Shubman Gill Opens Up On Captain Rohit Sharma's Backing

Young Indian opener Shubman Gill is happy that he has got full backing from skipper Rohit Sharma and the team management which has allowed him to play his "natural game" in the first ODI against Sri Lanka. A day after the Indian skipper made it clear that he preferred Gill in the opener's slot ahead of in-form left-hander Ishan Kishan, Gill repaid the faith with a well-compiled 70 from 60 balls to set up India's mammoth 67-run win over Sri Lanka in the opening ODI on Tuesday.

"It feels good when your captain backs you. This was the conversation we had in the practice sessions that I would look to play my natural game whatever I'm doing in the one-dayers. Just look to continue the momentum," Gill said at the post-match media interaction.

Gill had a fruitful 2022 in the ODI format where he scored 638 runs from 12 innings at an average of 70.88 and it included his maiden century and four fifties.

Continuing from where he left, he began 2023 with yet another half-century as he along with Rohit put on a 143-run opening stand that set the tone for India's mammoth 373/7.

On his chemistry with Rohit at the top of the order he said: "We batted mainly in the Tests. It's nice to bat with him. the conversation generally which bowler to target, what are they trying to do, where are they trying to block our runs. Accordingly, we make our plans." Shubman however missed out on a century after being trapped by Dasun Shanaka in the 20th over.

"Definitely, I was very disappointed to get out on 70. I did all the hardwork to get going and get a big one for the team. I got out in the 20th over, I had about 30 overs to bat." Defending 374, India had Sri Lanka in a spot of bother with 179/7 inside 33 overs but they failed to wrap up the tail as Shanaka's 108 not out from 88 balls took them to 306/8.

Blaming it on the heavy dew, Gill said: "I don't think bowling is a concern, we bowled pretty well. We got them eight down on that wicket and there was dew as well. It was not easy bowl when you are bowling second with that much dew." "It's not easy to control the wet ball. Sometimes the spinners can go out of the game but that did not happen in this match.

"Both Yuzi (Yuzvendra Chahal) bhai and Axar (Patel) bhai bowled really well. It's a challenge to field as well, sometimes the balls skids off the field and it's hard to catch the ball because it's wet. It's like playing with butter in your hands. it's not easy to bowl when there's dew." Gill further said the batters were trying their best to reduce the number of dot balls.

"We are continuously checking areas and aspects where we can improve on. We are working on that. No batsman likes to play dot balls.

"But sometimes you have to see the game situation... if the game situation doesn't demand you to play too many high-scoring shots (like when) two wickets have gone down, as a batsman you (need to) have that confidence that I'm playing the dot balls but can cover up the runs later. But yeah that is one area we are continuously trying to improve." Umran Malik also impressed with his raw pace and Gill said "It's always fun and challenging to face Umran at the nets. I'm someone who likes to face pace, so there's always a bit of challenge facing Umran at the nets."

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Devon Conway Hits Ton As New Zealand Thump Pakistan To Level ODI Series

Opener Devon Conway hit a sparkling hundred to help New Zealand achieve a convincing 79-run win over Pakistan in the second one-day international in Karachi on Wednesday. The left-hander scored 101 and captain Kane Williamson made 85 before a collapse which saw New Zealand lose nine wickets for 78 runs and restricted them to 261 all out in 49.5 overs. Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals and despite a fighting 79 from skipper Babar Azam, the home team were dismissed for 182 to leave the three-match series tied at 1-1.

"Even though we had a good partnership, maybe 300 wasn't realistic but we got to a par total in the end," said Williamson. "We knew it would be a tough chase. We knew we had to get a little bit out of the surface, and the two seamers set the tone for us."

Pakistan won the first match by six wickets while the third and final match is on Friday, also in Karachi. Pakistan lost openers Fakhar Zaman (nought) and Imam-ul-Haq (six) by the fourth over. Azam and Mohammad Rizwan (28) added 55 for the third wicket but it was not enough.

Agha Salman scored 25 before he was run out in a mix-up with Azam while none of Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir or Mohammad Wasim stuck around for long. Azam hit eight fours and a six in an innings spanning 114 balls before he was finally stumped off spinner Ish Sodhi in the 43rd over.

