The mega event ICC Champions Trophy opens across the borders with the inaugural match between Pakistan and New Zealand on February 19. However, the confrontation between India and Pakistan will take place on February 23 in Dubai when the two rivals face each other in a very rare clash. The Indo-Pak match will also have several heated individual contests. All the Naresh, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Mukesh Shami et al will strive to achieve the best for their individual teams.
It has long kept the fans occupied, whether it was Kohli or Azam, the debate on who’s the better batsman. However, former Pakistan pacer Abdur Rauf Khan believes Rohit Sharma, the Indian skipper, is way ahead of the duo in the current crop. “Both are great players (Rauf said while discussing Kohli vs Babar comparison). But in my opinion, he has no comparison. His class, consistency, and ability to perform under pressure set him apart. Babar Azam, when in form, is exceptional. But personally, my favourite batsman [batter] is Rohit Sharma. I believe Rohit is currently the best batsman [batter] in world cricket. He is way better than Virat and Babar,” Rauf quoted the Times of India.
On two of those ‘game-changing individuals’ from India and Pakistan who could actually make a big difference, Rauf chose Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma from the Indian side. He picked Mohammad Rizwan and Naseem Shah from Pakistan.
“For India, I would pick Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma. Pandya is a match-winner who can turn the game around with both bat and ball, while Rohit’s experience in high-pressure games is invaluable. For Pakistan, Mohammad Rizwan is always a threat against India and has a great record in these encounters. The other key player, in my opinion, is Naseem Shah. He has been Pakistan’s most consistent bowler lately, with great control over his line and length,” he said.
Rauf surprisingly didn’t mention Shaheen Shah Afridi in the list. When asked about the same, he said the pacer has not been seen to his peak since his knee injury.
“I would have definitely included Shaheen Shah Afridi a few years ago. He was, in fact, at his peak, one of the finest fast bowlers, bowling over 145 kmph and swinging the ball.” But the knee injury cost him some pace, and his bowling speed now is around 134-135 kmph, without any considerable swing. After the injury, his action changed, which contributed to his inability to strike early with the new ball. He has, in fact, always been able to trouble top-order batsmen [batters] such as Rohit Sharma with the skill of air movement. At the moment, however, he is struggling quite a bit, and I think even Naseem Shah may be a much more dangerous bowler for Pakistan,” he said.
