As the Pakistan cricket team arrived in India for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, legendary fast-bowler and former coach Waqar Younis highlighted the importance of the warm-up matches, which are set to get underway on September 29.

Younis believes that the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 warm-up matches will help the participating team improve their weaknesses and get an idea of the Indian conditions.

Notably, the 1992 World Cup winners, Pakistan, will play two warm-up games against New Zealand on September 29 and Australia on October 3 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

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Waqar Younis said on Star Sports: “Warm-up matches give you an idea about the conditions because you are going to play in another country. It gives you an idea about the conditions of the pitches when you play the warm-up games. Then, if you have some weaknesses in your team, you try to fix those things by playing these games.”

Former cricketer added, “The intensity and pressure do not remain the same as the actual matches. Thus, there are no worries of winning or losing the game, so due to not having that kind of pressure, you can fluently work on your weaknesses. So, I feel every team has already made some plans around these warm-up matches and also will keep an eye on the teams which they will play against because they have to play big matches after these warm-up games with those opponents.”

Younis signed off by saying, “So, they will get to know their weaknesses and can exploit them accordingly. I think warm-up matches, as I said, there will be not that kind of intensity, but obviously, you can work on your weaknesses and make your game better.”

Babar Azam-led Pakistan will kickstart their World Cup 2023 campaign against the Netherlands on October 6. They received a grand welcome in Hyderabad on September 27.

(Star Sports/IANS inputs)