The national cricket team captain, Babar Azam, has said that their full focus is on the upcoming World Cup, and they will give a 100% performance at the mega event.
Addressing a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Babar Azam spoke about the preparations for the tour of Ireland, England and the T20 World Cup. He said that they were trying to give the best performance, and the aim of all the players was for the team to clinch victory.
Babar said that the team's entire focus was on the World Cup, adding that in the past they were also determined to bring the trophy home. “We will focus on the fitness of the players during the tour. Haris Rauf is rejoining the team after a rest, hopefully he will perform well,” he said further.
He also said that they had decided what was best for the team, adding that Aamir Jamal would take time to get polished and Muhammad Haris could not be accommodated in the top order, as he did not perform well in the Pakistan Super League. “A Test match performance cannot be compared to T20,” he asserted.
Babar Azam said Haris Rauf's fitness had improved rapidly.
The team captain said PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi encouraged them to produce good results, adding that there was no focus on individual issues to win the World Cup. “The World Cup is on the horizon, there is no time for routine policy,” he declared.
Babar Azam said that Hasan Ali had been selected in the team as a backup, adding that this choice had been made in consultation with all seven people on the selection committee. Hasan Ali had been kept in the team only on the basis of his experience, Babar said, adding that the best team would be selected to play all the matches taking place before the World Cup.
“Fast bowlers and spinners will be included according to the conditions,” he asserted.