit clash in Colombo but also won the trophy for the record eighth time.</p>

<p>"As we all know, it (India vs Pakistan) will be the biggest game, mother of all the games. So, when you play in Ahmedabad, you will have to control your nerves, and not only Pakistan will be under pressure since it is a weaker team as compared to India."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cwc-2023-south-africa-captain-temba-bavuma-to-miss-warm-up-matches-aiden-markram-to-lead-in-his-absence-640640">CWC 2023: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma to miss warm-up matches, Aiden Markram to lead in his absence</a></strong></p>

<p>"But India will also be under pressure because the crowd in the stadium will create pressure on both the teams," Waqar Younis told Star Sports.</p>

<p>Shedding light on the impact it would have on Pakistan's bowling lineup with Naseem&nbsp;Shah unavailable for the tournament, Waqar noted that India is a better team on merit and holds an advantage over Pakistan in the high-octane clash.</p>

<p>"However, if we judge purely based on the team's performance, India definitely will be a better team," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"If I talk about Pakistan, they are a miss and hit this time. The absence of Naseem Shah will be a big disadvantage because Naseem and Shaheen (Afridi) used to complement each other with new ball," the former seamer added.</p>

<h2>Bench strength keeps India ahead of all</h2>

<p>Noting what makes the host team - India, a potent side to beat in this World Cup, Waqar said the strong bench strength keeps them ahead of everyone.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"If we only talk about ticking the boxes, then we will see no other team can match India right now because they have good spinners who are playing right now in the starting XI, such as Kuldeep and Jadeja. But they also have strong bench strength," Waqar added.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


India and Pakistan will face off at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14 in the World Cup 2023. As the world would be watching another chapter in cricket's greatest rivalry unfolding, players from both teams would be under pressure to deliver on the D-day.

India and Pakistan will face off at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14 in the World Cup 2023. As the world would be watching another chapter in cricket's greatest rivalry unfolding, players from both teams would be under pressure to deliver on the D-day. Former Pakistan captain and legend Waqar Younis feels for the Pakistani side to overturn the records, they must weather Ahmedabad's crowd pressure, with more than 100,000 cheering for the Indian Team. Speaking to Star Sports, Waqar said controlling the nerves would mean everything, rather crucial for Pakistan as they are the weaker team than India in their conditions. These remarks have, however, come on the back of India's star performance against the arch-rivals in the Asia Cup 2023, where India not only beat Pakistan in a one-sided rain-hit clash in Colombo but also won the trophy for the record eighth time. "As we all know, it (India vs Pakistan) will be the biggest game, mother of all the games. So, when you play in Ahmedabad, you will have to control your nerves, and not only Pakistan will be under pressure since it is a weaker team as compared to India." ALSO READ: CWC 2023: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma to miss warm-up matches, Aiden Markram to lead in his absence "But India will also be under pressure because the crowd in the stadium will create pressure on both the teams," Waqar Younis told Star Sports. Shedding light on the impact it would have on Pakistan's bowling lineup with Naseem Shah unavailable for the tournament, Waqar noted that India is a better team on merit and holds an advantage over Pakistan in the high-octane clash. "However, if we judge purely based on the team's performance, India definitely will be a better team," he added. "If I talk about Pakistan, they are a miss and hit this time. The absence of Naseem Shah will be a big disadvantage because Naseem and Shaheen (Afridi) used to complement each other with new ball," the former seamer added. Bench strength keeps India ahead of all Noting what makes the host team - India, a potent side to beat in this World Cup, Waqar said the strong bench strength keeps them ahead of everyone. "If we only talk about ticking the boxes, then we will see no other team can match India right now because they have good spinners who are playing right now in the starting XI, such as Kuldeep and Jadeja. But they also have strong bench strength," Waqar added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

World Cup: Pakistan Team must weather Ahmedabad pressure, India better team on merit - Waqar Younis