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The 2023 ODI World Cup is just around the corner, and the preparations of all teams are underway, but former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal feels that the Men in Green are not ready for the tournament. Akmal specifically warned Babar Azam’s men about the clash against India on October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
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We already saw a preview of the India-Pakistan clash at the 2023 Asia Cup, which the Indians won by beating Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the final. In the Super 4 round, the Men in Blue thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan by 228 runs, while the game in the group stage was interrupted by rain. Pakistan failed to qualify for the finals after losing to India and Sri Lanka.
“If they play with the same mentality as the Asia Cup, and the way we played for the past three years, they’re going to get thrashed badly. They need to prepare really well,” said Akmal, speaking on his YouTube channel.
Akmal also praised the Indian setup as he mentioned that a quality bowler like Mohammad Shami doesn’t find a place in the 11. He said, “Mohammed Shami is on the bench, he doesn’t play in this XI. That shows you it’s a complete bowling unit. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma are in form, Shubman Gill scored a century recently, so it looks a solid batting unit. I’ll just say that for the match we have on October 14, Pakistan team need to plan really well to put them under pressure.”
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Pakistan will also miss one of their key bowlers, Naseem Shah, at the ODI World Cup, as per reports. Shah will miss the entire tournament due to a shoulder injury he sustained in the Super 4 clash against India.
