‘He has different level of quality’ – Former India batter backs Babar Azam to fire for Pakistan in upcoming ODI World Cup 2023
Former India batter and World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir backed Pakistan skipper Babar Azam for the upcoming ODI World Cup. Gambhir picked Babar as one of the best batters in the tournament and believes that he can set the stage on fire. While speaking with broadcasters, Gambhir made these comments.
“Babar Azam has every quality that can set this World Cup on fire. I have seen very few players who have a lot of time to bat. I believe that there are Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, and David Warner, but Babar Azam has a different level of quality,” Gambhir said. It’s worth noting that this will be Babar’s first series in India, and he will be under pressure to perform after a poor outing in the Asia Cup 2023.
In the continental tournament, Babar started off with a flying century against Nepal. He scored 151 runs against the debutants and became the second batter to score 150+ runs in the Asia Cup. However, after that game, he constantly failed to score runs for his team. His sublime performance with the bat and excessive pressure during captaincy were two of the biggest reasons for Pakistan’s early exit from the tournament.
Pakistan is set to face qualifying teams in the first two games
It’s worth noting that Pakistan will reach India as soon as Indian authorities resolve their visa issues. However, the team will face New Zealand in a warmup game at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on September 29. The game will be behind closed doors as a lack of security personnel has forced the Indian Cricket Board to organise it without spectators.
Meanwhile, Pakistan will start their ODI World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on October 6 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. They will stay in Hyderabad to face Sri Lanka on October 10 before moving to Ahmedabad. In Ahmedabad, Pakistan will face arch-rival India on October 14 at Narendra Modi Stadium.
