Former Pakistan player Salman Butt recently stated that India’s recent losses to Pakistan will be there in their minds as they prepare to play against their arch-rivals in the T20 World Cup 2022. India and Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup campaigns in Australia by taking on each other at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on October 23 as well.
The Men in Blue lost to Pakistan in two of their last three encounters. Babar Azam’s men beat them by 10 wickets in the T20 World Cup in Dubai last year. They also registered a five-wicket win in the Asia Cup Super 4 clash at the same venue in September as well.
While discussing the upcoming Indo-Pak contest, Butt added that India are no longer favorite in the tournament. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former Pakistan captain opined:
“Pakistan have defeated India in two of their last three meetings. It will be at the back of India’s mind, so they won’t be complacent. They know they cannot take Pakistan lightly. The World Cup match was impacted by dew and the toss, but the Asia Cup Super 4 match was a close one. Pakistan eventually won thanks to that innings by Mohammad Nawaz.”
“In the past, India had won all their World Cup matches against Pakistan, but that streak is also over now. Both teams know that whoever plays well on the day will win,” the veteran added.
“They need to play against India” – Salman Butt on inclusion of Shaheen Afridi and Fakhar Zaman
While sharing his views on Pakistan’s playing combination for the all-important match, Butt shared that both Shaheen Afridi and Fakhar Zaman, who have been struggling with fitness issues recently, should play in the match.
“Now that Shaheen and Fakhar have been picked, they need to play against India; there is no option. This is the World Cup after all. Suppose Shaheen is rested against India, and claims 3-4 wickets against a weak side, there will be criticism over why he didn’t play against India,” he added.
Pakistan will go into the T20 World Cup with a lot of confidence, having won the T20 tri-series in New Zealand. They beat the Kiwis by five wickets in the final as well.
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