'No team can match them': Waqar Younis makes bold prediction for India ahead of the WC

The ICC World Cup is about to commence as ten teams will be vying for that coveted trophy starting next month. India is solely hosting the tournament for the first time in the history of the competition. Pakistan Cricket Team arrived on Wednesday and will take part in a couple of warm-up matches to get into the groove.

3 things you need to know

• Pakistan lifted the World Cup back in 1992
• The Men in Green named a 15 member squad
• Babar Azam will lead the team in the World Cup

Pakistan recently participated in the Asia Cup but failed to make it to the final of the continental tournament. The absence of Naseem Shah could be a big blow for the Asian side. They have a good array of pacers and also a number of quality spinners in the mix. It remains to be seen how they manage to dig deep into the Indian soil.

Also Read: ODI World Cup 2023: Australia Cricket Team Full Squad And Complete Schedule For WC 23

Waqar Younis takes a dig at Pakistan?

Former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis feels India have a better squad than the Pakistan team. In an interaction with Star Sports he said, “As we all know, it (India vs Pakistan) will be the biggest game, mother of all the games. So, when you play in Ahmedabad, you will have to control your nerves, and not only Pakistan will be under pressure since it is a weaker team as compared to India.

“But India will also be under pressure because the crowd in the stadium will create pressure on both the teams.

“If we only talk about ticking the boxes then we will see no other team can match India right now because they have good spinners, who are playing right now in the starting XI such as Kuldeep, Jadeja. But they also have strong bench strength.”

Pakistan's full schedule for ICC World Cup 2023

October 6: Pakistan v Netherlands, Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad
October 10: Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad
October 14: Pakistan v India, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
October 20: Pakistan v Australia, M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
October 23: Pakistan v Afghanistan, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
October 27: Pakistan v South Africa, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
October 31: Pakistan v Bangladesh, Eden Gardens, Kolkata
November 4: Pakistan v New Zealand, M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
November 11: Pakistan v England, Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Pakistan squad for ODI World Cup 2023

Naseem Shah couldn't make it to the squad due to a shoulder injury and Hassan Ali replaced him. Apart from this, there are no major surprises in the squad. Except for Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Ali Agha, this will be the first instance for the rest of the Pakistani players in India.

Also Read: Shakib Al Hasan hints at retirement after 2025 ICC Champions Trophy

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hassan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.

Travelling Reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan