HYDERABAD: Pakistan have learned from the mistakes they made in their forgettable Asia Cup campaign and are ready to do better at the upcoming World Cup, the national side’s vice captain Shadab Khan said on Sunday.

Pakistan open their World Cup journey on Oct. 6 with their match against the Netherlands. The fixture will be their first outing since their agonising two-wicket loss against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup Super Four match, which also confirmed they finished bottom in the stage.

Before the Sri Lanka clash, they were handed a 228-run drubbing by arch-rivals India, who are the hosts of the World Cup. Shadab believed Pakistan have left the Asia Cup behind and that they are looking to be mentally stronger throughout the World Cup.

“The Asia Cup didn’t go well but that’s the beauty of cricket you learn from your mistakes and there is always an opportunity to learn and play good cricket,” Shadab said during a media briefing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. “After we lost the Asia Cup we got good rest and I believe it’s no more a skill game but a mental game and it’s the World Cup situation.

“You can take good decisions when you are relaxed mentally.”

The all-rounder said the approach was applicable to him individually as well, given the lack of form he showed in the Asia Cup. Despite being Pakistan’s main spin bowler, he bowled poorly in the tournament, leaking runs consistently and hardly taking wickets.

“I do understand that my recent form is not good but I have the skills,” Shadab noted. “Just that when you are not performing you are mentally a bit down but skill wise there is no issue.”

The mental aspect of the sport will come into play due to two more factors; the prestige of the World Cup trophy and playing in India as a Pakistan team. But, that given, he said it will be an opportunity for players to become heroes.

“When you wear the green jersey there is a lot of expectation from our people and fans and especially when we play in India,” Shadab said. “The World Cup for a player is that if you perform, you will be a superstar.”

Pakistan will play their World Cup matches across five venues; Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata, and Shadab observed that it would test the team’s skills and ability to adjust to varying conditions. The 24-year-old added that fitness will be a concerns for all participating teams due to the extensive format of the tournament, which sees all 10 teams playing against each other once before the semi-finals.

“Conditions will change as we will be playing in different venues and we have to adapt to conditions very quickly and also fitness-wise as it’s a long tournament and the Asia Cup saw some fast bowlers getting injured,” he said while indicating towards Pakistan’s premier pacer Naseem Shah’s recent ouster due to injury. “So fitness will be a concern for all teams but hopefully not for us as we lost one of the key players already.”

While hoping Pakistan’s batting mainstays skipper Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq among other will fire in the extravaganza, Shadab said good bowling will be rewarded. Although, he added, it will be a challenge to do so.

“Babar, Rizwan, Iman are our consistent players and this is my feeling that the team that bowls well will win the World Cup,” said the leg-spinner. “It will be difficult to contain the batsmen and pick wickets given the nature of flat tracks and short boundaries.

“We have world class bowlers and as a bowling unit if we perform well we will become champions.”

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2023