Unity is the key if Pakistan wants to lift T20 World Cup, says Babar Azam

Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam has expressed his aim to lift the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy, but maintained “For that, we have to play as one unit”, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

In a candid and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024-focused conversation as a special guest in the 52^nd episode of the PCB Podcast, which was released on Sunday, Babar Azam laid his eyes on T20 World Cup glory but said team unity is the key in moving towards that goal.

The Green Shirts under Babar Azam had played the semi-final and final of the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups respectively.

The star batter stated that he wants to spread happiness across the nation with the T20 World Cup victory. “I want to give happiness to the nation by winning the T20 World Cup. We came very close in the last two World Cups but failed to win,” said Azam. “As a captain, I regret not winning an ICC event so far. This time we have to win and for that, we have to play as one unit.”

Upon being asked about the preparations for the high-octane clash against arch-rivals India on June 9, Babar Azam stressed that every game is important and the team is preparing accordingly.

“Not only the India match but all the matches are important for us. In order to lift the trophy, we have to overcome every opposition,” said the right-hander.

The star batter also shed light on his training and preparation for the mega-event as a batter. “I do not play for my personal record, the first priority is the Pakistan team. I have done a lot of work on improving my strike rate,” he said and added “I bat according to the team’s situation. Everyone has a different batting style and my game is not to start hitting sixes from the word go.”

Following are the excerpts from the PCB podcast:

“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.

“Our performances in the last two ICC Men’s T20 World Cups have been good. Unfortunately, we could not finish on a high. We were also runners-up in the ACC T20 Asia Cup 2022. So, at the back of our minds, we are thinking about how we have played two finals and a semi-final and how we can overcome the mistakes that derailed our campaigns.

“Effort is in our hands, but results, we do not know. How we present ourselves on the ground, our body language and how we communicate with each other will matter. We must be positive, so results will come.”

“As a batter, I have achieved decently and, as a captain, I have won a few series. But lifting the ICC trophy is a different motivation. You go to a different level and get a lot of praise. So, the motivation, aspiration and dream remains to lift an ICC trophy and present it to Pakistan.

“Conditions in the USA may pose challenges as we are going there as a national side for the first time. We are in the process of collating various cricket and match-related information from players who have played there, which can help and assist us in our preparations.”

“An India-Pakistan match is always the most talked about; 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.

“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. It is always a pressure game; the more you keep cool and calm, believe in your skills and hard work, then things get easier.

“I understand the responsibilities of a captain as there are additional expectations. You have players and the management, and you have to maintain communication with them. You have to control your emotions and back your players because you have to get the best performance out of them. You always have to support them and give them the confidence that they are the best and can do better.”

“I think the semi-final we lost against Australia (2021), we could have won that. In that match, fielding was the reason that made a different impact. If we had bowled two or three dot balls in the final stages, then the pressure would have got to them. But we lost as a team and not due to an individual.

“For me, in 2022, we could and should have won the India game, but they took it away.

“The most hurtful was the defeat against Zimbabwe. It hurts more because we had played good cricket against India and people were praising our performance and fightback.

“In the final, Shaheen’s injury was impactful because at that time, the pressure was on them (England). We were forced to give an over to a spinner and that made a difference.”

The Green Shirts will start their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against the USA on June 6 before taking on arch-rivals India in a blockbuster clash on June 9 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

The 2009 champions will then take on Canada on June 11 before locking horns with Ireland in their last group-stage fixture on June 16.