Pakistan team has one of the best batsmen in world: US envoy

US Ambassador Donald Blome has praised the Pakistan team's batting prowess, saying the Green Shirts have one of the best batsmen in the world.

“I'm looking forward to Babar Azam. But I also look forward to seeing the pitching from some great pitchers like Shaheen Afridi,” the top US diplomat in Pakistan said while speaking to Geo News in Dallas ahead of the Pakistan vs United States match in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Responding to a question, the envoy said: “It's really exciting. It's a thrill to be here and to see what this means for cricket in the United States.”

Cricket in the United States, he also said, has a long history and the T20 World Cup marked a renewal for cricket in the US.

Ambassador Blome said he had a chance to meet the Pakistani team in Islamabad before they left and had a great time getting to know them a bit.

“I'll of course be cheering for the US team. I think they are going to need it and I'm looking forward to the good match,” he added.

Cricket has a curious history in North America — the first ever international match featured the US against Canada in 1844 but the lingering influence of the colonial-era game faded as baseball gained prominence.

The US team has been an associate member of the International Cricket Council since 1965 and frequently competed in tournaments for non-Test nations.