'Used To Choke Against India But...': Ex-Pakistan Captain Fires "World Cup" Warning To Rohit Sharma And Co.

05.08.2023 - 04:03 sports.ndtv.com

After losing 12 matches on the trot, Pakistan finally ended its streak of losing to India in World Cups during the T20 World Cup in the UAE in 2021.

Openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan helped Pakistan win by 10 wickets after the bowlers had laid the foundation with a strong performance.

Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis has revealed that pressure was never a concern for the high-octane clash against India, adding that the team used to choke against their arch-rivals at ICC events. "In our times, the pressure wasn't that of a big concern as what it seems right now.

The lesser you play against a team, that too against a big team - so whenever you'll play them, especially if it is Pakistan and India, the pressure would be immense and tripled.

cricket India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team World Cup 2023 cup Babar Azam Rohit Sharma Waqar Younis Uae India Pakistan

The Indian cricket team squad for Asia Cup 2023 was announced on Monday and a big exclusion was veteran spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal. Instead, the selectors went for the left-arm trio of Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. During the press conference following the team selection meeting, skipper Rohit Sharma and BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar opened up about the reasons behind the team selection and what it can mean for the future when it comes to the ones who were not picked. "Axar Patel has done really well. He can bat too. Kuldeep Yadav has had a fantastic run to this point. So someone had to miss out. Kuldeep is currently a little ahead of him (Chahal), said Agarkar in the conference.

Watch: "Pagalpanti Nahi" - Rohit Sharma Pulls Batting Order Query Out Of The Park

The Indian cricket team squad for Asia Cup 2023 was announced on Monday and during the press conference following the reveal, skipper Rohit Sharma faced a lot of questions regarding the possible team combinations and how the batting order can look against Pakistan in the first match of the competition. However, the veteran batter was completely unfazed by the queries and he came up with a straight yet hilarious answer. He explained that most slots in the batting order are already decided with No. 4 and 5 being the slots where some flexibility is possible. He further explained that youngsters will be shuffled in different positions and joked that the team will not indulge in 'madness' like "sending a opener to bat at No 8".

Will 'Home Advantage' Help India At ODI World Cup 2023? Controversial Ex-Coach Greg Chappell Urges 'Caution'

The Indian cricket team last won the ICC World Cup title back in the 2011 under the leadership of MS Dhoni and incidentally, they were also the hosts of that year's competition. It was a particularly good tournament for Asian teams as Pakistan reached the semi-finals and Sri Lanka finished as runners-up. With the 2023 edition of the tournament returning to India, the Rohit Sharma-led side is being as one of the front-runners but former India head coach Greg Chappell, who had a tumultuous time at the helm of the side, believes that the cricket fans need to be cautiously optimistic. In a recent interview, Chappell pointed out that home advantage will be a massive boost for India but winning the competition will not be easy due to the change dynamics in world cricket.

Why India Need Virat Kohli In 2024 T20 World Cup? Ex-India Star Explains

Virat Kohli is undoubtedly one of the greatest batters in the world across all three formats. Known for his blistering knocks, the 34-year-old batter is en-route to breaking Sachin Tendulkar's historic record of 100 international centuries. While he is breathing fire in the ODIs and Tests, Kohli has not featured in a single T20I match since India's debacle in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022. Kohli, along with skipper Rohit Sharma has been missing out on the T20Is with all-rounder Hardik Pandya, donning the captain's hat.

"If They Allowed Virat Kohli To Continue As Captain...": Ex-Pak Skipper's Bold World Cup Statement

India skipper Rohit Sharma could be under a lot of focus these days. How well he marshals the Indian cricket team in the upcoming Asia Cup, which starts on August 30, and more importantly at the World Cup 2023 might well decide the course of the side. So far, Rohit has not had any big success at the global level since he took over Indian captaincy in all three formats in the last couple of years. Under Kohli too, the Indian cricket team failed to win any ICC trophy. However, former Pakistan cricket team captain Rashid Latif believes that had Kohli been the skipper going into the 2023 World Cup, India would have been much more ready.

'Unsettled' India Give Pakistan The Edge: Ex-Pak Star On World Cup Clash

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has raised doubts over the fitness of India batters KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. Rahul and Iyer are currently recovering from their respective injuries at the National Cricket Academy. However, it remains uncertain whether or not the two would be fit enough to take part in the Asia Cup, as well as the subsequent ODI World Cup. Kaneria feels if Rahul and Iyer are not fit, India should not include them in the squads for the major tournaments.