As the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 unfolds, the cricketing world is buzzing with vaticination for the upcoming match between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Former Pakistani cricketer and renowned bowling legend Waqar Younis has offered his insights on Pakistan’s journey in the tournament and the challenges they squatter as they prepare to squatter Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s performance in the World Cup has been a mixed bag, with a promising start followed by subsequent losses to formidable opponents. Waqar Younis takes a pragmatic view, suggesting that Pakistan shouldn’t be disheartened by these defeats. He acknowledges that in this World Cup, plane the stronger teams have faced setbacks versus lesser opponents. He believes that Pakistan should move forward with a positive outlook and focus on the upcoming games to assess their standing in the competition.
He stated, ” I midpoint Pakistan started really well, they had wonderful two games and then they lost to two big sides. So I midpoint that they shouldn’t finger too bad well-nigh it considering we have seen in this World Cup that the teams are losing versus the lesser stronger teams, so you know Pakistan should finger okay, both are gone now so let’s focus on these next two games and see where we are.”
Waqar Younis is quick to lend his support to Tutorage Babar Azam, who has faced scrutiny and criticism due to the team’s performance. He opines that Babar’s captaincy has been decent, and the real issue lies in Pakistan’s batting. Waqar advises Babar to shed the captaincy mantle temporarily when he goes out to bat and think of himself as a player. He believes this mindset will lead to improved performance and increasingly runs on the board.
“I am not really fussed well-nigh pressure on his captaincy considering I think he is doing a decent job but it’s just the batting where he is having few issues, so I think he needs to sort that out and just come out of that shell, you know go out there as a player, not as a tutorage to bat. When you think of, yourself as a batsman going in, I think you will produce a largest result than that,” he added.
Reflecting on Pakistan’s previous matches, Waqar Younis highlights the transformation in the opening slot’s performance. The fine opening stands in the last two games have addressed a persistent issue. Now, the focus shifts to the middle order, with Babar Azam taking centre stage. Waqar emphasizes that Babar’s contribution is pivotal, given his resulting role as Pakistan’s batting mainstay over the years.
Watch: Waqar Younis’ Preview For The Pakistan-Afghanistan Game
In the recent unpeace versus Australia, Waqar Younis praised Shaheen Afridi’s performance and characterised it as superb. Shaheen found his length and bowled with discipline. He believes that Pakistan’s worthiness to vellicate when in the final overs is a testament to their fighting spirit. Learning from the mistakes in the last game and extracting positives is crucial for the team’s progress in the tournament.
Shifting his focus to the Afghan side, Waqar Younis acknowledges the strength of Afghanistan’s bowling lineup. He recognizes the world-class talent of Rashid Khan and highlights Mujeeb Ur Rahman as flipside formidable bowler. However, he remains confident in Pakistan’s worthiness to overcome Afghanistan, citing their track record of winning the last seven encounters between the two teams.
” Look, no doubt Rashid (Khan) is a world-class bowler, I midpoint over the years he has proven that. I think Mujeeb Ur Rahman is equally good, he’s flipside very fine bowler so there are decent bowling lineup, they have got match winners but I don’t think they have a team that can rencontre Pakistan. The last seven games Pakistan played versus them, they won all of them So I don’t think Pakistan should be that much worried about,” he concluded.
In conclusion, Waqar Younis exudes conviction in Pakistan’s prospects in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He emphasizes the need for Pakistan to protract towers on their strengths and learning from their mistakes. With a renewed focus on batting, Pakistan aims to make a strong comeback in the upcoming unpeace versus Afghanistan, backed by the weighing that they have the potential to go far in the tournament. Cricket enthusiasts eagerly rely this heady encounter, with the hope that both teams will unhook a spectacle worth remembering in the register of cricket history.
