Former Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt is looking forward to the battle between Jasprit Bumrah and Babar Azam in upcoming India versus Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup 2021. Both the teams are in the same group for the ICC showpiece event and they will face each other on October 24.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt said the contest between India's finest bowler, Bumrah, and Pakistan's captain, Babar will be the one to watch out. He feels the Pakistan skipper will have to show others the way against Bumrah when they go one-on-one.
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“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," he said.
Butt further said there is a high chance of a clash between the two top-class cricketers as Bumrah will be bowling with the new ball for India, and Babar is going to open for Pakistan.
“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," he said.
Pakistan haven't won a single match against India in the World Cup events. Butt feels their chances against India this time would be dependent on how good Pakistan's fast bowlers turn up.
“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," he said.
