Cricket

Pakistan's T20 World Cup campaign kicks off on Friday against USA, but the match that has captured the attention of players and fans alike is the highly anticipated clash against archrivals India on June 9."The whole world waits for this," declared Pakistan skipper Babar Azam in an interview with Star Sports. Pakistan has a less-than-stellar record against India in T20 World Cup history, having lost six of the seven matches they have played. However, Azam believes that the outcome will ultimately depend on which team can control their nerves better on the day."It's a different kind of pressure, to control the nerves," Azam said. "You learn that from experience, the more you play...especially in Pakistan-India matches. That's a different vibe."India, meanwhile, made a strong start to their campaign, crushing Ireland by eight wickets in their opening group match. The two teams are joined in Group A by Ireland, USA, and Canada, with the top two teams advancing to the 'Super 8s'.Azam acknowledged the significance of the match against India, saying, "It's a big match and we always enjoy it." He also expressed his admiration for the Indian team, saying, "They are a very good team and we respect them a lot."The Pakistan skipper emphasized the importance of staying focused and executing their plans on the field. "We have to play our best cricket and not worry about the pressure," he said. "We have a good team and we believe in ourselves."The Pakistan-India match is expected to be a thrilling encounter, with both teams eager to prove their superiority. The outcome could have a significant impact on the tournament standings and the path to the final.

Australia, the reigning Test and ODI World Champions, embark on their quest to become the first team to hold all three major cricket titles simultaneously as they face Oman in their T20 World Cup opener. The Aussies boast a wealth of experience, with several veterans preparing for their international farewell.Despite their T20 trophy drought ending in 2021, Australia failed to progress beyond the group stage on home soil last year. However, they possess an abundance of match-winners, including newly-appointed skipper Mitchell Marsh, who will be crucial at No. 3. Travis Head, the star performer in the WTC and ODI World Cup finals, is also in red-hot form.Australia may experiment with their lineup during the group stage to find their optimal XI. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa and left-arm spinner Ashton Agar are expected to play key roles, while the pace attack will be led by the reliable trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood.Oman, on the other hand, lost their opening game to Namibia. While their bowlers performed admirably, their batters need to step up to pull off an upset against the mighty Australians.In the day's other match, Pakistan, last edition's runners-up, face co-hosts USA. Despite being favorites on paper, Pakistan's recent form has raised concerns. They lost a T20I in Ireland and suffered a 0-2 defeat in England.Pakistan's preparations have been chaotic, with changes in captaincy, top-order shuffling, and players coming out of retirement. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are their most consistent performers, but their strike rate has been a concern.However, Pakistan is known for its unpredictability and can surprise or implode at any moment. They will rely heavily on their fiery pace department, featuring Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Amir.USA will be confident after their seven-wicket win over Canada in the tournament opener.The third match of the day pits Papua New Guinea against Uganda. PNG impressed against the West Indies, while Uganda suffered a heavy defeat to Afghanistan. PNG will fancy their chances, while Uganda will aim to improve their batting and fielding to register their first-ever T20 World Cup win.

Gary Kirsten, the former South African opener, has made a significant impact on Indian cricket as the coach of the Indian national team from 2008 to 2011. During his tenure, India won the 2011 World Cup, and Kirsten was widely praised for his calm demeanor and man-management skills.After a successful stint with Gujarat Titans in the IPL, Kirsten has now taken on the role of Pakistan's white-ball coach. This move has raised questions about whether he could provide Pakistan with an advantage over India in their upcoming T20 World Cup clash.However, experts believe that Kirsten's knowledge of Indian players is unlikely to give Pakistan a significant edge. Paddy Upton, who worked with Kirsten as part of the Indian team's support staff, believes that video analysis and data on all players are readily available to all opponents.Instead, Kirsten's strengths lie in his man-management skills and his ability to build strong relationships with players. He is known for his process-driven approach, focusing on the fundamentals and avoiding aimless practice.Kirsten is also not afraid to have tough conversations when necessary. He famously told Yuvraj Singh that he was fitter than the left-hander at the age of 41, which motivated Singh to improve his off-field choices and ultimately led to his man-of-the-series performance in the 2011 World Cup.Upton believes that Kirsten's experience of working in a foreign culture and his ability to understand the emotions and fanaticism of fans and media will be valuable assets for Pakistan. Agoram highlights Kirsten's ability to invest time and energy in player-coach relationships, which will be crucial in building trust and getting players to buy into his plans.Overall, while Kirsten's knowledge of Indian players may not provide Pakistan with a significant advantage, his man-management skills and his ability to create a positive and supportive environment will be invaluable to the team.

