Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

India favourites in T20 WC clash against Pakistan: Rashid Latif

Rashid Latif believes India will be favourites in their T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan on Sunday due to having a more balanced squad.

India favourites in T20 WC clash against Pakistan: Rashid Latif

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has said that Babar Azam has a long way to go before becoming a captain who can handle pressure. Latif believes India will be favourites in their T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan on Sunday due to having a more balanced squad.

The India-Pakistan match, to be held in New York, is one of the most anticipated games of the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies.


"...the focus is on the game on June 9 against India. Babar (Pakistan captain) will be under a lot of pressure because of the game against India rather than performing in the World Cup," the 55-year-old former wicketkeeper-batter told PTI videos in an exclusive interview.

"But he has to learn to carry pressure, he should learn that from Virat and Rohit. They know how to carry the game. As a batter, Babar is one of the best but as a captain and leader, there's a lot that he needs to learn," he added.

Latif said India have superior spinners and based on current form, Rohit Sharma's men are favourites for a win on Sunday.

"Kuldeep Yadav is that one player who if remains fit for India throughout the World Cup, he can cause trouble for batters. He is India’s key bowler and also a key to success. Given the current form and stats definitely India has an advantage ahead of June 9," he said.

Latif also pointed out that Pakistan's preparedness is not as strong as it was during its performances in the 2021 and 2022 editions when the team reached the finals.

"The Pakistan team plays well in the ICC tournaments but the team doesn't look as prepared as they were in 2021 and 2022. The damage happened after the last ODI World Cup with changes in captaincy, the selection committee, and players," he explained.

"The team doesn't know who their openers will be and what they have tried has failed miserably," he pointed out.

Latif lamented the decline of Pakistan's bowling, especially the pacers, blaming poor fitness for it.

"A lot of bowlers like Shaheen, Naseem, Rauf, Shadab came back from injury and now Imad Wasim is injured. The biggest issue has been the fitness of the bowlers," he said.

"Former greats like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mohammad Asif were way fitter than them and never used to miss any Tests or ODIs. But these guys, despite playing shorter formats, don't have adequate fitness," he added.

He also criticised the selection of bowlers who play similar roles in the side.

"...they bring back Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim. Earlier when these two bowlers used to play for Pakistan and in the PSL, they used to bowl the early overs between 1-4.

"Now, Rauf and Shaheen perform the same role, if you have four bowlers with the same role, who will bowl in the middle overs?" he asked.

He lauded India for getting their bowling combination right.

"Look at India, they have got Kuldeep, Axar, Jadeja and Chahal who can bowl in the middle and also the early overs. Pakistan couldn't develop Abrar Ahmed much. If Shadab Khan goes for runs in the middle overs, Pakistan doesn't have a lot of cover," he said.

Latif also questioned the timing of South African Gary Kirsten's appointment as Pakistan coach.

"The timing of his joining is very wrong. He joined the team on May 19 after the IPL season for Gujarat Titans ended," Latif pointed out.

"He only knows players by their names, but when you are going to the World Cup then you at least need to have spent at least a year with the players. He did not get this time and the Pakistan board is to blame for that," he said.

Talking about Virat Kohli, Latif said, "Virat has a lot of fans in Pakistan and also the players playing are his fans. Like I also say this whenever Sachin used to play earlier, I never wanted him to get out.

"The world was paying to watch him bat but I was sitting behind the stumps and enjoying it for free," he recalled on a lighter note.

"Virat Kohli is a different player...Virat is a different player after this IPL…It will be really interesting to see where he bats in this World Cup."

Kohli opened with Rohit in India's opener against Ireland.

Latif said even Babar can grow in stature but he needs a better team around him.

"Babar is a great player but doesn't have a lot of players to support him. Virat definitely has an advantage because the players are around him. But Pakistan lacks that cushion.

"Babar only has Rizwan and occasionally the support of Fakhar Zaman. Babar's quality is way above his teammates and I think this acts as a disadvantage for him."

More For You

Amanda Anisimova

The last American woman remaining in the draw

Getty Images

Amanda Anisimova stuns Aryna Sabalenka to reach maiden Wimbledon final

Highlights

  • Amanda Anisimova defeats world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in three sets
  • The American advances to her first Grand Slam final
  • Sabalenka’s run of Grand Slam finals ends
  • Anisimova will face either Swiatek or Bencic on Saturday
  • With the win, Anisimova is projected to reach world No. 7

American tennis star Amanda Anisimova produced the biggest win of her career by defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the semi-finals of Wimbledon on Thursday. The result sends the 23-year-old into her first Grand Slam final, where she will face either Iga Swiatek or Belinda Bencic on Saturday.

The contest on Centre Court lasted two hours and 37 minutes and was interrupted twice during the first set due to spectators feeling unwell in the heat. Despite the stoppages, both players maintained their focus in a match marked by intense rallies and shifting momentum.

Keep ReadingShow less
HYBE Cine Fest 2025
HYBE Cine Fest 2025: How HYBE Cine Fest 2025 is India’s K-pop soft launch
Instagram/pvrpictures

HYBE Cine Fest 2025: BTS, TXT, and SEVENTEEN light up screens; here’s what it really means

You step into your local PVR today. The smell of popcorn hits you, but instead of previews for the latest Bollywood hit, the lobby is a sea of ARMY Bombs and CARAT Bong light sticks. Fans in TXT tees are swapping photocards. Someone’s already belting out a LE SSERAFIM chorus into a mic at the pop-up Noraebang station. Inside Screen 3? It isn’t a film, but a full-blown K-pop concert. Thousands of voices scream every word of BTS’s Dynamite, and tears well up during Jungkook’s solo. But this isn’t Seoul. It’s Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, all this weekend. And HYBE? They’re taking notes, big ones!

What is Hybe Cine fest?

HYBE Cine Fest 2025 is a three-day cinema event (from 10 to 12 July) that brings some of the biggest K-pop concert experiences to the big screen across India. Organised by South Korean entertainment giant HYBE in partnership with PVR INOX and Trafalgar Releasing, the fest features full-length concert films from BTS, SEVENTEEN, TXT, ENHYPEN, ILLIT, and Katseye. Expect stadium-level production with cinematic visuals, surround sound, and collective fan chants, everything fans love about a K-pop concert, recreated inside a cinema.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk

The launch of Grok 4 comes amid criticism of the previous version

Getty Images

Elon Musk claims new Grok 4 AI is ‘smarter than PhD graduates’

Highlights

  • Elon Musk unveils Grok 4, calling it “the smartest AI in the world”
  • Grok 4 reportedly trained 100 times more than Grok 2
  • Musk says it performs at PhD-level across nearly all subjects
  • The launch follows controversy around Grok 3’s offensive responses

Musk launches Grok 4 AI model with bold claims of intelligence

Elon Musk has launched Grok 4, the latest artificial intelligence model developed by his xAI company, claiming it surpasses PhD-level intelligence across all academic fields.

Speaking at the launch, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said Grok 4 had been trained using 100 times more data than Grok 2, which was replaced by Grok 3 in February this year. Musk described the new model as “the smartest AI in the world” and said it could achieve near-perfect results in graduate-level exams in almost every subject.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan rejects claim of China’s role in border clash

Asim Munir

Pakistan rejects claim of China’s role in border clash

PAKISTAN’S army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Monday (7) rejected Delhi’s allegation that his military received active support from longtime ally China in its conflict with India in May.

The Indian Army’s deputy chief, Lieutenant General Rahul Singh, said last week that China gave Islamabad “live inputs” on key Indian positions.

Keep ReadingShow less