Indian batters are known for their ability to tackle spinners, something which has been missing of late, according to former Pakistan captain Salman Butt. Following India's defeat to West Indies in the first T20I, Butt urged the team management to address the issue. The visitors won the ODI series 2-1 last week, but lost the T20I opener in the absence of senior pros like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Butt feels that the current crop of players have not been able to cement their supremacy, when it comes to tackling spinners
In recent history, they haven't been playing spinners quite well. They're traditionally solid against spinners, but you don't see that control now. It needs to be addressed," Butt said on his YouTube channel.
Butt also criticised the Indian team management for experimenting with the combinations in playing XI. According to him, India's chop and change policy has created an imbalance within the squad.
"Secondly, there are too many changes on every tour. It's about time, before the World Cup, that you know your 15, and every player knows his role. And the team plays like that. If you want to give someone rest, and try different combinations, send an A team itself. Let all players rest. If your half of first XI players are there and half are not, you can't say that it's your main team. Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill.. no one is new. They have double centuries in ODIs, centuries in IPL," he added.
Team India will hope to put on a better show in the second T20I on Monday.
Both India and Pakistan could meet thrice before the World Cup contest as they will be playing in the same group for the Asia Cup 2023 alongside Nepal. If both India and Pakistan manage to get the better of Nepal, they will meet in the Super Four stage of the completion. The arch-rivals could also feature in the Asia Cup 2023 final if both top the Super Four stage.
Rohit Sharma’s men in blue will face Babar Azam’s side on October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. So far in the ODI World Cup history, India have never lost to Pakistan in seven matches. Pakistan’s only success against India in the World Cup came in the T20 World Cup in 2021 in UAE. India will be pushing for an eight-consecutive win against the Green Army as the World Cup nears.
Pakistan will start their World Cup campaign on Friday, October 6 against the Netherlands while India’s first contest will see them lock horns against five-time champions Australia in Chennai on Sunday, October 8."The lesser you play against a team, that too against a big team – so whenever you will play them, especially if it is Pakistan and India, the pressure would be immense and tripled.”
The former great was part of the Pakistan side that lost to India in the 2003 and 2011 ODI World Cup and also spoke on the pressure both teams could face when squaring off in little over two months.
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