ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Saturday his country’s cricket team had requisite potential to defeat India in its Twenty20 World Cup opening match in Dubai on Sunday, reported a local news network.
Khan, a legendary cricketer of his time who won the 1992 World Cup for his country, met the national cricket team last month to advise the players to strengthen themselves psychologically and display greater team spirit.
According to Geo News, he discussed Pakistan’s upcoming contest with India with his aides while expressing confidence that his country’s cricket squad would be able to secure victory.
“This team has the talent to defeat India,” the prime minister was quoted as saying. “Insha’Allah [God willing], Pakistan will definitely beat India tomorrow.”
Much like Khan, Pakistan’s information minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain also maintained that Pakistan would defeat India in the much-anticipated T20 World Cup opener.
“Spirits are high game on hai Pak is all set to win Inshallah,” Hussain said in a Twitter post.
Pakistan have lost all seven World Cup (50 over) clashes against India as well as five games in the Twenty20 World Cup and start as “underdogs.”
However, the Men in Green come into the Super 12s contest with 10 wins in a row in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Exuding confidence on Saturday, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam stressed that the past was irrelevant to his players.
“To be honest, what has passed is beyond us,” he told a virtual media conference. “We want to use our ability and confidence on the day of the match so that we can get a better result.”
Azam noted that records were “meant to be broken.”
Also on Saturday, India skipper Virat Kohli said they would take on a “very strong” Pakistan team in their first Twenty20 World Cup game while downplaying his team’s unbeaten record against their opponents.
“We never discussed these things, about our record and past performance,” Kohli told reporters in Dubai. “These things create distractions. What matters is how we prepare and execute on that particular day, regardless of the opposition.”
