Pakistan team to be 'royal guests on Hajj' if they win T20 World Cup 2024

Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmed Al Maliki has announced that the Pakistan cricket team will be the royal guests on Hajj next year if they win the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup-2024.

In a special video message released on Sunday, the top Saudi diplomat also extended his best wishes to the Men in Green for the mega cricket gala. "My message to my brothers of the Pakistan cricket team is that, God willing, you will win this tournament.

The Pakistani people will celebrate the team's success in the World Cup," the envoy said.

He also expressed his prayers for Pakistan's prosperity and development, adding that if the team clinch the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, they will be honoured as royal guests during Hajj next year.

The Pakistan team will be playing its first match of the T20 World Cup 2024 on Thursday against the US.

Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam appeared as a special guest in the 52nd edition of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast on Sunday.

Babar discussed in the podcast that the match between the biggest rivals, India and Pakistan, carries a lot of importance for the world and has a separate fan base.

The most-awaited match between Pakistan and India will take place on Sunday (June 9) during the T20 World Cup 2024.

Moreover, Babar wants his team to perform well against India, play easy cricket, and believe in their skills and hard work.

“The whole world is focused on the day when the India-Pakistan match is held. Naturally, there will be nerves, but we need to keep our focus, stick to the basics and play easy cricket. It is always a pressure game; the more you keep cool and calm, believe in your skills and hard work, then things get easier,” Babar said.

In the episode, the top-order batter of the team sat down for a candid discussion focusing on the forthcoming T20 World Cup 2024.

Despite suffering a 2-0 defeat recently against England, Babar hopes that the Pakistan team wins this trophy. However, for that, the team needs to play top-class cricket in every match.

“I am happy and excited because when you go to play in a major event, you have different excitement. It’s the aim of any cricketer to play in a World Cup, so that kind of feeling is coming over me. The hope is always to lift the trophy, but for that to happen, we have to play top cricket against every side,” he said.