“Against Indian players, they get scared” - Moin Khan makes huge statement on Pakistan team ahead of World Cup

Former captain Moin Khan has claimed that the Pakistan cricket team gets scared while playing against India. According to the former keeper-batter, senior players are afraid of giving suggestions to current captain Babar Azam, fearing that things might go wrong.

The Pakistan cricket team is currently in India for the 2023 ODI World Cup. They played their first warm-up match against New Zealand in Hyderabad on September 29, going down by five wickets despite putting up 345 on the board.

In an interaction with Cricket Pakistan, Moin made a big claim and opined that Pakistan players get scared when they come up against India. Reflecting on Babar Azam and co.’s 228-run loss to India in the Asia Cup, Moin commented:

"I saw this 100%. The players looked scared, they were hesitant in even giving suggestions to Babar, whether it was Rizwan, Shadab or Shaheen. It was visible that the team wasn't gelled up. There were no discussions, and even if there were suggestions those were not being followed. And even if Babar was following them, they weren't working.”

The 52-year-old urged Pakistan’s players to be more proactive in giving suggestions to the captain without worrying about the end result.

"Another thing is that against Indian players, they get scared. And those who really are scared that their suggestions won't work... that's fear. As a cricketer, you have to play on your potential and you should contribute 100%. It's okay if your suggestions go wrong, it happens. But your body language shows whether you want to win, and that wasn't visible,” Moin stated.

“And I'm pretty sure there were some issues in the dressing room. And I know, in a professional environment, there are differences but you have to end them to perform better. You have to move on," the former keeper-batter concluded.

Pakistan conceded 356/2 in the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 match against India in Colombo. In the chase, they were bundled out for 128 in 32 overs.

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New Zealand hammered Pakistan in World Cup 2023 warm-up match

Pakistan impressed with the bat in their World Cup 2023 warm-up match against New Zealand in Hyderabad. Batting first, they put up 345/5 on the board as Mohammad Rizwan (103 off 91), Babar (80 off 84), and Saud Shaukeel (75 off 53) played fine knocks. Their bowlers, however, failed to defend the big total.

Rachin Ravindra top-scored for New Zealand with 97 off 72, while Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, and Mark Chapman also chipped in with half-centuries as the Kiwis romped home in 43.4 overs.