"We came back well with the bat," said Azam. "But when the spinners came on, it was turning sharply. Credit to them."

Tim Southee claimed 2-33 for New Zealand while Sodhi took 2-38. Earlier, left-arm spinner Nawaz picked up four wickets to slow New Zealand after the visitors won the toss and batted first.

Nawaz finished with 4-38 as New Zealand slumped from a strong position at 183-1 to 206-6, losing five wickets for 23 runs in the space of 40 deliveries.

New Zealand were lifted by a second-wicket stand of 181 between Conway and Williamson before fast bowler Naseem Shah (3-58) broke the stand when he dismissed Conway off the last ball of the 30th over.

Conway hit 13 fours and a six off 92 balls in his second ODI hundred. Nawaz then took three wickets, dismissing both Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham cheaply in one over before clean bowling Williamson in his next.

Williamson, dropped on 53 and 54 off Wasim, struck 10 boundaries in his 100-ball knock. Mitchell Santner, one of just three New Zealand batters to reach double figures, was the last man out for 37.

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Healthcare Industry Seeks Cut In Customs Duty On Medical Devices In Budget

Ahead of the Budget, Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI) on Wednesday urged the government to reduce customs duties and removal of health cess on imported medical devices.

MTaI, which represents medical technology companies, appreciated the various reforms undertaken by the government during the previous year, but said that more was needed to be done as 80 per cent of the medical devices used are imported.

MTaI Chairman and Director General Pavan Choudary said the customs duties and taxes levied on medical devices in India are one of the highest in the world and highest among the neighbouring countries which directly impacts patients' affordability.

"As the preparation for the Union Budget 2023 gets underway, we expect a correction in the customs duties and taxes levied on medical devices," Choudary said.

The sector, he added, requires more focus in government outlays and one way to achieve this is by increasing the public health spending to meet the current gaps in healthcare demand and supply. He also suggested the government should consider a separate budget allocation for promoting and marketing medical device sector globally.

MTaI said the high customs duty has adversely impacted the costs of medical devices in India and it should be reduced to 2.5 per cent. Also, the 5 per cent health cess ad valorem imposed on imported medical devices has further compounded the burden on the industry and should be removed.

There is a need for focussed increase in public spending on health infrastructure especially in Tier 2, Tier 3 cities and rural areas, MTaI added.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will unveil the Budget for 2023-24 on February 1.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Prithvi Shaw Re-writes History Books With Ranji Trophy Triple Century

Youn opening batter Prithvi Shaw rewrote the history books as he became the second-highest individual score in Ranji Trophy history with his 379-run knock for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy match against Assam on Wednesday. Not just that, the opening batter also went on to become the highest individual scorer history of Mumbai in a single Ranji Trophy innings. Shaw achieved the feat as he slammed a dominating maiden triple hundred (379 in 383 balls) during a match at the Amingaon Cricket Ground in Guwahati.

Sanjay Manjrekar had the highest individual score record of 377 runs for Mumbai against Hyderabad in the 1990-91 season. This was Shaw's first century in the Ranji Trophy this year. He scored 160 runs in his last seven innings, averaging 22.85 and posting a high score of 68. Despite constantly scoring in the domestic circuit, the 23-year-old has not been selected and will not play for India again until July 2021 in a T20I.

Overall, BB Nimbalkar holds the record of scoring the highest score for a team in Ranji Trophy, having aggregated an unbeaten 443 against Saurashtra in the 1948/49 season.

Highest individual scores in a Ranji Trophy innings:

1. BB Nimbalkar (Maharashtra): 443* vs Saurashtra
2. Prithvi Shaw (Mumbai): 379 vs Assam
3. Sanjay Manjrekar (Bombay): 377 vs Hyderabad
4. MV Sridhar (Hyderabad): 366 vs Andhra Pradesh

Highest individual score for Mumbai in a Ranji Trophy innings:

1. Prithvi Shaw: 379 vs Assam
2. Sanjay Manjrekar (Bombay): 377 vs Hyderabad
3. Vijay Merchant: 359* vs Maharashtra
4. Sunil Gavaskar: 340 vs Bengal

He finished second in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season with 332 runs at a strike rate of 181.42 and a top score of 134 against Assam. He scored 217 runs in seven innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but he averages more than 50 in List A cricket.

