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Virat Kohli & Shadab Khan (Source: Twitter)
Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has named his favourite Indian players ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup, which is less than a week away. The Pakistan cricket team is currently in Hyderabad for the World Cup warm-up matches. The Men in Green lost to New Zealand by five wickets in their first match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on September 29. Babar Azam and Co. will next face Australia in their second practice match at the same venue on Tuesday.
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During a press conference, the Pakistan vice-captain was asked to pick his favourite batter and bowler from the host nation's line-up. Interestingly, Shadab did not choose former India captain Virat Kohli instead, he named current Indian skipper Rohit Sharma as his favourite. To justify his selection, the 24-year-old said Rohit is very dangerous once he is settled at the crease.
When asked about his favourite Indian bowler, Shadab chose Kuldeep Yadav as he is also a leg-spinner. "As a batter, I really like Rohit Sharma. He’s very difficult and dangerous to bowl to once he’s set. Among the bowlers, I like Kuldeep because I’m also a leg-spinner. It’s very difficult to bowl on flat tracks in these conditions," he said.
We felt like we were playing in Rawalpindi: Shadab Khan after Pakistan's first warm-up match
Shadab Khan said the Pakistani players are adapted to the Indian conditions, comparing the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad to Pakistan's Rawalpindi. He also believes that the Men in Green are strong contenders to win this World Cup as they have a strong bowling unit.
"The conditions so far in India have felt similar to Pakistan. Even the last warm-up felt like we were playing in Rawalpindi," Shadab said.
"I feel the champion of this World Cup will be a good bowling side because the conditions here offer flat tracks and small boundaries. We have world-class bowlers, and I feel as a bowling unit, we have to perform really well to become champions," he added.
Pakistan squad for 2023 ODI World Cup: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.