Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf has expressed his best wishes for the Pakistan squad for the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023.
The Men in Green are in India for the mega event where they will start their campaign on October 6 in Hyderabad against the Netherlands.
In a video released by the PCB, Zaka Ashraf backed the side and said the people of Pakistan are with them.
"With good wishes and prayers, the Pakistani team will enter the field. Winning or losing is part of the game. The whole nation is with this team," he said.
"Hopefully, this team will compete on the field. We all expect this team to win the World Cup and return home," he added.
It must be noted Pakistan lost both of their warm-up games against New Zealand and Australia. New Zealand thumped Pakistan by five wickets while Australia claimed the win by 14 runs.
The ICC World Cup 2023 will take place in India with 10 teams fighting for the elusive title across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener and the final.
The Cricket World Cup will be played in the round-robin format with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches.
The top four teams will qualify for the semifinals, which will be held in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.
Pakistan's schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023
October 6 — vs Netherlands in Hyderabad
October 10 — vs Sri Lanka in Hyderabad
October 14 — vs India in Ahmedabad
October 20 — vs Australia in Bengaluru
October 23 — vs Afghanistan in Chennai
October 27 — vs South Africa in Chennai
October 31 — vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
November 4 — vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)
November 11 — vs England in Kolkata