The T20 World Cup 2024 is set to kick off on Sunday with a match between USA and Canada. For India, the tournament begins on June 5 with a clash against Ireland. The highly anticipated match against Pakistan is scheduled for June 9.Ahead of the tournament, former players Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Misbah Ul Haq shared their insights on the event. Misbah Ul Haq named Australia and Pakistan as the top contenders for the title."Australia knows how to win. They come to Asia and win by playing with just one spinner. You can't write off Australia from any World Cup," said Misbah. "The second team is very difficult. We have to back Pakistan because we live in Pakistan. India's team is very strong, they have everything."Irfan Pathan believes that Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube will play crucial roles for India in the tournament. "Hardik will have a set role to finish the game, and Shivam Dube will play as a floater, acting as an enforcer against the spinners," said Pathan.Pandya had a disappointing IPL season, but Pathan believes he will regain his form before the Super 8 stage. "The good thing about the Indian team now is that they will get a chance to be in form before the Super 8, as we will play teams who are not at the top level apart from Pakistan," said Pathan.Dube, on the other hand, had a strong IPL season, scoring 396 runs at a strike rate of 162.29. Pathan believes he will be a valuable asset in the knockout stages."Shivam Dube will play that kind of role," said Pathan. "He will play as an enforcer against the spinners in the playoffs."With a strong squad and a favorable schedule, India will be among the favorites to win the T20 World Cup 2024.

In a surprising turn of events, Pakistani journalist Farid Khan has apologized to former England captain Michael Vaughan for his previous criticism. The apology stems from Vaughan's earlier comments suggesting that England players would have benefited more from participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs than playing against Pakistan in a T20I series.Initially, Khan had vehemently criticized Vaughan for disrespecting Pakistan cricket. However, following England's 2-0 victory in the four-match series, Khan has now acknowledged the validity of Vaughan's claims.In a video posted on social media, Khan expressed his regret and apologized to Vaughan. He admitted that Vaughan's assessment of the situation had proven accurate. Khan expressed concern about Pakistan's upcoming matches against Canada and the USA in the World Cup, citing the team's poor performance in the recent series.Vaughan promptly accepted Khan's apology, stating, "Apology accepted."Vaughan's initial comments had been made after the England Cricket Board (ECB) recalled its players from the IPL playoffs to participate in the T20I series against Pakistan. Vaughan argued that the players would have gained more valuable experience by completing the IPL season with their respective franchises."I think you're going to miss the trick by sending all their players home," Vaughan said. "I think Will Jacks, Phil Salt, Jos Butler, in particular, playing in the IPL in the eliminators, pressure, crowd, expectation. I would argue that playing here is better preparation than playing a T20 game against Pakistan."Vaughan emphasized the importance of the IPL's high-pressure environment and the benefits it could provide for the players' development.Khan's apology and Vaughan's acceptance highlight the dynamic nature of sports commentary and the willingness of individuals to acknowledge their mistakes. It also underscores the importance of constructive criticism and the value of learning from one's experiences.

