Shehzad believes there is a delivery that can trouble Abhishek and reckons it has to come from Shaheen Shah Afridi. (AP Photo)Abhishek Sharma has already piled up 309 runs from 6 matches at the Asia Cup at a strike rate over 200, and is the main threat to Pakistan in the final on Sunday. The former Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad praised his batting, but believes that the rest of the Indians aren’t in red-hot form.
“If Pakistan get Abhishek Sharma out early, then the rest of their batting line up isn’t in great form and Pakistan can get on top,” he told Geo Tv. “I have full confidence in this Pakistan team. Ever since Salman Agha has become the captain, they have won the Bangladesh series, Weset Indies series, tai-nation series and now they have reached the final of Asia Cup. You can’t take these things away from Salman Ali Agha, yes there is a little question mark about his batting. I think if he can start bowling, that (question mark) would also go away). You got to back and give it to Agha’s team.
Shehzad had prefaced those statements with a rave on Abhishek.
“First he is tall and resultantly has a bigger reach. Secondly, because he is tall, he uses the long-handle – it’s not a bottom-handed grip and that helps in that zabardast (wonderful) bat-flow. Thirdly, because of his height, the downward bat swing starts from a greater height than many. Where some might start from shoulder, he brings it down from a greater height, and also finishes the shots with the bat doing full follow-through and finishing behind his right shoulder.
“The best part about him is he plays the balls according to its demands – Jahan hai, wahan maarta hai (doesn’t try to manufacture shots) and that lovely full bat-swing from its start to the full follow-through and it helps in imparting full force. Also his wrists are locked. He doesn’t let it open”.
Shehzad believes there is a delivery that can trouble Abhishek and reckons it has to come from Shaheen Shah Afridi.
“If you see his earlier games, the ball from a left handed pacer that lands short of length – away from him – and moves away from him, he does struggle. They have to play with his ego, try to get in a few dot balls, thodi si aankhen dikhayenge (stare at him), then his ego can get hurt. Such players who are full of runs can end up playing a bit overconfident or try to manufacture. If Pakistan can get him out …”
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif had a different take on the ideal delivery to be bowled at Abhishek.
“He is going through a purple patch. Even in the Sri Lanka game, though he hit a boundary, I thought he looked a bit uncomfortable against the bouncer. If a well-directed bouncer on his right shoulder can be delivered – but not in the first ball but sometime in between, I think he will be uncomfortable,” Rashid told Geo Tv.
Rashid then made one interesting observation about the differences in the hitting methods of the two teams. “Indian batsmen’s bat-speed has been worked on. They work a lot on it. Our batsmen try to force the shot, instead of bat-speed. Perhaps that’s the main difference.”
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