Mark Waugh lists Shaheen Afridi among his top five T20I players:
Australian Legend and Fox Cricket analyst Mark Waugh has joined the long list of past greats to select the first five players they would pick in a World T20I XI with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 just around the corner.
Mark Waugh, who made 8500 ODI runs and was a member of Australia’s 1999 Cricket World Cup winning team, was renowned for his aggressiveness at the top of the order and his lightning fielding in the field, and the slip cordon.
The all-rounder, a talented white-ball cricket player, would have dominated the T20 globe had he competed in the present era.
Mark Waugh emphasized that his list was not in any specific sequence while speaking in the run-up to the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, although he started with the bowlers from the group of five.
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1. Jasprit Bumrah:
Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the most recent T20I series, will undoubtedly do well at the event in Australia, according to Waugh.
Mark Waugh complimented the fast bowler’s adaptability, saying, “I believe he’s a wonderful bowler in all forms, basically.”
“His capacity for wicket-taking in T20 cricket is crucial. He is capable of bowling both in the front and at the death.”
2. Shaheen Afridi, 19th in ICC T20I bowling:
“We’ll begin with left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi from Pakistan,” Waugh added.
“He takes wickets. He’s a team booster. Others follow him.”
“Left-handedness is another distinction. He’s speedy, can swing the ball to the right-hander, therefore he’s number two.”
3. Rashid Khan ranks fourth in ICC T20I bowling:
Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan’s batting improves his case in Australia’s eyes.
“You always know he’ll bowl four overs,” Waugh said.
“He’ll grab 2 or 3 wickets, scoring 20 runs, then bat. He can also hit over the fence.”
4. Jos Buttler ranks 15th in ICC T20I batting rankings:
Waugh couldn’t overlook the Englishman’s home and international top-order form.
“He’s definitely the world’s best T20 batsman.” Waugh: “He’s a clean striker.”
“We’ve seen him in all tournaments; he’s a different guy.”
5. Glenn Maxwell (29th in ICC T20I batting, 6th in all-rounder rankings) :
Glenn Maxwell can win games with his fielding and batting, Waugh said.
“I think if he faces 30 balls, he’ll win the game.”
Ponting picked three of Waugh’s players, plus Hardik Pandya and Babar Azam.
Waugh’s picks reflect Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson, and Mahela Jayawardena’s on The ICC Review.
Jayawardena had four of Waugh’s top five players, with just Mohammad Rizwan different.