Nathan Lyon, the veteran Australian spinner, has made his predictions for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, and he believes that Australia and Pakistan will face off in the final. In a recent video, Lyon was asked to name the two teams he expects to reach the summit clash, and he毫不犹豫地选择了澳大利亚。Lyon admitted that he was biased towards Australia, but he also believes that Pakistan has a strong chance of making it to the final. He cited the quality of Pakistan's spinners and the presence of star batter Babar Azam as reasons for his prediction."For the T20 finals team, Australia obviously because I'm quite biased towards them. I think it will be I'm going to go with Pakistan. In those conditions, quality spin bowlers, but also electric batters like Babar Azam," Lyon said in a video shared by Prime Video Sports Australia.Lyon also predicted that this year's tournament could see a team posting the highest total in T20I history. He also backed Australia's T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh to have a brilliant tournament."I think early on in the tournament we may see the highest score in T20. I'm going to go, Mitchell Marsh, I think the power that he has with the bat but also the skill he has with the ball in hand as well. So, go well Mitch," he added.Lyon's predictions are in line with those of several other experts. Ambati Rayudu, Brian Lara, Paul Collingwood, Sunil Gavaskar, Chris Morris, Matthew Hayden, Aaron Finch, Mohammad Kaif, Tom Moody, and S Sreesanth have all picked India as one of the semi-finalists.

The 2024 Men's T20 World Cup is set to make history as it ventures into the United States for the first time. The tournament, scheduled to commence on June 2, will feature 20 teams vying for the coveted title.India, led by star players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, will kick off their campaign at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 9. They will face Pakistan in a highly anticipated clash, followed by matches against Ireland and the United States. India's final group game against Canada will take place at the Central Broward Park in Florida.The tournament will also mark the first time the West Indies has hosted a Men's T20 World Cup since 2010. Nine stadiums across the Caribbean and three in the USA will host the matches.However, two iconic Caribbean stadiums, Sabina Park in Jamaica and Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad, will not be part of the tournament due to high costs. Instead, the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad will host one of the semi-finals.The other semi-final will be played at Guyana's Providence Stadium, while the final will take place at the 28,000-seater Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29.

England emerged victorious in the second T20I against Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham, securing a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. The first match was abandoned due to rain.Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, played a valiant innings, scoring 32 runs off 26 deliveries at a strike rate of 123.08, including four boundaries. However, his efforts proved insufficient to secure a win for his team.With his knock, Babar surpassed India's Rohit Sharma to become the second-highest run-scorer in T20Is. Rohit has amassed 3974 runs in 151 matches for India, while Babar now boasts 3987 runs in 118 matches for Pakistan. India's Virat Kohli remains the leading run-scorer in T20Is, with 4037 runs from 117 matches.After the match, Babar expressed his admiration for his bowlers, acknowledging their exceptional performance. He noted that he and Fakhar Zaman had formed a significant partnership, but subsequent batters failed to capitalize on their momentum."It was a par score, our bowlers bowled very well. In the batting, there were moments, but we didn't finish well. Small partnership between me and Fakhar and later on, there was no big partnership," Babar said.He emphasized the adaptability and role clarity within the team, stating that if he and Fakhar had remained at the crease for a few more overs, the outcome could have been different."We are flexible, everyone knows their role. We have decided each player's role. If you are not in good form, we are flexible. The way Fakhar dominated after wickets fell ... if me and Fakhar had batted for three more overs, it would have been a different ball game," he added.

Pakistan and England faced off in a highly anticipated T20I match at Edgbaston, Birmingham, with Pakistan winning the toss and electing to bowl first. The match marked the return of Jofra Archer to the England team after a lengthy absence due to an elbow injury.Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, welcomed the return of Shadab Khan to the lineup after he was rested for the final two T20Is against Ireland. Haris Rauf also made his comeback after recovering from a shoulder dislocation.England, on the other hand, opted to leave out Sam Curran, the player of the tournament at the 2022 T20 World Cup, in favor of Chris Jordan and Liam Livingstone.The match began with England's openers, Jos Buttler and Phil Salt, putting on a solid partnership. However, Pakistan's bowlers struck back with regular wickets, including the dismissal of Buttler for 31.Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook steadied the innings for England, but they were unable to accelerate the scoring rate. Pakistan's bowlers maintained a tight line and length, restricting England to 161/8 in their allotted 20 overs.In response, Pakistan's openers, Babar Azam and Saim Ayub, got off to a cautious start. However, Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman provided the impetus with aggressive batting.Rizwan scored a quickfire 37, while Zaman played a crucial knock of 56. Shadab Khan also contributed with a valuable 34, guiding Pakistan to a comfortable victory with 10 balls to spare.