The former speedster of the Pakistan Cricket Team, Shoaib Akhtar had a discussion with the current Pakistani squad. During the discussion, he said that Pakistan should have to focus on the upcoming T20 World Cup match against India. The Indian team under the leadership of Rohit Sharma will have a proper strategy figured out before the match.
In his recent interview, the former fast bowler said, “India will come up with proper planning this time around. It will not be easy for Pakistan to beat India in T20 WC this time.”
The next encounter between the arch-rivals is bound to happen on October 23, 2022, in T20 World Cup. The venue for this match is decided to be Australia’s Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
However, Shoaib Akhtar said that it will be hard to predict who will be the winner of this encounter. In case Pakistan chooses to bat first, then the chances for them will be better. MCG is known for providing assistance to the fast bowlers, offering extra bounce from the track.
In 2021, Pakistan defeated India for the first time in any World Cup encounter. Opening batsmen Babar Azam and Rizwan chased the target comfortably without throwing away their wickets. In the end, Pakistan won the match by 10 wickets which created a buzz in the entire cricketing world.
The tickets for this match were previously sold and it is expected that 150,000 spectators will come for the historic extravaganza. However, it is highly expected that Indian spectators will be there to witness this even in much larger numbers. Hence, Babar Azam and his team will have to absorb the pressure and play their natural game.
“I believe the crowd will be bigger this time. Around 150,000 fans will watch the match live in Melbourne. Out of which, 70,000 will be Indian supporters,” Akhtar added.
