It wouldn’t be wrong to say that whatever ICC tournament Pakistan plays in, their only focus in beating India. That was evident once again, from what their PM Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday, while inaugurating the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. He went on to say, that the real task for the Pakistan cricket team was not just winning the title, but also beat India.
Shehbaz Sharif Wants PAK to Beat IND
The India vs Pakistan match will be played in Dubai on Feb 23, after the BCCI refused to send the national side to the neighbouring country. “We have a very good side and they have done well in recent times but the real task now is to not only win the Champions Trophy but also defeat our arch-rival, India in the upcoming match in Dubai. The entire nation stands behind them,” Sharif said.
Meanwhile, this is the first time since 1996 that Pakistan will be hosting an ICC event. The last time, PCB jointly hosted the World Cup in that year. “It is a big occasion for Pakistan that we are hosting a big ICC event after nearly 29 years,” Sharif added. “I have full confidence that our team will continue to make the nation proud in the upcoming Champions Trophy.”
IND vs PAK on FEB 20
The last time India played Pakistan in an ODI was in World Cup 2023, where Rohit Sharma’s men beat the opposition by 7 wickets. Having said that PAK still has a favorable ODI record over India, having won 73 encounters, and losing 57.
Pakistan squad for Champions Trophy: Pakistan squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
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