Former New Zealand cricketer turned commentator Scott Styris said that Naseem Shah’s absence will hurt Pakistan a lot in the World Cup.
He also believes that the batting is a bit overreliant on Babar Azam and the middle order will need to come good for Pakistan to have a successful tournament.
What did Styris Say?
The Kiwi great spoke about how Naseem Shah’s injury is a bigger loss than many people think, even with Pakistan’s prominent pace battery. He also talked about the middle order not needing to step up big time if Pakistan were to go all the way.
“The loss of Naseem Shah will be bigger than a lot of people think. Naseem Shah’s absence weakens them a lot. Their batting is just too much relied on Babar Azam along with Mohammad Rizwan. Fakhar Zaman is a little hit-and-miss,” Styris claimed.
Ravi Shastri and Scott Styris on Naseem Shah
— Zaid Hassan (@zaidhassan89) October 3, 2023
“The loss of Naseem Shah will be bigger than a lot of people think,” Scott Styris.
“With Naseem Shah not there, the strength of Pakistan just diminishes a bit,” Shastri.#NaseemShah
“If they are to win, they will need some good performances from their number 4, 5 and 6 in the batting order and that is where I think their weakness is. They are going to rely heavily on their bowlers and Babar Azam.”
Can Pakistan go all the way in the World Cup?
Pakistan have a formidable side coming into this World Cup. Their mercurial nature and bowling strength have always made them suitable for tournament cricket. This Pakistan team has one of the better batting lineups in their history, considering this hasn’t been an area of strength.
Gautam Gambhir tips Pakistan’s Babar Azam to shine in 2023 ODI World Cup
As Styris pointed out if the middle order consisting of Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Saud Shakeel and others can step up, Pakistan can dream big.
