IND vs PAK: Salman Butt Heaps Praise On Shaheen Afridi Ahead Of India Vs Pakistan Clash In Asia Cup 2023, Says 'His Opening Spell Will Hold A Lot Of Weightage'

Former Pakistani batsman, Salman Butt heaped praise on Shaheen Afridi ahead of the high-voltage match in Asia Cup 2023 and said that the 23-year-old Pakistani pacer will play a crucial role in the opening overs of the game to make it difficult for the Men in Blue.

Pakistan are currently the number-one ODI team in the world, along with that Babar Azam is the number-one ODI batsman and will definitely boost their confidence before they face India.

On the other hand, India have suffered a lot of injury problems which forced them to make changes in the first eleven. KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Jasprit Bumrah have failed to take part in the squad due to their injuries. However, they have been added to the Asia Cup 2023 squad for India.

But KL Rahul will not take part in the first two matches for the Men in Blues in the Asia Cup, since he has suffered a niggle during practice sessions, as confirmed by Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector of the Indian cricket team.

It’s not only that Shaheen Afridi is good, others also have the potential to pick wickets: Salman Butt

While speaking on his official YouTube channel, Salman Butt said that Shaheen Afridi will play a crucial in the match, especially during the opening overs of the inning against India.

Salman Butt said that it is not just about Shaheen Afridi but that other bowlers can also make an impact in the match.

“Shaheen’s opening spell will hold a lot of importance in the context of the game. India also knows the importance of the first three to four overs that he bowls. It’s not only that Shaheen is good.

“Others also have the potential to pick wickets. But there will be a lot of weightage on Shaheen’s opening spell. If he picks up a couple of wickets, India will be under pressure,” Salman Butt said on Shaheen Afridi.

Salman Butt added that Babar Azam-led Pakistan need to score more than 320 runs since the Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blues have a strong batting lineup for which the Men in Green need to score more runs.

The former Pakistan batsman added that the wickets of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be crucial for the team.

“Pakistan have to look to score over 320 runs. India have a strong batting line-up and Pakistan need a lot of runs if they bat first. The wickets of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are big. Others are also good, but those two batters are more valuable,” Salman Butt added.

India will take on Pakistan on Saturday (September 2nd) at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. The match will kick off at 3:00 PM IST.