"His early wicket could put pressure on Virat Kohli"- Salman Butt issues warning to India against Pakistan's new ball threat in Asia Cup 2023
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt feels Team India could face a stern test against Pakistan's new-ball burst during their encounter in the Asia Cup on Saturday, September 2. The likes of Shaheen Afridi have already shown what they are capable of when there's some swing on offer with the new ball.
Butt opined that the Indian openers, especially Rohit Sharma, will need to negotiate Shaheen's threat early on to ensure that both himself and Virat Kohli have a bigger impact on the game.
In a video on his YouTube channel, here's what Salman Butt had to say about it:
"Shaheen will swing the new ball and there will be two new balls so the ball won't get as old as it does in T20. Rohit has to be careful while facing Shaheen as that's where they could lose the plot. His early wicket could put pressure on Virat Kohli. So these two are key wickets for Pakistan bowlers."
Butt opened up on the pressure that an India vs Pakistan encounter brings with itself, especially for players who haven't been a part of it before. He added:
"No matter how much IPL you play, the pressure of an India-Pakistan series is different. So for their players who aren't that experienced, it won't be that easy. But if you perform in a big game like India vs Pakistan, you can become a sensation."
Salman Butt on Pakistan's batting depth
Salman Butt also claimed that Pakistan's bowlers can contribute better with the bat than India's. The second ODI against Afghanistan was a great example of how Naseem Shah and others contributed to a series win. Butt feels India arguably don't have that batting depth.
On this, he stated:
"Pakistan have a better batting depth than that of India. Even the likes of Shaheen and Naseem can be good enough for hitting couple of lusty blows. You don't see that in Indian fast bowlers apart from maybe Bumrah. So there lies the advantage for Pakistan and it is tilted a bit in their favour."
After the dramatic T20 World Cup encounter last year, Pakistan will be keen to succeed against India in the Asia Cup.