As the thrill of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 has taken over the country, Pakistani fans have revealed who they think will take the crown for “Batsman with Most Runs” this year.
A recent survey carried out by Ipsos, a multinational market research firm, reveals that the majority of Pakistanis have predicted that Babar Azam will make the most runs in this year’s ICC Cricket World Cup amassing a whopping 42% of votes, despite his below average performance in the mega event so far.
Mohammad Rizwan follows the team’s skipper with 37% votes while 7% of Pakistani cricket fans believe India’s Virat Kohli will take the title.
The survey also included predictions for other titles including “Most Wicket-Taking Bowler”, “Wicket Keeper with Most Catches”, “Best Fielder”, and more.
Fans abuzz with cricket fever have been closely observing and analysing every move made by their favourite players on the pitch.
Based on their analysis or sheer admiration for the players, Pakistanis have predicted that Shaheen Shah Afridi, the young speedster, will become the “Most Wicket-Taking Bowler” with a whopping 47% of votes.
He is followed by teammates Haris Rauf with 19% of votes, Hassan Ali with 14% and Shadab Khan with 8%.
According to the survey, it seems that 65% of Pakistanis believe Rizwan, who is a keen wicket-keeper, is the “Wicket Keeper with Most Catches” for this year’s World Cup.
For the title of “Best Fielder”, 21% fans predicted that Shahdab Khan will be winning the title, with the most catches and run-outs in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Additionally, for the “Best Player of World Cup”, Babar once again takes the lead, this time getting 34% of the votes in the survey.
He is followed by Muhammad Rizwan with 26% votes and Virat Kohli with 14%.
Furthermore, it is important to note that cricket matches are incomplete without commentators and fans charged with the cricket frenzy.
As cricket commentators have a fandom of their own, the survey included a “Preferred Commentators” category and it revealed that Ramiz Raja stood out to be the preferred commentator for 58% of respondents.
He was followed by Waqar Younis with 19% votes, Ravi Shastri with 6% votes, and any other commentator with 3% votes.
At last, the Ipsos survey revealed that a whopping 82% of respondents favoured Pakistan in response to the question about who would win if Pakistan and India ended up in the World Cup final against each other.
Additionally, 15% respondents favored India while 3% are uncertain of the outcome of this scenario.
On Wednesday, the BCCI confirmed that Pakistan’s name would be put on India’s shirt.
According to Indian media, India’s shirt would incorporate the Champions Trophy emblem, which has been approved by the ICC. The Indian team will adhere to the International Cricket Council’s mega-event criteria.
The BCCI has underlined that the Indian squad will respect the ICC’s norms.
It is worth noting that the Champions Trophy begins on February 19.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) urged the ICC to severely enforce the BCCI’s policies.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has received a warning from the International Cricket Council about its unwillingness to include the logo of Pakistan on the trophy kits of its winning team.
The International Cricket Council has given a strong message to the Indian board on this, according to Indian NDTV.
As part of its host nation policy, the Indian board claimed that it was not interested in having Pakistan’s name appear on their team uniform. However, the ICC rejected this claim.
In reality, the ICC has urged the Indian board to clarify that, since the country was the tournament’s original host, the Indian squad must have “Pakistan” printed on their uniform.
India’s preparations for the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 have been marred by tensions between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
In a deviation from convention, the Indian team, captained by Rohit Sharma, would omit Pakistan’s name off their shirts, despite the event being hosted by Pakistan.
This action occurs against a backdrop of intensifying political and security conflicts between the two cricketing powerhouses.
Although the Champions Trophy is scheduled to occur in Pakistan, India has chosen to establish its squad in Dubai, citing persistent security apprehensions in the host country. This move has faced criticism from the PCB, which saw it as a diplomatic affront.
A PCB official denounced the action, alleging that the BCCI is politicizing cricket. The official stated, “India’s refusal to participate in Pakistan, coupled with their decision to withhold their captain from the opening ceremony, constitutes a direct affront to the event’s integrity.”
The omission of Pakistan’s name from the Indian squad’s shirts is perceived as an effort to diminish the host nation, representing a departure from the customary inclusion of the host country’s name on team attire.
The official articulated apprehensions that these measures would compromise the integrity of the competition. The BCCI is introducing politics into cricket, which is harmful to the sport. They declined to travel to Pakistan and are now unwilling to send their skipper to the opening ceremony. Reports indicate that they prefer not to feature the host nation’s name on their shirts. The official expressed a desire for the ICC to intervene and avert additional politicization, urging the sport’s governing body to take action.
The rivalry escalates as the two nations ready themselves for a critical confrontation in the tournament. India’s group-stage itinerary features a highly anticipated encounter with Pakistan on February 23, succeeded by a match against New Zealand on March 2. This event will signify India’s reentry into ICC play since their 2013 Champions Trophy victory under former captain MS Dhoni.