Earlier on Day 1, Prithvi Shaw scored 240 not out of 283 balls, breaking his previous first-class cricket career record. The opening batsman slammed 33 fours and a six, helping Mumbai reach 397 for 2 at the time of stumps after adding 123 runs for the first wicket with Musheer Khan and an unbroken 200 for the third with Ajinkya Rahane. Shaw was brutal with left-arm spinner Roshan Alam, hammering him for 76 runs at a run-a-ball.

With ANI inputs

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Sensex, Nifty Fall In Early Trade As Foreign Fund Outflows Continue

Equity benchmarks declined in initial trade on Wednesday amid unabated foreign fund outflows and a weak trend in index heavyweight Reliance Industries. Continuing its previous day decline, the 30-share BSE Sensex fell 309.7 points to 59,805.78 in initial trade. The broader NSE Nifty dipped 89.8 points to 17,824.35.

From the Sensex pack, Bharti Airtel, Mahindra & Mahindra, Hindustan Unilever, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Reliance Industries, HDFC and IndusInd Bank were the major laggards.

Tata Motors, HCL Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, UltraTech Cement and ICICI Bank were among the winners.

"The biggest drag on the market in the near-term is the sustained selling by FIIs for 13 continuous sessions, which has taken the cumulative cash market selling to Rs 16,587 crore," said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded shares worth Rs 2,109.34 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data.

Elsewhere in Asia, equity markets in Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong were trading in the green.

Markets in the US had ended in positive territory on Tuesday.

The 30-share BSE benchmark had tanked 631.83 points or 1.04 per cent to settle at 60,115.48 on Tuesday. The Nifty declined 187.05 points or 1.03 per cent to end at 17,914.15.

International oil benchmark Brent crude declined 0.72 per cent to $79.52 per barrel.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Rules Have Changed": Gautam Gambhir On Kohli vs Tendulkar Comparison

Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir was present in the broadcaster's studio as Virat Kohli notched up his 45th ODI ton in the first one-day match against Sri Lanka in Guwahati on Tuesday. Kohli's super show with the bat saw him earn plenty of plaudits on social media. In the process, Kohli also went on to match the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record of scoring the most 'home hundreds' in ODIs. As comparisons between Kohli and Tendulkar erupted among fans and experts, Gambhir played it down, suggesting the 'rules have changed' from the time when Sachin used to play.

Gambhir remained firm while saying no to the idea of comparison between players in different eras. The former India opening batter cited fielding restrictions and the availability of a second new ball as some of the 'rule changes' that have worked in the favour of batters in the current era.

"It's not about the record honestly. Virat Kohli will go on to get many more centuries than Sachin Tendulkar in the 50-over format. See, the rules have changed, " Gambhir said on Star Sports.

"You should not compare eras. It's not fair to compare eras as well where there was one new ball as compared to now when there are 2 new balls with five fielders inside. But yes, he has been a master in this format and he has shown it over such a long period of time," he added.

Sanjay Manjrekar, who was also on the Star Sports panel for the match, said that he has no doubt that Kohli will go on to overtake Tendulkar in the list of most ODI hundreds.

"He (Kohli) is not an opener so in every 50-overs game, he is not going there from ball number 1 and you are looking at the whole innings to get a hundred. He has batted at 3 most of the times so that is something you have got to consider. I have no doubt that he will overtake Tendulkar in one-day hundreds. I mean, it's just four hundreds to equal Tendulkar. It may happen in a year and a half. It's a 50-over World Cup year so I believe it could happen," he said.

Kohli already has 45 hundreds in international cricket when it comes to the 50-over format. Tendulkar, on the other hand, has 49 tons in ODIs.

