Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah included; Virat Kohli left out of Fakhar Zaman's all time T20I XI
Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman excluded India skipper Virat Kohli as he named his all-time T20I XI during an interview. Zaman also excluded Babar Azam, best T20 batsman, from the list too as veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik was the only Pakistani to feature in his list which included two Indians.
In a surprising turn of events, Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has done away with India skipper Virat Kohli from his all-time T20I XI. Zaman, who last took the field for Pakistan in Australia last year, named his all-time favourite T20I XI during an interview with Cricket Pakistan.
The ODI double centurian named India vice captain Rohit Sharma and veteran Proteas batter AB de Villiers as his openers as he, surprisingly, picked England opener Jason Roy at number three.
Yet another surprising omission from his side was Pakistan skipper and World’s top T20I batter Babar Azam, as the veteran all-rounder, Shoaib Malik made into the side as the lone Pakistani player.
“I would first choose South Africa’s batsman AB de Villiers and then India’s opener Rohit Sharma. England’s hard-hitting batsman Jason Roy would be on my team," Zaman was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
“Pakistan’s all-rounder Shoaib Malik comes in at number four. After Shoaib Malik I would include England’s wicket keeper-batsman Jos Buttler in the team,” he added.Â
Three top all rounders of the World - Australia’s Glenn Maxwell, England’s Ben Stokes and West Indies’ Kieron Pollard - made up the lower middle order of his side. Afghan prodigy Rashid Khan was the only specialist spinner in the side as India’s Jasprit Bumrah, the only other Indian in the side, and Aussie Mitchell Starc made up a two pronged pace battery.
Fakhar Zaman all-time T20I XI: AB de Villiers, Rohit Sharma, Jason Roy, Shoaib Malik, Jos Buttler, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Stokes, Kieron Pollard, Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, Rashid Khan
