Azhar Mahmood backs Pakistan to end losing streak against India in T20 World Cup 2021

The excitement and build-up to the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 are palpable as the event is going to take place after a gap of five years. It reached a crescendo when ICC announced India and Pakistan are in the same group meaning a potentially mouth-watering clash. October 24 was announced as the day when these two Asian rivals will face off against each other.

Both Pakistan and India have named their respective squads for the T20 World Cup and there is a fair share of notable absentees from the team. If Pakistan have not selected Shoaib Malik and Sarfaraz Ahmed in the 15-member squad, then India too have omitted the experienced players like Shikhar Dhawan and Yuzvendra Chahal for the global event. But all said and done, the Men in Blue still hold an upper hand against their Asian rivals when it comes to ICC events.

Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood though was surprised in seeing the name of Fakhar Zaman missing from the team. The southpaw has been brilliant for his side in the 50 over format and Mahmood firmly believes he should have been in the team. “In my opinion, Fakhar Zaman should have been in the squad. In the middle-order, Shoaib Malik should have been selected as he has been performing really well in the recent past. He did well in the PSL and leagues around the world. You definitely need experience in this sort of situation,” said Mahmood to Cricket Pakistan. 

The former Pakistan bowling coach also spoke about the India and Pakistan match and felt his team has a chance if they click as a unit. “It will be a tough match as India is playing really well and they will have an edge over Pakistan. However, if Pakistan team clicks, I’m sure we can beat India,” he said.