Former Indian batsman Aakash Chopra presented his thoughts recently on Pakistan’s line-up and how they’re missing a wicket-taking leg spinner, which can impact their matches in the Asia Cup 2022.
With India vs Pakistan match just around the corner, Aakash Chopra was pointing out the Pakistan team’s shortcomings which may contribute to their possible doom unless they manage to turn things around at the last minute.
To see if Pakistan can manage without a leg-spinner, and outshine India with their fierce batting line-up, tune into the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan – Asia Cup from anywhere across the globe.
Pakistan is being considered to provide a tough challenge to the rest of the teams in the Asia Cup as it kicks off on Saturday. The Babar Azam-led team has certainly proven themselves considering the recent performances and has a strong claim as the contenders for a third title at least.
However, the current preparations for the tournament have included a couple of hurdles for the team. Babar and Mohammad Rizwan will lead the team hand-in-hand, but one of the major blows for the team was the exclusion of Shaheen Shah Afridi due to a knee injury.
Apart from pacing and losing their star player, another conflict within the team is the spin department and the lack of experience in international cricket among the young players.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra could be seen pointing out the major flaws in the Pakistani team’s line up for Asia Cup 2022.
“Firstly, they don’t have a wicket-taking spinner. They have a lot of spin options but who will pick up wickets? All of them are restrictive. You can see Shadab Khan, he did well in the PSL, but if you see the recent international numbers, he has not taken wickets even in ODIs.”
“He is not your wicket-taker, he is not Yuzi Chahal or Rashid Khan. Usman Qadir can pick up wickets but he is too young. He has played very little cricket as well. Nawaz is also the same story – bowls restrictively.”
He also remarked:
“The second thing I am seeing is the lack of experience in the pace department. They have a lot of pacers. Naseem Shah, who started playing ODI cricket recently-five, wickets and all of that, but how much international T20 cricket has he played-nothing.”
“Shahnawaz Dahani-he does extremely well in the PSL, but how much international cricket has he played? The same is the case with Hasnain. They do have experience in the form of Haris Rauf, but they are going to miss Shaheen Afridi a lot because they hugely lack experience in fast bowling.”
Make sure to watch the legendary rivalry showdown on Sunday. In case you live in the USA, here’s how you can watch India vs Pakistan Asia Cup. In the comment section below, let us know your thoughts on Aakash Chopra’s analysis. Given the batsman’s experience in international cricket, he had made some good points. Let’s see how the Pakistan team bounces back.
Chris Mack
