T20 WC 2021 | Bumrah vs Babar will be an exciting tussle in India-Pakistan game, says Salman Butt
Salman Butt believes that the contest between Jasprit Bumrah and Babar Azam will be one to watch out for in the much awaited India-Pakistan clash at the T20 World Cup 2021. He also stressed on the fact that Pakistan's fast bowlers will be crucial to their success in the tournament.
The India-Pakistan T20 World Cup 2021 clash, scheduled to be played on October 24 in Dubai, is arguably the most awaited game of the tournament. India, the 2007 champions and Pakistan, who triumphed in 2009 are placed in Group 2 of the Super-12 stage, alongside New Zealand and Afghanistan, with two other teams to join after the Qualifiers stage.
While there are numerous star players on either side, promising exciting match-ups throughout, Salman Butt believes that the one between Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will be an exciting tussle.
“Fingers crossed. It will be a tough contest,” Butt stated in his YouTube video. “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.
“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.”
India has never lost to Pakistan in ODI and T20 World Cups, with the two teams having met seven and five times in the respective tournaments.
Butt believes that the Pakistan fast-bowlers will need to step up if the team are to change that around, and ensure a smooth progress in the tournament.
“Pakistan’s fast bowlers will have to perform well. We are heavily dependent on the fast-bowling department,” Butt remarked.
“There is Shaheen (Afridi) and 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.”