Pakistan haven't had the best of outings at the World Cup this year so far. They have lost two, won one and had another washed out. And they are up against a strong and confident Indian team next, on June 16.
But what's annoying Sarfraz Nawaz, former Pakistan pace legend and 'inventor' or reverse swing, is that how skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed is not being allowed the freedom to make his own decisions. Speaking exclusively to THE WEEK, he said, “Chairman of selectors and former captain Inzamam ul Haq is here. He, I feel, is too interfering. Sarfaraz should be given free hand in deciding who should play. [India captain] Virat [Kohli] decides everything in the team. This, otherwise, becomes a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth.”
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The former Pakistani pacer also said that Kohli is a better skipper than his Pakistan counterpart Sarfaraz Ahmed. “Kohli is more experienced than Sarfaraz. Besides, Kohli has M.S. Dhoni with him. Sarfaraz has no one like that to go to on the field. He is on his own if he wants some inputs on field change.”
He said that both India and Pakistan have X-factors in bowling in the form of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Amir, respectively. He, however, said the Indians hold an edge over his country in the batting department.
The veteran bowler who has played 55 Tests and 45 ODIs wasn't happy with Pakistan's fielding standards. However, he was pleased with the way pacer Amir was bowling—the left-armer took five wickets in the match against Australia. “He’s bowling well. The conditions—low and heavy cloud cover—have helped him. Plus the dampness in the pitch. But Pakistan are not making inroads with the new ball. Australia were looking to score quickly towards the end and therefore lost quick wickets,” said Nawaz.
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Speaking about Bumrah, Nawaz said, “He is quite sharp off the wicket. I saw him trouble the batsmen. He was bowling good lengths to Aussie batsmen. He is in very good form and Pakistan batsmen will find it tough against him.”
Nawaz found leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal very sharp compared to Pakistan's Shadab Khan and lamented the quality of leg-spin on display. “If you see Shadab is not in the same class as a Shane Warne or Anil Kumble. Traditionally, batsmen have struggled against right-arm leg spinners. They don’t have much practice against them. But look at Adam Zampa, he is an ordinary leg spinner but he’s playing!”
Nawaz, who is now based in UK, said, “Performance of both teams has been good. Pakistan have beaten a top team like England though it lost to Australia. India have beaten Australia at The Oval. India's batting, compared to Pakistan, is stronger. Pakistan's middle and lower order have not been up to mark.
The bowler who never held back either his bowling or his words, was unsure about who would win on June 16. “The key will be bowling. If it works, then Pakistan have an advantage. Batting-wise India is superior. Losing Shikhar Dhawan to injury is a setback,” he said.
