Pakistan white-ball captain Babar Azam spoke about the hype around the rivalry against India ahead of their T20 World Cup 2024 clash at the Nassau International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 9.
The rivalry between India and Pakistan is often considered one of the greatest rivalries in the history of cricket due to intense competition and the high stakes involved in the matches, thanks to historical and political tensions between two neighbouring countries.
India and Pakistan only meet in the multi-nation tournaments as the bilateral series has been suspended due to political tensions between two South Asian nations. The last time two arch-rivals met each other was in the ODI World Cup last year in India, where Men in Blue defeated Babar Azam-led side by three wickets.
'The whole world waits for India vs Pakistan match': Babar Azam
Speaking on PCB podcast, Babar Azam said that the matches between India and Pakistan has always been talked about in the world. He also stressed the importance of remain calm and focused ahead of the high-volatile clash in New York.
"The whole world waits for India vs Pakistan match; the world stops to watch that encounter. It is discussed too much wherever you go in the world. The players get different vibes and excitement. What will happen is that everyone supports their country, so the focus is on that match." Pakistan skipper said.
"The whole world is focused on the day when the India-Pakistan match is held. Naturally, there will be nerves, but we need to keep our focus, stick to the basics and play easy cricket." he added.
India and Pakistan will lock horns for the ninth time in the history of T20 World Cup. In their last eight encounters, the Men in Blue emerged victorious on eight ocassions, while Pakistan managed to secure their only win in 2021 edition of the tournament.
It was the under captaincy of Babar Azam that witnessed Men in Green defeating their long-time arch-rivals in the T20 World Cup 2021.
'It's aim of any cricketer to play in a World Cup': Pakistan captain
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said that it is a different excitement to play in a major tournament like T20 World Cup. He stressed the signifance of performing at top of your game against all opponents in order to lift the coveted trophy.
"I am happy and excited because when you go to play in a major event, you have different excitement. It’s the aim of any cricketer to play in a World Cup, so that kind of feeling is coming over me. The hope is always to lift the trophy, but for that to happen, we have to play top cricket against every side."
Pakistan were the winners of 2009 edition of the T20 World Cup. The Men in Green reached the final in the previous edition of the tournament but lost to second-time champions England in Melbourne.
Babar Azam-led side will begin their campaign against hosts USA at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on June 6.
