During his first tour of India since 2016, Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been enjoying the warm hospitality in Hyderabad. However, he is concerned about the short boundaries in most Indian venues, fearing it may lead to a lack of competition between bat and ball at the 50-overs World Cup.
Due to the strained political relationship between India and Pakistan, bilateral cricket between the two nations remains suspended, and they only face each other in multi-team events.
Babar Azam and his team were pleasantly surprised by the support they received in Hyderabad, where they played their warm-up matches. They will begin their campaign for a second 50-overs World Cup title in the same city against the Netherlands on Friday.
In a pre-tournament media interaction with nine other captains, Babar Azam expressed his appreciation for the hospitality they have received in Hyderabad. He mentioned that it feels like being at home rather than in India.
One of the Pakistan support staff members took to social media to praise Hyderabad’s famous biryani, which the players thoroughly enjoyed. All-rounder Shadab Khan even joked that their regular consumption of biryani had made them slower on the field.
Babar Azam, currently the top-ranked ODI batter, raved about the Hyderabadi biryani but expressed his concern about the short boundaries at some Indian venues. He believes these short boundaries leave no margin for error for the bowlers and may result in high-scoring matches.
Pakistan’s bowling unit has already suffered a setback with the injury to speedster Naseem Shah. Despite this, Babar Azam still expects a strong performance from his team, particularly led by left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi, considering their bowling as their strength.
As the World Cup progresses, it remains to be seen how the short boundaries will impact the contest between bat and ball, and if Babar Azam’s concerns will be justified.