India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2021: Babar Azam goes in with Shoaib Malik ahead of Sarfaraz Ahmed in final 12

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has decided to leave out former captain and wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed for the crucial clash against arch-rivals India in the T20 World Cup 2021 match in Dubai on Sunday (October 24). Sarfaraz was the last Pakistan captain to lead the team to a major victory – defeating Virat Kohli’s Indian side in the 2017 Champions Trophy final.

“Sarfaraz is a good player of spin and has good confidence of playing against India. But we considered best XI for this match as Shoaib Malik also plays spin very well. That’s why we have opted for this final 12,” Babar Azam said during the virtual media interaction ahead of the India game on Saturday (October 23).

The Pakistan skipper was questioned about their poor track record against India, having lost 12 matches to their neighbours in 50-over and T20 format.

Pakistan open T20 World Cup campaign on Sunday

More details https://t.co/jNJ0nfEIOg#WeHaveWeWill | #T20WorldCup — PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) October 23, 2021

“It is important to keep things simple and stick to the basics. We shouldn’t be thinking too much about the past. We are very confident about the event and matches coming forward,” Babar said.

Moving forward. #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/mDdYMvCt7e — Babar Azam (@babarazam258) October 20, 2021

Asked about the main strength of the Pakistan side, Babar said, “Our main strength is our batting. They way our batters have been performing over the last couple of months, I am confident that they will perform in the game against India as well.”

Former Pakistan captain and current Prime Minister of the nation Imran Khan also interacted with the team ahead of the T20 World Cup. “Imran Khan just shared his experience of playing and leading the side to the 1992 World Cup title. He told us how the body language of the side was during that World Cup and what was the attitude of the players in that team,” Babar informed about his interaction with PM Imran Khan.