The Pakistan cricket team embarked on their journey to India for the highly anticipated ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
They left Lahore airport at 3:20 a.m. and will have a brief layover in Dubai before reaching Hyderabad, India, at 8:15 p.m. (local time) on September 27. The traveling squad includes 18 players and 13 support staff members.
Morne Morkel, the bowling coach, and Mickey Arthur, the men’s cricket team director, will join the team in Dubai and India, respectively.
The team is scheduled to train the next day, with their first warm-up match against New Zealand slated for September 29.
Before departing for India, Pakistan’s team captain, Babar Azam, reached out to cricket fans on X (formerly known as Twitter) and requested their prayers and support as they head into the World Cup. After facing delays, India finally granted visas to the Pakistan team, putting an end to the uncertainty surrounding their participation.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expressed dissatisfaction with the visa delay in a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC), citing its adverse impact on the team’s preparations for the event.
READ MORE: Adam Gilchrist’s ICC World Cup 2023 Predictions
Pakistan will engage in two warm-up matches before kicking off their World Cup campaign on October 6 against the Netherlands. The highly anticipated India vs. Pakistan clash is scheduled for October 14 in Ahmedabad.
The Pakistan lineup for the ICC World Cup 2023 includes:
- Babar Azam (c)
- Abdullah Shafique
- Fakhar Zaman
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
- Shadab Khan
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Usama Mir
- Haris Rauf
- M Wasim Jnr
- Hasan Ali
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Saud Shakeel
- Salman Ali Agha.
