'Our match is always the most talked about' - Babar Azam on India-Pakistan high intensity clashes

As the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is underway, all eyes are on the highly anticipated clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, scheduled for June 09 in New York.

In the middle of all the pressure and talks surrounding this marquee clash, Pakistan captain Babar Azam has called for composure and a focused approach. He mentioned that the team should not get carried away by the excessive hype.

The India-Pakistan rivalry is one of the most intense and closely watched in the sporting world. While the Men in Blue has dominated the head-to-head contests in ICC events, particularly in T20 World Cups they have successfully won seven out of eight matches. The only win for the Men in Green came in the 2021 edition under Azam's captaincy. 

“An India-Pakistan match is always the most talked about; it is discussed too much wherever you go in the world. The players get different vibes and excitement. What will happen is that everyone supports their country, so the focus is on that match," he said on the PCB podcast.

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The whole world is focused on the day when the India-Pakistan match is held: Babar Azam

Talking about the upcoming clash against India he believes that his side needs to stick to the basics focus on the game and make sure to be composed during tough situations. 

“The whole world is focused on the day when the India-Pakistan match is held. Naturally, there will be nerves, but we need to keep our focus, stick to the basics and play easy cricket. It is always a pressure game; the more you keep cool and calm, and believe in your skills and hard work, the things get easier," Azam said.

Reflecting on the heartbreaking defeats to India and Zimbabwe in the 2022 edition, where the side lost from winning positions, the batter highlighted the significance of composure under pressure. 

“For me, in 2022, we could and should have won the India game, but they took it away. The most hurtful was the defeat against Zimbabwe. It hurts more because we had played good cricket against India and people were praising our performance and fightback," he added.

Despite the setbacks, Azam and Co. reached the finals of the 2022 edition, thanks in part to South Africa's shock loss to the Netherlands. However, England proved to be the better opponent in the summit clash, a match where Shaheen Afridi's injury played a pivotal role, according to Babar.

“In the final, Shaheen’s injury was impactful because, at that time, the pressure was on them (England). We were forced to give an over to a spinner and that made a difference,” he further added.

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As his side prepares to kickstart their T20 World Cup campaign against co-hosts USA on June 06, Azam's motivation is more than individual milestones. 

“As a batter, I have achieved decently and, as a captain, I have won a few series. But lifting the ICC trophy is a different motivation. You go to a different level and get a lot of praise. So, the motivation, aspiration and dream remain to lift an ICC trophy and present it to Pakistan," he concluded.