Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has recently named the battle between Jasprit Bumrah and Babar Azam as one of the contests to watch out for in upcoming India versus Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup. However, India and Pakistan will start their T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE by playing against each other in a much-awaited game on October 24 in Dubai.
Notably, India are yet to lose to Pakistan in a T20 World Cup game. While speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt stated that the Bumrah vs Babar battle will be a tough one and to watch out for as well.
He said: “Fingers crossed. It will be a tough contest. Both the batsman and the bowler are top-class performers. They are quite experienced as well. Bumrah has slightly more experience but Babar too has been playing international cricket for quite a while. He is also the captain of the team. So he has to show others the way.”
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According to Salman Butt, since Babar Azam will open the batting for his team, Jasprit Bumrah will do the same for India with the ball as well. And, the Babar-Bumrah battle will certainly take place.
The former Pakistan player further added: “It will be a really exciting tussle. Bumrah vs Babar will be one of the contests to watch out for in the India-Pakistan World Cup clash. They are bound to come face-to-face because Babar is likely to open the batting and Bumrah is going to bowl at him. Let’s see what happens on the big day.”
While talking about Pakistan’s chances in the T20 World Cup, Salman Butt shared that the performance of a team depends on how their fast bowlers perform in the game.
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He explained: “Pakistan’s fast bowlers will have to perform well. We are heavily dependent on the fast bowling department. There is Shaheen (Afridi), Hasan (Ali), Mohammad Wasim Jnr could also play. So yes, a lot will hinge on the performance of the fast bowlers. If our pacers perform well, Pakistan are more likely to win a game. If Pakistan’s fast bowlers have an off day, it becomes very difficult for the team to win. So, they will have to stand up to the challenge.”
“Shaheen is very good and has been performing well for a while now. Also, since Hasan has played a season of first-class cricket, he is a much improved bowler. He has made a strong return to the side. There are very high hopes from them,” Salman Butt concluded.
However, Pakistan are placed in Group B in the upcoming mega event alongside New Zealand, Afghanistan and India.