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"Hardly Makes a Difference": Prithvi Shaw Fires Back At 'Detractors'

One of the most consistent performers in the domestic spectrum, Prithvi Shaw once again put the talent he possesses in a showcase and wowed the world with his unbeaten 240-run knock in the Ranji Trophy match between Mumbai and Assam on Tuesday. Having made his India debut at the age of 18, Shaw hasn't been in the scheme of things in Indian cricket for a while, owing to a number of reasons. Failures on the field, injuries, and selection rejections have all played their role as the opening batter continues to be snubbed but Shaw has no time to pay attention to those 'who left him when he was at a low point'.

Courtesy of his 240 off 283 against Assam, Shaw registered his career best in First-Class cricket. Speaking to Indian Express after the match, the attacking opening batter said that he is happy with the way he has been batting, and the only thing missing was a 'big score'.

"I was happy with the way I was batting (this season), just that I was not getting a big score," he said. "But when you are hungry to score runs and doing your process, you will eventually be rewarded. The innings was a result of the hard work I put into my game in the last few years."

When young players usually struggle to find form, they seek help from seniors. But for Shaw, it was his inner voice that helped him get his mojo back in red-ball cricket.

"I didn't talk to too many people, but was visualising everything myself. I spent time watching old footage of my batting. I was thinking alone about what was happening and realised it myself what I was doing well and what I was not doing well. I was getting my processes right and was doing everything well. But I knew that sometimes it (runs) does not happen, and sometimes it does happen," he said.

While there's no denying the talent that Shaw possesses, the batter also has had his critics. But, he is in no mood to pay heed to those 'detractors'.

"When runs were not happening, people just used to keep talking. I used to ignore them. There is no importance of people who left me during my tough days," he explained.

"Whatever detractors say, it hardly makes a difference. I knew what I was doing right, and what I was doing wrong. I was focused on my process and how I handle myself. I am mature enough to know that I needn't address these people," Shaw elaborated.

Mumbai wrapped up the day on Tuesday against Assam on 416/2. They would look to add to that total as the play resumes on Wednesday.

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Watch: Virat Stares At Hardik As Allrounder Denies 2nd Run During 1st ODI

Virat Kohli was the top performer for India against Sri Lanka in the first ODI of a three-match series on Tuesday. His 45th One-Day International century led India to a 67-run win over Sri Lanka in the opening match. Kohli hammered 113 off 87 balls to drive India to 373-7 after they were invited to bat first at the start of the three-match series in Guwahati. The bowlers, led by Mohammed Siraj, then restricted Sri Lanka to 306-8 to give India a 1-0 lead in the series.

While Kohli was all class on Tuesday at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, there was one brief moment when the star batter did not look impressed with allrounder Hardik Pandya. The incident happened in the 43rd over of India's innings when Kohli played a shot off Kasun Rajitha before taking a quick single. He then rushed to take a second run and reached halfway at the pitch when Hardik, batting at the other end, sent him back. Kohli stared at Hardik after the incident.

Watch: Virat Stares At Hardik As Allrounder Denies 2nd Run During 1st ODI

pic.twitter.com/YaRmCg9xrq

— Guess Karo (@KuchNahiUkhada) January 10, 2023

Talking about the match, Sri Lanka Skipper Dasun Shanaka top-scored with an unbeaten 108 after opening batsman Pathum Nissanka hit 72 but the knocks could only reduce the margin of loss for the tourists. Kohli, who survived two dropped catches on 52 and 81, stood out with his 73rd ton across all formats as he let out a roar and took off his helmet to bask in the stadium's applause.

"My preparation and intent always remain the same," man of the match Kohli said. "I thought I was hitting the ball nicely. It was close to the template I play with."

The former captain has hit two successive ODI hundreds since coming out of an extended lean patch last year when he spoke about his mental struggles during the phase.

"The one thing I learnt was desperation doesn't get you anywhere," Kohli said on lessons learnt during his slump in form.

"You go out there and play without any fear. You go out there playing for the right reasons and almost play every game like it's your last and just be happy about it.

He added: "I can't hold on to things, the game is going to move on. I am not going to play forever. I am in a happy space and enjoying my game."

He finally fell to third-time-lucky quick Kasun Rajitha, who was also bowling when wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis and Shanaka dropped the star batsman.

