Image Credit- ICC
When Babar Azam arrived for the press conference on
the day of the important India-Pakistan game in Ahmedabad, he was in for a
pleasant surprise. When the press officer revealed that Shahid Hashmi, who just
yesterday became the only pressman from Pakistan here so far, would be asking
the question, a small smile slipped his lips.
Being the seasoned professional that he is, Hashmi
seized the moment and opened with the statistic that Babar and Pakistan must
have become tired of at this point: 7-0. The fact that Pakistan has played
India seven times in 50-over World Cups without ever winning is widely reported
on television, news networks, blogs, and social media.
Babar maintained his composure as he is known to do
with the bat and with the mic, and said: “I believe there is no point
focusing on whatever has happened in the past. I believe we need to focus on
what is ahead of us,” he said. “All these streaks are made to be
broken. God willing, we will try to give our best tomorrow. Anything can happen
on the day. I fully believe my team has done well in the first three matches,
and will continue doing so in the coming matches.”
The line of questioning was not to stop. A reporter asked
him: “Everything about cricketing pressure is okay, but what about friends
and family? Aren’t they pestering Pakistan to reverse it for once?” For
once Babar displayed his Punjabi humour: “I don’t know about that, but all
the calls we are getting are for tickets only.”
However, Babar is not one to downplay how big the
match is. “India-Pakistan is a big game, high-intensity game. All I have
said to the boys is: give yourselves the best opportunity to win. Keep doing
what you have been doing. execute your plans, keep your belief, Ahmedabad is a
big stadium, a lot of people are coming, but this is a great opportunity for us
to do well in front of them.”