Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden feels that the contest between the Indian top-order batters and the Pakistan fast-bowling trio will be a spicy one of the Asia Cup 2023. Rohit Sharma-led side will take on the arch-rivals Pakistan in the high-octane encounter on Saturday.
Pakistan continues to produce some of the finest fast-bowling talents. The Men in Green played an important role in the team’s progress in the white-ball format of the game and the Indian team will rely heavily on their top order to come good against Pakistan bowlers in Kandy.
Speaking to the media, Matthew Hayden feels that India batters playing against the Pakistan speedsters will be an exciting one as the Babar Azam-led side has got a lethal fast-bowling unit in the world cricket. The veteran asserted that Haris Rauf is a player to watch out for in the contest, as the surface would offer a lot of bounce in Kandy.
“India is playing against Pakistan’s pace trio. Well, I can tell you this is one of the spiciest competitions on the planet. We’ve got Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem. Three very different types of bowlers and unique bowlers which require unique plans from Team India.”
“Firstly, the conditions here in Kandy tend to have quite a lot of bounce, so you’ve got to watch that out, especially Haris Rauf. He’ll want to really hustle in and hit the top of off stump,” Matthew Hayden said.
Shaheen Afridi has been among the best fast bowlers in the world since his debut for the national team.
The left-arm pacer can be lethal with the new ball for the Men in Green, and Haris Rauf is arguably the fastest bowler in world cricket currently alongside Mark Wood and youngster Naseem Shah, who has already proved his worth against some of the biggest names in the international. The trio can play a crucial role in the team’s success in the much-awaited game.
We’ll Never Forget That Ball That He Bowled To Captain Rohit Sharma – Matthew Hayden
Matthew Hayden urged the Indian batters to be conservative against the Pakistan left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi, as he can rattle the batters with his excellent seam and swing at the upfront of the innings and recalled his epic fast-bowling spell against India in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
“ You’ve got to be conservative against Shaheen Afridi, Remember back to the World Cup more recently. Shaheen was able to take early wickets. We’ll never forget that ball that he bowled to Captain Rohit Sharma,” Matthew Hayden added.
The 23-year-old fast bowler is unarguably one of the best seamers across formats in international cricket right now. He can trouble batters with his pace and bounce across the formats of the game and would look to put a match-winning performance against India in the Asia Cup 2023.