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Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has picked the tussle between Jasprit Bumrah and Babar Azam as one of the contests to watch out for in the India versus Pakistan T20 World Cup clash.
India and Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE by taking on each other in a much-awaited clash on October 24 in Dubai. India are yet to lose to Pakistan in a T20 World Cup match.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt opined that the Bumrah vs Babar contest will be a tough one and a battle to watch out for. 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.”
According to Butt, since Babar will open the batting for Pakistan and Bumrah will start proceedings for India with the ball, the Babar-Bumrah battle looks certain to take place. The former Pakistan batter 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.”
The last time India and Pakistan met in an ICC event was during the 2019 World Cup (50 overs). India cruised to victory by 89 runs (D/L method) on the back of a Rohit Sharma hundred.
“If our pacers perform well, Pakistan are more likely to win a game” - Salman Butt
Analyzing Pakistan’s chances in the T20 World Cup, Butt stated that the team could rise or fall depending on how their fast bowlers perform. 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.”
Butt asserted that Pakistan’s pace bowling department is highly capable as they have very talented bowlers. He concluded:
“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.”
Pakistan are placed in Group B in the T20 World Cup Super 12 round alongside New Zealand, Afghanistan and India.
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