On October 23 (Sunday), Pakistan captain Babar Azam will play India in the first match of the T20 World Cup 2022 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Babar did not reveal Pakistan’s playing 11 for the match against India, but he gave a big hint. Babar has good news regarding Shan Masood’s fitness. According to him, Masood is fit and his reports are good. Masood’s fitness is not a cause for concern. According to Babar, he is fit to play tomorrow. It means Masood is on the field.
As for Fakhar Zaman, Babar also said he would need one to two matches before being declared match fit during this World Cup. Fakhar is one of the power hitters at the top of the order for Men in Green, which is bad news for Pakistan FAS.
Shan Masood is fit. He is ready for the match tomorrow. Fakhar isn’t fully recovered. He’ll need one or two matches to recover. Shadab can take over at the top. He plays with a free mind. The ground is large here, so there won’t be many big shots,” Babar said at the pre-match press conference.
Due to rain, the pitch has been covered for two days now so the final decision will only be taken after inspecting the track tomorrow. Pakistan’s captain refused to disclose his playing 11, saying he knows who all are playing. According to Babar, the muddle in the middle order is not a problem for them because anyone can perform well on any given day. As other players have failed to live up to expectations, Pakistan is heavily dependent on Babar and Mohammad Rizwan.
It is easy to be surprised on the day of the match. Any player can surprise you on that day. I am confident in my team and my middle order. I support them as captain.” said Babar.