With AFP inputs

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Akasa Air To Launch Goa Operations On January 11

Akasa Air will launch its Goa operations from Panaji on Wednesday, with daily services to Mumbai and Bengaluru, the airline's co-founder and chief commercial officer Praveen Iyer said on Tuesday.

Goa will be the 12th city on its network in the country.

"Akasa Air will be offering double daily flights from Goa to Mumbai, and from Goa to Bengaluru from January 11, 2023. From February 1, 2023, the airline will increase its frequency from Goa to Bengaluru by adding an additional flight each day," he said.

The first Akasa Air flight QP1392 on the Bengaluru-Goa route is scheduled to land at 10 am at the newly inaugurated Manohar International Airport (Mopa) on Wednesday.

"Goa is one of India's most popular tourist destinations and has recently also emerged as a manufacturing base for several leading companies. The launch of Goa as the latest destination on Akasa Air's network, facilitating connectivity to Mumbai and Bengaluru, reiterates the airline's commitment to strengthen important transportation links across the country," Iyer said.

Low-cost carrier Akasa Air, which was backed by late stock investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala entered the Indian skies in August last year.

Belson Coutinho, the airline's co-founder and chief marketing and experience officer, said, "As Akasa spreads its wings to Goa, we hope to create happy memories with our humane and inclusive travel experience".

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Rohit Sharma's Decision To Drop Ishan Kishan Makes Ex-India Star Fume

India captain Rohit Sharma confirmed the name of his opening partner for the first ODI against Sri Lanka as he picked Shubman Gill over Ishan Kishan, the man who had scored a double ton in his last 50-over match. The decision has stirred plenty of debate on social media, and former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad is one of those in the cricketing spectrum who couldn't get his head around the preference. Prasad, in a chain of tweets, criticised the decision and highlighted how such constant chopping and changing has affected India's performance in limited overs cricket.

Rohit confirmed that it would be Gill who will open alongside him in the Guwahati ODI in the press conference on the eve of the series opener. Prasad, however, was quick to express his displeasure.

"Think fair would have been to give chance to a man who scored a double hundred in India's last ODI, and in a series where India lost two games and the series. Have all the time in the world for Gill, but no way you drop a player for scoring a double ton. And if one is convinced to play Gill , then can have him bat at 3 and let Ishan keep wickets instead of KL Rahul," Prasad wrote.

"There is a reason we have underperformed in Limited overs cricket. Constant chopping changing and a guy who does brilliantly and is an X factor is dropped and mediocrity retained.

"In Eng, Pant scored a hundred in the final ODI and helped India win the series. However, based on T20 form was dropped from ODI team. KL Rahul on the other hand barring a couple of innings has failed consistently but retains his place.Performance is not the foremost parameter. Sad," he added in multiple tweets.

Explaining the decision behind the selection of Gill over Ishan, Rohit asserted the need to give the former a 'fair run'.

"Both openers (Gill and Kishan) have done really well. But looking at how both have gone through, I think it is fair that we give Gill a chance to have a fair run because in the last games Gill got a lot of runs as well," Rohit said in a press conference on the eve of the first ODI.

"I am not going to take anything from Ishan. He has been wonderful for us. He got a double hundred and I know what it takes to get a double hundred, it is a great achievement. But just to be honest and be fair to the guys who have done really well before that we need to give those guys enough chances as well," Rohit had said.

"It is unfortunate that we won't be able to play Ishan but looking at how things have panned out for us in the last 8-9 months, looking at how the ODIs have gone through for us, it is fair to give Gill that run and he has done extremely well in that position. We will definitely try out and keep Ishan in the mix and see how things pan out for us as we play lot of games ahead," the India captain had added.

WIth Ishan on the bench, Gill would need to step up his game and deliver as even a single failure could see him being replaced by the southpaw.

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RS Sodhi Resigns As Amul Head

RS Sodhi on Monday resigned as the Managing Director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), which markets its products under the Amul brand.

Mr Sodhi confirmed to PTI that he has resigned from the post of MD.

"I was on extension. The board has accepted my resignation," he said.

Mr Sodhi joined GCMMF as a sales officer more than 40 years back and became its Managing Director in June 2010. He was on the extension for the last two years.

