ISLAMABAD: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said on Wednesday the national cricket team was ready to compete in the Twenty20 World Cup, describing the bowling attack as the squad’s strength during the tournament.
The Green Shirts are scheduled to play their first World Cup match against the USA on June 6 in Dallas, Texas.
The team produced mixed results on the recent tour of Ireland and England, pivotal to their preparations for the major T20 tournament.
They won the T20I series against Ireland but lost the T20I series to England. These performances reflected Pakistan’s ongoing adjustments and preparations heading into the T20 World Cup.
“If we talk about the strength of the team, I have a great deal of trust over our bowling,” he told a group of journalists during an informal media interaction in Dallas.
“Conditions are in favor of fast bowlers,” he continued. “We will try not to repeat our past mistakes. All the senior players will have to step up and take the responsibility.”
He said he was flexible about the batting order after criticism on opener Saim Ayub who could not give his best performance in recent matches.
However, he maintained that he trusted every player as a captain, saying that some of them just needed a good innings or a match to get back into the element.
Asked about the first match with the USA, Azam said the home conditions were in favor of the opposing side, though he believed in the team’s ability to play good cricket.
Skipper Babar Azam confident in Pakistan’s bowling strength ahead of T20 World Cup opener
https://arab.news/mz66n
Skipper Babar Azam confident in Pakistan’s bowling strength ahead of T20 World Cup opener
- Azam says he trusts all his players as a captain, though some of them need a good innings to get going
- He says batting order will remain flexible after opener Saim Ayub failure to perform in recent matches
Pakistan joins 22 Muslim states, OIC to condemn Israeli FM’s visit to Somaliland
- Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited breakaway African region of Somaliland on January 6
- Muslim states urge Israel to withdraw Somaliland recognition, respect Somalia’s sovereignty
ISLAMABAD: A joint statement by Pakistan, 22 other Muslim states and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Thursday condemned Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s recent visit to Somaliland as a violation of the African nation’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Saar’s visit to Somaliland capital Hargeisa on Jan. 6 followed Israel’s move last month to recognize Somaliland, a breakaway region from Somalia, as an independent country. The move drew a sharp reaction from Muslim states, including Pakistan, who said it was in contravention of the UN Charter and international norms.
Several international news outlets months earlier reported that Israel had contacted Somaliland over the potential resettlement of Palestinians forcibly removed from Gaza. Muslim countries fear Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region could be part of its plan to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza to the region.
“The said visit constitutes a clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and undermines established international norms and the United Nations Charter,” the joint statement shared by Pakistan’s foreign office, read.
The joint statement was issued on behalf of 23 Muslim states, including Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Jordan, Kuwait, Türkiye, Oman and others.
It reaffirmed support for Somalia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, pointing out that respect for international law and non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states was necessary for regional stability.
“Encouraging secessionist agendas are unacceptable and risk exacerbating tensions in an already fragile region,” the statement said.
The joint statement urged Israel to revoke its recognition of the breakaway region.
“Israel should fully respect Somalia’s sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity and honor its obligations in compliance with international law, and demand immediate revocation of the recognition issued by Israel,” the statement read.
Somaliland broke away from Somalia unilaterally in 1991 as a civil war raged in the country. Somaliland has its own constitution, parliament and currency, a move that has infuriated Somalia over the years as it insists the region is part of its territory.
