ODI World Cup 2023

‘Out toh phir bhi first ball hi hona hai issey’ – Fans react as Babar Azam found practicing in Hyderabad stadium ahead of ODI World Cup 2023

Sep 28, 2023 4:08 pm

After so many issues and dilemmas regarding the visa, Pakistan finally landed in India for the ODI World Cup 2023. The Pakistani players along with coaches, and support staff landed in Hyderabad for their practice session and warmup games. The former World Champions were welcomed royally by the Indians in the airport in Hyderabad. Pakistan players have started their practice sessions ahead of the big tournament.

Pakistani captain Babar Azam was seen practicing in the stadium. The 28-year-old was seen doing some drills to enable himself to contribute well. Babar was seen warming up for practicing. The focus seemed to be on the fitness part of the batter. Along with the Pakistani captain, there were other players as well, who were seen practicing their skills ahead of the warmup games.

Babar Azam is having a bit of tricky period currently. In the Asia Cup 2023, Pakistan could not perform as well as they would have liked to and crashed out of the Super 4 stage of the tournament by losing to the likes of Sri Lanka and India. Following the loss against Sri Lanka in the tournament, there was huge criticism and frustration from the fans, experts, former cricketers, and everyone else.

Off-field news make headlines in Pakistan cricket

On social media, the allegations of rift between Shaheen Afridi and Babar became viral. The alleged dressing room conversation between the two led to worry of the fans. Afridi cleared the air by posting an image of himself and Babar. Further, the reports claimed that Babar Azam was caught by Lahore traffic police for violating rules and was found without a proper driving license upon investigation.

Pakistani players finally got their visas for the tournament and landed in Hyderabad. Before the Asia Cup 2023, many considered Pakistan to be one of the favorites to win the tournament. After Naseem Shah got ruled out of the tournament, the bowling of Pakistan seems to have got a hit. The young pacer was one of the best bowlers in ODIs in the last few months.

Here’s how the fans reacted to the news: