Ahead of the highly anticipated T20 World Cup clash between the two nations, former Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria offered his perspective on who he believes is the superior player.
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Kaneria’s comments came in the context of ongoing comparisons between Azam and Kohli, especially following notable performances. He expressed a strong opinion, suggesting that Kohli’s achievements and skill level are not matched by Azam, especially highlighting a moment where Azam, despite starting strong, failed to carry his team through a crucial phase of the game against the USA.
According to Kaneria, Azam’s inability to play against the USA’s bowlers and his dismissal after scoring 40 runs were critical in Pakistan’s performance.
“As soon as Babar Azam scored a hundred the next day you’ll see comparisons with Virat Kohli. Virat k jute k barabar bhi nahi hai (He is not even equal to Virat’s shoes),” Kaneria told IANS.
“USA Bowlers had him stuck, he was unable to play the bowlers. As soon as he reached 40 odd runs he got out. He should have stayed and won the game. Pakistan should have won the game one sided,” he added.
Pakistan’s opening match of the tournament ended unexpectedly with a loss to the co-hosts, the USA, in a match that concluded with a super over. This outcome was attributed to several factors, including a lacklustre overall performance by the Pakistani team and a notably expensive over from experienced bowler Mohd Amir during the super over, which included seven extra runs.
Looking ahead to the match between India and Pakistan, Kaneria predicted a strong victory for India. He critiqued the Pakistani team’s approach, noting a tendency to over-rely on their bowling strength.
“India will beat them badly. They are not capable of beating India. Whenever Pakistan come to the World Cup they keep praising their bowling and say that their bowling will win them the game but that was the reason they lost the first game,” remarked Kaneria.
(Inputs from IANS)