He is also the president of Indian Dairy Association.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Virat Kohli On Cusp of Shattering Sachin Tendulkar's 'All-time Records'

Veteran India batter Virat Kohli returns to the cricketing fold after a brief period of break as India take on Sri Lanka in 3-match ODI series, starting Tuesday. In the assignment, Kohli would be looking to shatter a couple of 'all-time records' of none other than his idol and the 'God of Cricket', Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli, who is one of the most prolific batters in the world, had notably scored a century in his last outing in the 50-over format. He would look to continue from where he left off in that match against Bangladesh.

When it comes to Sachin Tendulkar, the name needs no introduction. Over an illustrious career that lasted for about 2 decades, Tendulkar registered some of the biggest records to his name. However, some of them could be broken by Virat Kohli in the ODI series against Sri Lanka.

Most Home ODI centuries:

Sachin Tendulkar sits top of the list when it comes to most centuries in international cricket, in the 50-over format. Virat Kohli is only one ton behind, with 19. If the former India skipper goes on to score a couple of hundreds against Sri Lanka in the 3-match series, he would shatter Tendulkar's record. 

Most hundreds against a single team in ODIs:

Kohli has already aggregated a total of 8 centuries against Sri Lanka in the ODI format. Even Sachin Tendulkar has the same number of tons against the islanders. However, the record for scoring the most hundreds against a single opponent is 9, which is jointly held by Tendulkar and Kohli, against West Indies and Australia respectively.

With another ton to his name, Kohli will have 9 centuries against Sri Lanka too. With two tons in the series, the 33-year-old will have 10 triple-digit scores against the Lankans, a feat that no one else has managed in the game so far.

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Babar As 'Drinks Boy': Iceland Cricket's On Pak's All-Time ODI Team

After the two-match Test series between Pakistan and New Zealand ended in a draw, both the teams are squaring off against each other in a three-match ODI series, that started on Tuesday. The Babar Azam-led side, who had a forgettable run in the longest format last year, will look to redeem itself in ODIs, which will also serve as a build-up for the upcoming World Cup. Talking about ODIs, Iceland Cricket has given a very funny take on Pakistn's all-time ODi team, which consisted of Babar Azam as their drinks boy.

Iceland Cricket, who are known for posting humorous content on social media regarding international matches and teams, took to Twitter and named the all-time ODI squad of Pakistan, in which former skipper Imran Khan was named as the captain.

"Today we announce our Pakistani ODI team of all time: S Anwar, Z Abbas, I Ul Haq, J Miandad, M Yousuf, I Khan (c), S Afridi, M Khan (WK), W Akram, W Younas, S Mushtaq, Drinks boys: B Azam, M Hafeez and Shoaib Malik"

Today we announce our Pakistani ODI team of all time:

S Anwar
Z Abbas
I Ul Haq
J Miandad
M Yousuf
I Khan (c)
S Afridi
M Khan (WK)
W Akram
W Younas
S Mushtaq

Drinks boys: B Azam, M Hafeez and Shoaib Malik

— Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) January 8, 2023

However, the post irked some fans as they expressed their disappointment on the mocking of Babar and exclusion of former pacer Shoaib Akhtar from the squad.

"Babar Azam drinks boy?? Are u kidding me. Guy is litterly the best batsman of Pakistan ever," commented a fan.

Babar Azam drinks boy?? Are u kidding me
Guy is litterly the best batsman of Pakistan ever

— Faiz Rajpoot (@FaizRajpoot00) January 8, 2023

"Did you miss M Rizwan in drinks boys?" commented a fan.

Did you miss M Rizwan in drinks boys?

— अनन्तः सरली (@ananthsarali) January 8, 2023

"Babar Azam is a nice gentleman. He never speaks against others or doesn't make any controversy. I am not sure why somebody can hate him," wrote a fan.

Babar Azam is a nice gentleman. He never speaks against others or doesn't make any controversy. I am not sure why somebody can hate him.

— pratim (@pratim_das) January 8, 2023

"No Shoaib Akhtar," commented another fan.

No Shoab Akhtar

— Mel Dobson (@MelDobson1) January 8, 2023

The 2023 World Cup is set for India later this year.

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