"Even if we lose the match against India, you shouldn't be changing the current team" - Abdul Razzaq urges Pakistan to stick with the same playing XI 

Former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq feels that Babar Azam should not panic and look to make changes if the Men in Green lose to India in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 group-stage encounter.

Pakistan recently became the No.1 ranked ODI team and headed into the Asia Cup following a series win over Afghanistan. They started their campaign with a mammoth 238-run win over Nepal in the tournament opener at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

With a formidable top order and a world-class bowling unit at their disposal, Pakistan have forged an imperious playing XI. Even their shaky middle order stepped up against Nepal, with Iftikhar Ahmed scoring his maiden ODI hundred.

Terming the current playing XI as well-balanced, Razzaq told GEO Super:

“See, the current Pakistan XI is well-balanced. You have proper batters and all-rounders in middle-order. You have full-strength in pace and spin attack. You have everything. You should have the same team, this is the best combination. Even if we lose the match against India, you shouldn't be changing the current team. This is the best team we have."

The upcoming Indo-Pak match will mark the first ODI meeting between the arch-rivals since the 2019 ODI World Cup in England.

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"India-Pakistan will always bring high intensity" - Babar Azam

Fans could witness a total of three India-Pakistan clashes at the 2023 Asia Cup if everything falls in place. The first match will be played in the group stage, the second in the Super 4 stage, and the third in the final. It is to be noted that the two sides have never made it to the final in the same edition in the tournament's 40-year history.

Babar Azam believes that the highly-anticipated match will live up to its billing. He said during the post-match presentation following Pakistan's win over Nepal:

""This game was good preparation for the India game because it gave us confidence. India-Pakistan will always bring high intensity. We want to give 100% in every match, hope to do that there as well."

The India-Pakistan encounter will be played at the Pallekele International Stadium on Saturday. However, there is a distinct chance that the match might be affected due to rain.

Who will win the upcoming clash between India and Pakistan at the 2023 Asia Cup? Let us know what you think.