'Faisla Ho Jayega Ki Tournament ICC Kara Raha Hai Ya BCCI': Ex-Pakistan Captain's Stern Remarks on IND vs PAK Game

Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has questioned the pitch to be used for the India vs Pakistan game in the ODI World Cup 2023 on Saturday. In the buildup of the much-anticipated face-off in Ahmedabad, former cricketers and media giants are up with their opinions on different platforms. The latest to join the bandwagon is Hafeez who is sceptical about the strip which will be used for the epic game at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Speaking on Pakistan’s PTV, the former cricketer targeted the BCCI and said the game between the arch-rivals on October 14 will decide who is conducting the showpiece event. Hafeez opined that if the track in Ahmedabad behaves differently than the one used in Chennai then that will be questionable.

IND vs PAK ODI World Cup at Narendra Modi Stadium Live Score 

“Kal ye faisla hoga ki ye tournament ICC kara raha hai ya BCCI (It will be decided on Saturday if ICC or BCCI conducts the tournament).

“So far, three venues have hosted two games each – Hyderabad, Delhi and Dharamsala. The pitch conditions were similar. If the track in Ahmedabad behaves like the Chennai strip where India defeated Australia, then it won’t be difficult to understand. But if you get to see any change, then you will also know who is conducting the World Cup,” Hafeez told PTV.

“This is an ICC tournament and the pitches are curated as per the guidelines given by it. If the track behaves in a similar way, I can understand that. But if it acts differently, then it would be a big question mark,” he added.

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Hafeez’s comment comes after the New Zealand vs Bangladesh game in Chennai on Friday on which the pitch didn’t assist the spinners much as compared to the scenario in the India vs Australia match last week.

India and Pakistan ready for the battle

Away from the outside noise, the two teams are focusing on their preparation as they treat it like just another game. The hype is around India’s 7-0 record against Pakistan in the ODI World Cups but both captains aren’t paying any heed to that.

On the eve of the much-awaited game, the Pakistan captain said they aren’t feeling any pressure while India skipper Rohit Sharma said he isn’t focusing on any such number or stats.

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Here are the captain’s reactions:

“I’m not a person who looks into all those kinds of stats. You want to play good cricket on that particular day to win the game. And that is what we will be focusing on, playing good cricket, and how we can play good cricket, which is understanding the conditions, what is required from the team’s perspective and things like that,” said Rohit at the pre-match presser.

“I don’t focus on the past; I try to focus on the future. Such records are made to be broken and I try to break them. I will try to give a good performance tomorrow, on the day. It depends on the day and how you play. I believe my team did well in the first two matches and will do well in the next ones,” said Pakistan Babar Azam.