Former Indian opener, renowned cricket commentator and analyst, Aakash Chopra excluded top-order batter, Haider Ali and middle-order batter, Asif Ali from Pakistan’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 Playing XI.
Pakistan will face its arch-rival India in their first match of the T20 World Cup on 24th October in Dubai.
While speaking on his official YouTube channel, Aakash said that Pakistan’s openers will be Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan followed by Fakhar Zaman at one-down. Veteran all-rounders Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik in middle-order. All-rounders Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim in lower-order.
He opted Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali and Haris Rauf as Pakistan’s pacers.
According to him, Pakistan will show a good result in the World Cup as Dubai was their home ground in past, and if look back into Pakistan’s past matches played in UAE, Pakistan has won all the T20 matches against all big teams (New Zealand 3-0, Australia 3-0, Sri-Lanka 2-0, West-Indies 3-0).
However, he highlighted some issues in Pakistan and said that they are lacking with the ‘strike power’ like Hardik Pandyaa, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, which is required at the end of every match but, on the other hand, Pakistan has very good bowlers and spin-all-rounders because of which Babar Azam will never face the shortage of bowling variation.
He told that Pakistan is a strong team and will definitely enter into the semi-finals, and might be playing the final of the T20 World Cup against India.
Aakash Chopra’s playing XI
Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi.