Pakistan come into the main draw of the T20 World Cup with 10 wins in a row in the UAE and the 27-year-old said the mood in the camp is very positive.
'Pakistani players think that if they don't perform well, the coaches will be sacked, and nothing will happen to them.'
Babar Azam scored his 18th century as Pakistan trounced New Zealand by 102 runs in the fourth One-Day International at the National stadium in Karachi on Friday. His 107 off 117 balls fired Pakistan to 334 for 6. In reply, New Zealand were shot out for 232 all out, their lowest total of the series.
Most of the Pakistan squad members have not played in India before but skipper Babar Azam on Tuesday exuded confidence, saying his team has done its homework for the ODI World Cup beginning on October 5.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood and head coach Jason Gillespie will no longer have a say in selection matters after the PCB selectors cut down their powers, according to a source.
Aiming for their second Cricket World Cup title, Pakistan will be led by Babar Azam and are armed with a strong batting unit that includes Fakhar Zaman, Imam-Ul-Haq, Mohammed Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Salman Agha.
India's biggest challenge could come from an unexpected source -- Pakistan's mystery spinner Usman Tariq.
Babar Azam (104) hit his second Test century and Mohammad Rizwan 95 to stall Australia's march to victory and once they had departed, Pakistan were soon all out for 335.
Chasing a target of 135 runs, Haider Ali's 65* off 43 including three sixes and skipper Azam's 51 from 28 balls put their side over the line with 29 balls to spare.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was relieved after the team's first victory in the T20 World Cup in New York on Tuesday, but lamented that they couldn't complete their chase of 107 in fewer overs because the pitch was difficult to bat on.
Babar Azam called Lata Mangeshkar an 'unparalleled icon'
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya added another milestone to his name, completing 200 international wickets
Former captain Shahid Afridi is confident that Pakistan will again reach the final of the T20 World Cup, but expressed apprehension about the batters' sluggish strike rate in the middle overs.
Fascinating numbers from the India-Pakistan iconic cricket rivalry.
On Tuesday, the 6' 6" Pakistan fast bowlers was bowled over yet again by Ansha Afridi, whose dad Shahid played some cricket in his day :)
Kohli found support from the Pakistani star batter, who indicated that an athlete has to be really strong to overcome failures.
Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan hit unbeaten half-centuries to help Pakistan overcome Jayden Seales' three-wicket burst
The Indians have not featured in ODIs in recent months but Kuldeep Yadav (650) and Ravindra Jadeja (616) still remained static at number three and number nine in the latest ODI rankings for bowlers.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam on Tuesday backed outgoing India head coach Ravi Shastri's view that competing regularly in bio-bubbles is not easy for the players as it can leave them 'disturbed and uncomfortable'.
'Shaheen's absence big setback for Pakistan'
Haris Rauf was named in Pakistan's 15-member squad, which will be led by star batter Babar Azam.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam offered consolation to team mate Hasan Ali whose costly mistake in the field allowed Matthew Wade to secure Australia's thrilling victory in the Twenty20 World Cup semi-final on Thursday.
'Scoring those half-centuries and winning the trophy for India is indeed special.'
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday demoted premier pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi to Category B from Category A, and did not offer central contracts to senior players Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed and Osama Mir for the 2024-25 season.
Pakistan have rebounded superbly and bring momentum into Sunday's final against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Pakistan's Olympics gold-winning javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem's Instagram account has been blocked in India owing to a "legal request" in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood termed their series-levelling victory in the second Test against England "special" as the hosts snapped their nearly four-year winless run on home soil in this format.
Babar said the pressure on him for tickets for the match against India was more than the match itself.
India and Bangladesh have two points each with Suryakumar Yadav's men leading the standings owing to a superior net run rate. Sri Lanka and Pakistan occupy the third and fourth spots respectively.
Glenn Maxwell levelled with names like compatriots David Warner, Aaron Finch, the Indian legend Rohit Sharma and England's Jos Buttler, becoming the player with the joint-fourth-highest centuries in T20 cricket.
'There are matches immediately after Netherlands, so it's unlikely there will be time for changes'
Azam Khan has landed himself in controversy after he was seen wiping his eyebrows with an US dollar note on social media.
Babar smashed an unbeaten 105 and opener Imam-ul-Haq made 89 not out
Misbah said in a TV interview that despite the advice from him and Mohammad Hafeez, PCB chose to not have a relook at Pakistan's spin attack.
'To get someone with Ashwin's credentials to come over here for the BBL will be great at so many levels.'
The Pakistan cricket team left for Dubai for the marquee Champions Trophy clash against arch-rivals India without opener Fakhar Zaman, who suffered an injury during the opening match against New Zealand in Karachi on February 19. The left-handed batter has been replaced by Imam-ul-Haq in Pakistan's squad.
Pakistan have made four changes to the side for the second Test against England after resting senior cricketers including former captain Babar Azam from the rest of the series.
Abrar Ahmed made a stunning Test debut claiming seven for 114 to bowl out England for 281
Virat Kohli became the first Indian to complete 13,000 runs in T20 cricket, during the IPL 2025 match against MI on Monday.
"We played a lot of dot balls because our set batsmen got out and it was not easy for a new batter coming in. They needed two to three balls to settle and that forced us onto the back foot,"
