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Ahead of Pakistan's second ICC ODI World Cup warm-up match against Australia, stand-in captain Shadab Khan joked about making Babar Azam bring drinks for the team throughout the game. The Men in Green haven’t had the best start to their campaign after suffering a five-wicket loss against New Zealand.
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Pakistan posted a 345 with Azam scoring a 54 alongside Mohammed Rizwan smashing a solid 104. But the Kane Williamson-led Blackcaps comfortably chased down the total with five overs to spare. Coming back to the game against Australia, the Men in Green were asked to bowl first and at the toss, Khan talked about resting Azam and Rizwan but making them run around with drinks.
“He is okay but Babar wanted a rest," Shadab Khan said. "Babar and Rizwan are resting but I am the captain and will make him [Babar] work hard [laughs]. We lost the last game but would want to win today, winning is a habit.”
Further talking about the team’s atmosphere, Khan said, “We are like a family. We are best friends. That's the beauty of our team. We will win or lose as a team. Winning is always a habit. We want a win. Great opportunity for our team to get some confidence from here.”
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After these warm-up games, the Pakistani team will start off the World Cup campaign against the Netherlands in Hyderabad on October 6. The Men in Green will stay in Hyderabad to face Sri Lanka on October 10 before travelling to Ahmedabad and taking on India in a big-ticket match.