Waqar Younis stirs controversy with ‘Weaker Team’ remark on Babar Azam & Co. ahead of ODI World Cup 2023

Pakistan Cricket team arrived in India on September 27 for the early preparations for the upcoming ODI World Cup. The Babar Azam-led side landed at Hyderabad airport as their first match of the World Cup will be against the Netherlands on October 6 in Hyderabad. However, the fans are eagerly waiting for the high-voltage India vs. Pakistan game on October 14.

Meanwhile, former Pakistani cricket legend Waqar Younis has ignited a major controversy just ahead of the World Cup with his recent comment on the Pakistan cricket team. Younis, a former coach and renowned fast bowler, described Pakistan’s team, led by captain Babar Azam, as a “weaker team” compared to India. It was quite surprising that Younis, who is regarded as a legend in Pakistan, believes that his own side is weaker than India.

“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,” Younis was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

if we judge purely based on the team’s performance: Waqar Younis

Such remarks, made by a figure of Younis’ stature, have raised questions about their impact on the team’s morale as they prepare for the global tournament. Younis further added and talked about how badly the Men in Green will miss the services of pacer Naseem Shah who recently got injured in the Asia Cup 2023 and got ruled out of the entire World Cup.

“However, if we judge purely based on the team’s performance, India definitely will be a better team. If I talk about Pakistan, they are a miss and hit this time. The absence of Naseem Shah will be a big disadvantage because Naseem and Shaheen (Afridi) used to complement each other with new ball,” Younis said.