Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam confirmed that his team will come up with the “best possible planning” against India’s Virat Kohli when the two sides lock horns in the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 9.
Pakistan is placed in Group A alongside arch-rivals India, co-hosts United States, Ireland and Canada and they will begin their campaign on June 6 against the home side in Dallas.
Azam held a press conference on Monday where he was asked if Pakistan will have a different kind of plan against Kohli as in the 2022 T20 World Cup, the former Indian skipper single-handedly won the match for the Blues by scoring 82 runs in one of the most iconic innings of all time.
The Pakistani skipper stated that cricket is a team game and they will see how are the conditions in the US during the World Cup. He also expressed that Kohli is one of the best players in the world.
"As a team, you always plan against different teams and according to their strengths. We don't plan anything against only one player. We plan for all eleven players. We don't know much about the conditions in New York and we will plan accordingly. He [Virat Kohli] is one of the best players and we will come up with the best possible planing against him as well," Babar said.
In the same presser, Azam also confirmed that the time before the World Cup begins is very limited thus, Pakistan will play every match with a full-strength playing XI.
"I think there is less time for rotation now because the World Cup is around the corner, and in the remaining matches, we will try to give the team we want to play with in the World Cup a proper opportunity. We will sort out whatever our bowling and batting combination is, and we have almost done that. We will play with our best possible XI in the remaining matches," Babar added.
Pakistan squad for Ireland and England series:
Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Iftikhar Ahmad, Usman Khan, Azam Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Salman Ali Agha
Pakistan's schedule of upcoming matches
Tour of Ireland
May 10: First T20I at Clontarf
May 12: Second T20I at Clontarf
May 14: Third T20I at Clontarf
Tour of England
May 22: First T20I at Leeds
May 25: Second T20I at Birmingham
May 28: Third T20I at Cardiff
May 30: Fourth T20I at The Oval