Salman Butt reckons that Team India’s batsmen will once again struggle against Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi when the two sides face off in the Super Four of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. Butt feels that while Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill performed brilliantly with the bat against Nepal, facing Shaheen will be a different ballgame altogether.
Describing the left-arm pacer as the best new-ball bowler in the world, here’s what Salman Butt said on his YouTube channel:
“There is a feelgood factor after a batter scores some runs. While it will surely increase the confidence of the Indian batters, Shaheen Afridi carries an X-factor with him.”
“There is no other bowler like him in world cricket today. I won’t say he is one of the best. He is the best new ball bowler in the world. It doesn’t matter what you did against Nepal because there is nobody like Shaheen in any other team,” he added.
Butt further said that Gill has dominated the fast bowlers in the past, but he has not been able to do the same against Shaheen Afridi.
“Shubman Gill would have batted against the likes of Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rababa, who bowl at 150 kph,” Salman Butt continued. “It is not only the pace. Along with pace, the line, length, and swing are the main factors. This is the same Gill who hit Nortje pull off the front foot.”
“In fact, he scored a double hundred against New Zealand, who had Lockie Ferguson,” he added. “He has faced bowlers who are quicker than Shaheen. However, Shaheen’s ability to swing the ball late can trouble any batter. Gill is still very new. But Rohit Sharma, with all his experience, also struggled against Shaheen.”
Notably, India’s top-order biggie failed to get going against Shaheen Afridi in the Asia Cup 2023 group-stage encounter on September 2. The seamer took four wickets, dismissing Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra. Jadeja.
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“You Cannot Bowl Short At This Pace” – Salman Butt On Indian Bowlers
Assessing the performance of the Indian bowlers during the Asia Cup 2023 match against Nepal, Salman Butt said that they made a mistake by trying to bowl too many short balls. He advised Indian fast bowlers to avoid bowling short-pitched deliveries on slow Sri Lankan pitches as they lack express pace.
“Indian bowlers dished out a lot of short-pitched deliveries against Nepal,” Butt remarked. “Mohammed Siraj was hit for a six while doing that, and Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami also got hit. Unless it is a lively pitch, you cannot bowl short at this pace.”
“These are slow pitches, and you have to be genuinely quick to trouble the batters with short balls. Their bowlers played after a while, so they might need some time to find their rhythm,” he added.
Rohit Sharma and Co. will be seen in action as they take on arch-rivals Pakistan in the third match of the Super Four at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, September 10
