LAHORE:Pakistan Captain Babar Azam on Thursday said that he was upbeat about defeating New Zealand in the five-match T20I series which starts from April 14 (Friday) at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Addressing the pre-series press conference at the Gaddafi Stadium here, he said the series against New Zealand was vital for team’s preparations for the upcoming Asia Cup and the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup in India.
Babar Azam dispelled the impression that the middle-order batting was a matter for concern for the Pakistan team, adding that all-rounders Imad Wasim and Faheem Ashraf had performed well for the national team in all conditions and were expected to do well in the company of Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan.
Babar Azam said he was least bothered about the rumours on his captaincy, adding that the Chairman Management Committee PCB Najam Sethi had given him the confidence to continue as captain of the Pakistan team.
About the pitches, the top-three ranked T20I batter said that the pitches looked good in Lahore and expected to produce high-scoring encounters in the five-match T20I series in Lahore and Rawalpindi.
To a query, he said the current set of players would help in the picking the best combination for the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, adding that Ihsanullah and Zaman Khan had bolstered the bowling department of the team. He said Pakistan had the best fast-bowling attack in the world comprising Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah.
Babar Azam hinted at playing more practice matches in order to find the best team combination for the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023.
The first three T20Is of the five-match series will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore while the remaining two matches will be played at the Rawalpindi Stadium, Rawalpindi.
In head to head competitions Pakistan have won matches while New Zealand defeated Pakistan on 11 occasions in the past.