T20 World Cup 2024: 'Babar needs to learn from Virat and Rohit' - Former Pakistan captain's massive claim before IND vs PAK Clash

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Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif believes Babar Azam has a long way to go to handle pressure and says the current Pakistan captain will have to mature to become a top leader in international cricket.

Latif declared India as favourites due to their balanced squad for the T20 World Cup match on Sunday (June 9), which will be played at the Nassau County Stadium in New York.

Latif shared his views in an exclusive interview with PTI, stating that the pressure will be massive on the Pakistan captain and he must learn from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

"Babar will be under a lot of pressure because of the game against India rather than performing in the World Cup. 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," Latif said to PTI.

Latif praised India's spinners, highlighting Kuldeep Yadav's potential impact in the match against Pakistan. Latif also expressed concerns about Pakistan's current preparedness compared to their strong performances in 2021 and 2022.

"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," Latif explained.

Babar Azam was reinstated as Pakistan's T20I captain recently at the expense of Shaheen Afridi. Since taking over the captaincy, Babar hasn't had the best of time. Pakistan as a team also had a dismal period. They were held to a 2-2 draw by a second-string New Zealand side. Then Pakistan lost one match against Ireland before suffering a 2-0 defeat at the hands of England. They commence their World Cup 2024 journey against USA on Thursday (June 6).

(with PTI inputs)