“Pakistan has a really good shot in this T20 World Cup”, Ravichandran Ashwin praises Pakistan team
- Laiba Abbasi
- 5 hours ago
- 1 min read
Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has weighed in on Pakistan’s prospects in the ongoing World Cup, highlighting both their strong points and areas of concern. Speaking on a recent podcast, Ashwin said that Pakistan has a real shot at making a deep run, largely thanks to their strong opening combination.
“Their strength is in the opening pair. Babar Azam is not opening; it’s going to be Shahid Jadhafaran and Sayyub Ayub,” Ashwin noted. He praised Sayyub Ayub for his impressive powerplay bowling, while highlighting Shaheen Shah Afridi’s economy rate of 6.5 in the first 10 overs as a key asset.
Ashwin also spoke about Pakistan’s spin options: Abrar Ramad and Nawaz. “Nawaz brings control, while Abrar has a novelty factor that makes him unpredictable,” he said. However, he pointed out a potential weakness, noting that Babar Azam batting in the middle order could present challenges.
When discussing Pakistan’s death bowling, Ashwin was candid: Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are solid but not flashy in the death overs. He also highlighted dips in form, particularly Shadab Khan’s batting and bowling.
On the batting front, he mentioned Usman Tariq’s novelty factor of 5.63 and Akwaja Nafe’s impressive strike rate of 174, suggesting that Pakistan still has exciting match-winners in their ranks.
Ashwin concluded on a balanced note:
“All in all, Pakistan has strengths and weaknesses, but they do have players like Salman Ali Agha who could make a difference.”
As the World Cup progresses, cricket fans will be watching closely to see whether Pakistan can translate these strengths into victories on the field.