With the World Cup 2023 on the horizon, fans are eagerly waiting for the mega clash between two arch-rivals India and Pakistan which is scheduled to take place on October 14 at Narendra Modi Stadium. Meanwhile, Shadab Khan, Pakistan’s all-rounder has highlighted the lack of fan support ahead of World Cup 2023.
As the ODI World Cup 2023 prepares to kick off on October 5, the top teams from around the world are gearing up for a thrilling competition to capture the prestigious title. Notably, India is hosting the event for the first time, adding an extra layer of anticipation, especially for Pakistan.
Given the intense rivalry that exists between India and Pakistan, the team led by Babar Azam is well aware that they will encounter a charged atmosphere when they journey to the host nation for the forthcoming World Cup 2023. The passionate Indian fans are expected to make their presence felt. However, in the lead-up to the World Cup, Pakistani all-rounder Shadab Khan expressed his confidence in his team’s ability to manage the pressure created by Indian fans. He elaborated on how the absence of fan support would demand a significant amount of determination to overcome.
“We won’t have the crowd support in India. In that sense, we’ll have to be very strong mentally. The way our players are, mentally strong, I think we’ll have a good tournament. Winning the World Cup in India will be like the icing on the cake… Definitely, whichever team comes will come to win the tournament, but the key is how you as a team play and how you start because we will have to play against every team; it’s a great opportunity for all the teams,” Shadab Khan was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
On October 5, a match between England and New Zealand will kick off the World Cup’s excitement at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. The much-anticipated match between India and Pakistan is scheduled to take place on October 14 at the same location. Cricket fans can anticipate the India-Pakistan matchup in the Asia Cup 2023, which is scheduled to begin on August 30. Pakistan and Sri Lanka are sharing hosting duties for this competition. A meeting between Pakistan and India is slated to take place at Pallekele on September 2.
