T20 World Cup: Harbhajan Singh takes jibe at Shoaib Akhtar ahead of tournament

• "Our team is very solid, very strong, they will easily beat you guys," he tells Akhtar.
• "You should give us a walkover, you will play, you will again lose," Harbhajan says.
• Pakistan have never been able to beat India in the T20 World Cup since 2007.

Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has taken a jibe at Pakistan's former fast-bowler, Shoaib Akhtar, ahead of the T20 World Cup, where the two arch-rivals are set to meet early on in the tournament.

"I have told Shoaib Akhtar, what is the point of Pakistan playing, you should give us a walkover, you will play, you will again lose, you will be upset," Harbhajan said while speaking to Star Sports.

"Our team is very solid, very strong, they will easily beat you guys," he added.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam, a day earlier speaking during a virtual press conference, said he was confident of beating India and winning the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

The skipper said Pakistan would beat India and carry on the momentum throughout the tournament to win the World Cup.

"There is pressure [on the team] during mega-events, but there is added pressure during matches against India," the skipper told reporters during the press conference.

India, since the T20 World Cup kicked off in 2007, have faced Pakistan a total of five times and emerged victorious in all the matches. They will aim to keep the winning streak.

The Men’s Cricket T20 World Cup — which is the first mega event that ICC is hosting since the pandemic — is scheduled between October 17 and November 14 in the UAE and Oman.

Pakistan will play warm-up matches against West Indies and South Africa before beginning their campaign with a blockbuster clash with arch-rivals India on October 24 in Dubai.