LAHORE: Noting Pakistan have quality batters who will find favourable pitches in India, former captain Misbah-ul-Haq reckons Babar Azam and company are in a perfect position to win this year`s ICC World Cup.

`This is the best opportunity for Pakistan to win the World Cup as the current team have three batters [Babar, Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq] holding prominent positions in the ICC ODI rankings while the bowling also looks strong,` Misbah said while talking to reporters here on Saturday.

`Moreover, pitches in India also suit [the] Pakistan batters.

However, the former batter insisted that picking the right combination for the global event would be the key for the green-shirts.

`Keeping in mind the playing conditions in India, picking the best team will be the real task of the selectors,` said Misbah, Pakistan`s most successful Test captain with 26 wins in 56 matches (19 losses, 11 draws).

Teams from 10 top cricket-playing countries will feature in the 13th edition of the Oct 5-Nov 19 World Cup where England will try to defend the coveted title.Devising a fitting strategy for the spectacle was equally important, the 48-year-old underlined.

`Pakistan have got ideal time to prepare for the World Cup. Therefore, the PCB should develop a [comprehensive] strategy for the showpiece,` said Misbah who after retiring from international cricket in 2017 also acted as Pakistan head coach and chief selector.

Noting that Pakistan were not going to play adequate number of One-day Internationals in the lead-up to the World Cup, the former skipper advised the PCB to make a plan that could give maximum number of ODIs to the national side.

Commenting on the likely World Cup crisis due to tense political relations between Pakistan and India which has made the latter avoid touring Pakistan for this year`s Asia Cup (to be held in September), Misbah reckoned politics and sports should be kept apart.

`Sports should not be mixed with politics. But as the final decision regarding India`s tour to Pakistan [for the Asia Cup] and Pakistan`s World Cup participation rests with their governments, both the PCB and the BCCI are in no position to dictate their government.

Meanwhile, Misbah expressed his dissatisfaction over the mode of services of the national team`s for-eign coaching staff.

`As foreign coaches have to leave Pakistan after the end of any home or away series, how will the team manage their working in the absence of coaches, Misbah wondered.

Recently, the PCB has hired the services of its former head coach Mickey Arthur as director coaches for three years and Grant Bradburn as head coach plus four other foreign officials for the national team.

But after the end of the home white-ball series against New Zealand, all of them returned to their respective countries while prime events like the World Cup and the Asia Cup are just months away.

Responding to a question about the batting performance of captain Babar Azam, Misbah said the righthander had improved.

And about his role as captain, Misbah said: `It is for Babar to decide, whether to continue to lead in all three formats or to leave any one.

Misbah rejected the proposal to shift the PSL matches to the UAE in the wake of significant security expenditure in Pakistan, which was discussed during PCB`s meeting with the Pakistan Super League franchises.

`The PSL is popular in Pakistan, so there is no need to shift it to any other country,` he insisted.