The ICC World Cup 2023 is around the corner and the fans are eagerly waiting for the clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan which is scheduled to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14.
Their last encounter, in the Asia Cup Super-Four, saw the Men in Blue registering a record 228-run win over the Babar Azam-led side which eventually got knocked out of the tournament. The pressure will be double on Pakistan in the next meet-up as they face India in their backyard.
However, speedster Haris Rauf believes that it’s going to be just another game of cricket and not a war.
Addressing a press conference before leaving for India, Haris was questioned about the lack of aggression from Pakistan during their games against Team India. The fast bowler snapped at the journalist and said they were going to play cricket and not fight a war.
“Why should I go and fight with Indians? It is cricket and not war,” Rauf replied.
The right-arm quick also spoke about his fitness, stating that he is ready to go all guns blazing in the World Cup. Rauf suffered a shoulder injury in the Super Four tie against India which restricted him from taking the field on the reserve day.
He was eventually ruled out of the last game against Sri Lanka which Pakistan lost by two wickets.
“Playing in any tournament for your country is a big deal. My fitness is better than before. We have confidence in ourselves as a team. The team management will decide whether to give me the new ball or the old ball,” Rauf said about his fitness
“I have no specific goal set for the World Cup. More emphasis is on team performance than individual performance,” he further added.
Injury concerns for Pakistan
Pakistan were dealt a huge blow with Naseem Shah getting ruled out of the World Cup 2023. The PCB called up Hasan Ali as a replacement. The latter last played an ODI last year, against West Indies in Multan.
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