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Cricket PlayersWatch: 'Ye match me pata chalega' - Babar irked with 'aap aur Rizwan out ho gaye toh India jeet jaayega' question in PC
Babar Azam had a rather straightforward response when a reporter asked the Pakistan captain about inconsistent form in the side's middle-order ahead of the game against India.
Pakistan will take on Team India in a blockbuster clash at the T20 World Cup on Sunday evening. The Babar Azam-led side had registered a cruising 10-wicket win in its previous game against India at the marquee tournament last year; after restricting the Indian team to 151/7 in 20 overs, the opening duo of Babar and Mohammad Rizwan had chased down the target with 13 balls remaining. While the men in green will be aiming for a repeat in Melbourne on Sunday, the side's inconsistency in the middle-order has remained a concern for the team management throughout the build-up to the tournament.
The Pakistan captain was quizzed over the same ahead of the clash against India during the pre-match press conference, and it will be safe to conclude that the question irked Babar.
A reporter, referring to the comments made by former cricketers, asked Babar on his opinion about remarks that his and Rizwan's early dismissals would be decisive to the result of the match. “Aap aur Rizwan, ye dono hi batsmen hai. Baaki ko itna kaamyaabi nahi hai. Agar aap dono ko out kar dein, toh India match jeet jaayega. It isn't coming from media, it's coming from ex-cricketers (You only have yourself and Rizwan. Rest haven't been as successful. If you both get out early, India can win. This isn't coming from India, it's coming from ex-cricketers),” the reporter asked Babar.
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The Pakistan captain, in turn, passed out a chuckle before responding in a rather blunt manner.
“Dekhein sir, ye toh on the day pata lagega. You never know, T20 hai aur on the day, koi bhi player surprise kar sakta hai. Koi bhi player match jita sakta hai, aur hamaare player pe mujhko poora belief hai. Middle-order pe logon ne match jitaaye hue hain. Main, as a captain, unn par believe karta hu. Kuch bhi ho sakta hai, har cheez ke liye ready rehna chahiye. (See, we will find it out during the match. You never know, it's T20 and any player can surprise you. Anyone can win you a match, and I believe in my players. Our middle-order has won us matches. Anything can happen, and you have to be prepared for everything),” Babar said.
The Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup began on Saturday with New Zealand producing a brilliant performance to beat defending champions Australia by 89 runs in Sydney. In the second game of the day in Perth, England clinched a five-wicket win over Afghanistan.
