The recent announcement of the ODI World Cup 2023 schedule by the International Cricket Council (ICC) has ignited excitement among fans. The tournament will kick off with a clash between England and New Zealand, setting the stage for an exhilarating cricketing extravaganza. Hosts India will commence their campaign in a high-voltage encounter against Australia on October 8 in Chennai.
While all matches in the tournament are eagerly anticipated, the highlight fixture between India and Pakistan is scheduled for October 15 at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This intense rivalry never fails to captivate fans around the world, and the clash promises to be a spectacle of cricketing brilliance.
Looking ahead to the ODI World Cup 2023, Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan shared his thoughts on the team’s main priority for the tournament. With the tournament scheduled to be held in India, Shadab acknowledged the pressure on Pakistan, particularly when facing arch-rivals India in their home country. However, he emphasized that winning against India won’t be their primary aim; instead, their main focus will be on clinching the championship trophy.
“Playing against India comes with a different sense of joy. The pressure overall is also different. Now when we have to go there, it will be their home ground – the crowd will be against us. However, we are going there to play in the World Cup, so we should think about it, and not only about India, because if we win against India and lose the World Cup, then there’s no benefit of it,” said Shadab during an interview with Cricket Pakistan.
“In my opinion, even if we lose from India but end up winning the World Cup, it’s a win-win because that is our main aim,” he added.
Notably, the Babar Azam-led side will begin their ODI World Cup 2023 journey on October 06 when they take on Qualifiers 1 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The match against India is their third league game in the tournament.
