T20 World Cup 2022: "They know they cannot take Pakistan lightly" - Salman Butt reckons recent losses will be playing on Team India's mind
Salman Butt has opined that India’s recent losses to Pakistan will be at the back of their minds as they prepare to take on their arch-rivals in the T20 World Cup 2022.
India and Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup campaigns in Australia by taking on each other at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on October 23.
The Men in Blue have gone down against Pakistan in two of their last three meetings. Babar Azam’s men hammered them by 10 wickets in the T20 World Cup in Dubai last year. They also registered a five-wicket win in the Asia Cup Super 4 clash at the same venue in September.
While discussing the upcoming Indo-Pak contest, Butt agreed that India are no longer favorites. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former Pakistan captain opined:
“Pakistan have defeated India in two of their last three meetings. It will be at the back of India’s mind, so they won’t be complacent. They know they cannot take Pakistan lightly. The World Cup match was impacted by dew and the toss, but the Asia Cup Super 4 match was a close one. Pakistan eventually won thanks to that innings by Mohammad Nawaz.
“In the past, India had won all their World Cup matches against Pakistan, but that streak is also over now. Both teams know that whoever plays well on the day will win,” the 38-year-old added.
Sharing his views on Pakistan’s playing combination for the big game, Butt stated that both Shaheen Afridi and Fakhar Zaman, who have been battling fitness issues recently, must play. He elaborated:
“Now that Shaheen and Fakhar have been picked, they need to play against India; there is no option. This is the World Cup after all. Suppose Shaheen is rested against India, and claims 3-4 wickets against a weak side, there will be criticism over why he didn’t play against India.”
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At a press conference organized by the ICC on Saturday, Pakistan captain Babar asserted that Afridi is 100 percent fit and raring to go. Fakhar, who was earlier named as a standby, was drafted into the main squad, while leg-spinner Usman Qadir moved to the reserve players’ list.
“Shaheen is not going to play in the middle order” - Butt dismisses talk of pacer’s presence helping batters
While Afridi’s comeback to the Pakistan team will strengthen the bowling, some feel that his presence might reduce the burden on the batters as well. However, Butt dismissed all such suggestions. Responding to a query, he said:
“Irrespective of whether or not Shaheen plays, the middle order has to score. Shaheen is not going to play in the middle order. Pakistan’s bowlers have been doing well even in Shaheen’s absence. It was not a small task to hold a batting line-up like England to 150-160 twice. Shaheen’s presence won’t help the middle order in any way.”
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Pakistan will head into the T20 World Cup high on confidence, having won the T20 tri-series in New Zealand. They defeated the Kiwis by five wickets in the final.