Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has lauded Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, for expressing optimism about his team’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup semifinals. Pakistan faces defending champions England in their final group-stage clash at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
To secure a spot in the semifinals, Pakistan needs a substantial victory, requiring them to win by approximately 287 runs against England, particularly if they bat first. Responding to Babar’s hopeful declaration in a press conference, Gambhir acknowledged the captain’s right to display confidence and deemed it an ‘exceptional’ stance.
Despite the daunting task at hand, Gambhir emphasized that a leader must project hope and determination.
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“It is an uphill task for sure but what do you expect from a leader? What should he say in the press conference? Should he say that they have conceded defeat and that they want to go back? He is his country’s leader and has every right to show his confidence in the press conference. Even if it is 1%, there is hope at least. They are still not out and anything can happen in cricket. So I believe it was an exceptional press conference,” expressed Gautam Gambhir on Star Sports.
Gambhir continued, highlighting the duty of a leader to maintain belief, emphasizing that it’s not over until it’s over. He urged Pakistan to play confidently in their crucial encounter against England, noting that they have nothing to lose and should aim to score big while acknowledging the challenge ahead.
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“It does not matter what we say or write on social media. A leader’s duty is to believe that it ain’t over till it’s over, whether it is one or half a percent hope. You go and play and try to score 400 if you get to bat first. In fact, Pakistan have nothing to lose. Even if they get bowled out for 200 or 250 while trying to score 400, at least they have in their mind that they need to score over 450 and dismiss them for under 200,” concluded the former cricketer.
