For Pakistan head coach Grant Bradburn, the Babar Azam-led side were never among the favourites in this World Cup. Even if they were ranked No. 1 in the format during last month’s Asia Cup.
The “skewed” rankings aren’t really a fair reflection of where each team stands, especially as Babar and his teammates don’t play India except in ICC and multi-team competitions while some of the top sides haven’t been to Pakistan lately, Bradburn stated.
“I’m not sure where you get the favourites tag from. There are 10 teams in this tournament, there are 150 cricketers who are the best on the planet. And in terms of the ICC rankings, we know they’re skewed because we don’t get to play India, nor do we get to play a lot of the top nations who haven’t been to Pakistan of late,” Bradburn said on Monday, the eve of Pakistan’s clash at the Eden.
“We were No. 5 in April. We became No. 1 recently before the tournament, and that might be why you brought in the term ‘favourites’. But we’re realistic.
“We have not been the best in the world as yet, so that highlights where we are in this tournament right now. We have no divine right to beat anyone in this tournament and we’re also realistic in the knowledge that we haven’t put all departments of our game together over the last four games.
“So we’re determined now to focus on what we can control and that is putting our best on the park in these last three games and then leaving the rest to fate,” the head coach elaborated.
However, Bradburn refused to buy the idea that the Pakistanis feel isolated or left behind since they don’t get a chance to play in the IPL. “No, we don’t feel isolated or intimidated by that,” he stated.
“Mickey (Arthur) and I, when we took over this team in April, recognised that the team was playing a gear or two below where we wanted it to be playing in terms of the brand. Because, we know the brand of cricket, which is winning against quality teams, is a more dynamic brand than perhaps how we were playing.”
Bradburn though did acknowledge that the Indian conditions are “foreign” to the current Pakistan cricketers.
“We want to play a dynamic brand that matches the challenge of the conditions. These are foreign conditions for us.
“None of our players have played here before. Every venue is a new one, including this one (the Eden). Nonetheless, we’ve done our homework meticulously, on the venues that we’re playing at, and we’re prepared.”
