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Former all-rounder Shahid Afridi pointed out the key reason behind India gaining more success than Pakistan in international cricket. He feels India’s middle as well as lower order consists of match winners, who have been consistent to take the Men in Blue home for a number of years.
Afridi’s comments come ahead of the Champions Trophy clash between India and Pakistan on February 23 in Dubai. India made a winning start by beating Bangladesh, while Pakistan suffered a loss against New Zealand in their opening games.
Shahid Afridi feels there have been countless Pakistan players, who promised a bright future in the middle-order, but they couldn’t continue their supreme performance for a long duration. He noted that a collective effort from players of all departments will be key for beating India in Champions Trophy.
“If we talk about match-winners, I’d say that India has more match-winners compared to Pakistan. A match-winner is someone who knows how to win the game single-handedly. Right now, we don’t have such players in Pakistan. India’s strength lies in its middle and lower order, which has been winning them matches,” Afridi said on JioHotsar.
“For a long time, we have been giving opportunities to players, but no one has stepped up consistently. Some have performed in a few games, but we don’t have players who have sustained their performance for a year, two years, or across 50-60 matches.”
It is worth noting that it’s a must-win game for Pakistan, as the loss would put them out of the race for the semifinals.
Steve Smith backs Pakistan’s key batter Babar Azam
Australian captain Steve Smith has come in defense of Pakistan batter Babar Azam, who has been facing criticism for his slow knock in the Champions Trophy against New Zealand. The game saw Pakistan bundle out for 260 in a chase of 320.
Babar scored 64 off 90 balls at a strike rate of 71.11 in a big chase, which resulted in the fans slamming him for his lack of intent. However, Smith feels the former Pakistan captain is a a quality batter and backed him to score big in the coming games.
“Look, he’s a quality player. He’s had a really good career so far. He’s got all the time in the world, the way he plays, he’s got a solid technique. He’s got a good head on his shoulders,” Smith said when he was asked to share some words of advice for Babar Azam.
“He maybe hasn’t scored as many runs as he would have liked in the last little bit. We’re all guilty of that at stages throughout our careers, don’t worry, but yeah, look, he’s a wonderful player,” he added.
