Kolkata (West Bengal): The Pakistan team led by Babar Azam finally got down to practice at the Eden Gardens after two days of rest on Wednesday afternoon. Babar Azam and Harris Rauf had a three-hour practice session from 2 pm to 5 pm on Wednesday.
Glenn Maxwell's superhuman innings against Afghanistan and Australia's victory changed the equation for the likely semi-final line-up for the ICC World Cup 2023. With Australia cementing their place in the last four, Pakistan's chances of reaching the last four have become brighter since then.
BODY: New Zealand will take on beleaguered Sri Lanka in a crucial match in Bengaluru on Friday. Pakistan's hopes will be hugely dented if the Black Caps register a win. But the Kiwis' fate is frowned upon as per the forecast of the Meteorological Department that predicts rain for the New Zealand-Sri Lanka match.
Babar Azam, however, is desperate to turn things around after judging the situation and not the points table. Babar Azam threw himself in front of Shaheen Afridi's vicious bowling during the practice.
All were seen practising except Imam-ul Haq and Mohammed Nawaz. Shadab Khan and Harris Rauf also trained after recovering from injuries.
Pakistan leg-spinner Usama Mir said that everyone in the team is desperate to exploit the situation. “We are hopeful of making it to the semi-finals. Every member of the team understands the importance of the match and wants to give the best. The relationship between everyone is friendly,” Mir said.
Their desperation was visible in the practice session. The Pakistan batters took on both the spinners and pace bowlers during the three-hour training session. Even Shaheen Afridi was seen batting at the net session.
Even outside the field, the Pakistan team is in a cheerful mood. In the last two days, they were perhaps trying to keep away from stress by playing golf on Tuesday and then embarking on a shopping spree in the afternoon. Pakistan cricketers were seen signing autographs for the crowd during practice at Eden on Wednesday.
Babar Azam also fulfilled the obligation while leaving Eden post-practice session. Even though the hopes of the semi-finals are still alive, Pakistan don't want to be under the burden of additional pressure.
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