'They play good cricket in T20Is but..' - Former India World Cup winner omits Pakistan from his list of potential semi-finalists for 2023 World Cup

Cricket enthusiasts worldwide are eagerly anticipating the forthcoming ODI World Cup, which is just a few weeks away. Meanwhile, experts are offering their insights and rationale behind their predictions for this prestigious tournament.

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The star India off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh, recently shared his perspective on the Pakistani cricket team. Harbhajan characterized Babar Azam's squad as 'middling' in the ODI format. He did not include them among the teams he believes have a shot at making it to the semifinals. The former India spinner has selected Australia, India, England, and New Zealand as his top four choices for the semifinals. His decision is influenced by these teams' impressive performances in the previous tournament, indicating a strong chance of them once again reaching the knockout stage.

"People are saying Pakistan could advance to the semifinals but in the 50-over format, they are just average. They play good cricket in T20Is but my fourth pick would be New Zealand. (India, Australia, England, New Zealand) are my four semifinalists for the World Cup," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

No fans for the warm-up game between Pakistan and New Zealand

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A significant development has arisen ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup warm-up match between Pakistan and New Zealand at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Organizers have officially announced that spectators will not be allowed at the game due to security concerns. These concerns stem from the ever-changing cricket match schedules, resulting in clashes with festivals and other events, thereby straining the availability of security personnel.

Despite the Hyderabad Police's advice to consider postponing the match for proper security arrangements. It is indeed disappointing for fans who have purchased tickets. To address this issue, the Indian Cricket Board (ICB) will instruct BookMyShow to provide ticket refunds. This will be done aiming to ease the disappointment of cricket enthusiasts. The absence of spectators has diminished the excitement surrounding this warm-up match, with efforts being made to compensate ticket holders for the unforeseen circumstances.