Pakistan captain Babar Azam has denied rumours of rift with star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi during the pre-departure press conference ahead of the ICC World Cup 2023 in India. Azam said that the entire team is like a family after reports in local media stated that the duo had a fight in the team meeting following Pakistan’s exit from the Asia Cup 2023. \u201cEveryone respects each other in the team,\u201d Azam said. \u201cIt was a normal meeting but it was portrayed as if we had a fight. There was no such thing as we love each other like a family.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m very excited to play in Ahmedabad. It is the biggest stadium in the world and will be jam-packed for the India-Pakistan clash,\u201d he said. \u201cI will try to perform to the best of my ability. I can\u2019t exactly tell you how I will do since I\u2019m not an astrologer.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m not worried about my performance. I always try to perform in a manner which suits the team,\u201d he added. \u201cWe want to improve our fielding and do better in the middle overs,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can\u2019t be perfect as there is always room for improvement. I know we didn\u2019t perform in accordance with expectations during the Asia Cup but we will try to do better during the World Cup.\u201d \u201cWe are not only thinking about getting into the top four as our target is to be the number one side,\u201d he added. \u201cI trust my team more than myself. These are the same players who helped Pakistan become the number one side. I know that these players will give their all for the team,\u201d he said. The ICC World Cup 2023 will take place in India with 10 teams fighting for the elusive title across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener and the final. \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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