Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has backed the tourists to deal with pressure during their 2023 ODI World Cup match against India in Ahmedabad. The leg-spinner believes that Pakistan players are mentally sound and can tackle anything that comes in front of them. The Narendra Modi Stadium will host a high-voltage battle between the two sides. India has won all 50 World Cup matches against Pakistan since the 1992 edition and has a 7-0 record against their neighbors.
Shadab Khan Said:
“We won’t have the crowd support in India. In that sense we’ll have to be very strong mentally. The way our players are, mentally strong, I think we’ll have a good tournament.”
The 24-year-old feels winning the World Cup would be icing on the cake but stressed on the need to start the tournament well. He added:
“Winning the World Cup in India will be like the icing on the cake… Definitely, whichever team comes will come to win the tournament, but the key is how you as a team play and how you start because we will have to play against every team; it’s a great opportunity for all the teams.”
Also Read: Bangladesh Chief Selector On Dropping All-Rounder From 2023 Asia Cup Squad
Shadab Khan Returns To Pakistan’s Team For Afghanistan ODIs And Asia Cup
Meanwhile, Shadab Khan is back in the squad for the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan in Sri Lanka and the Asia Cup that follows. Along with him, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Faheem Ashraf are also back in the team. Pakistan’s ODI series against Afghanistan starts on August 22, while they will start the Asia Cup against Nepal in Multan on August 30. Pakistan reached the final in 2022 but lost to Sri Lanka by 23 runs.
Pakistan Squad: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel (Only for Afghanistan ODIs), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim.
