Shane Watson picks two Pakistani players in his List of Best five for T20 World Cup 2022.
2022 will see non-stop T20 action with every team preparing for the T20 World Cup in Australia, which is just one and a half months away. And every team has some superstars that can change the whole scenario of the match single-handedly. But still, the competition is very tough.
Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson, who is among the greatest all-rounders in the game, has shared his thoughts on some of the most exciting batsmen of the current generation. He has picked up his top five batters, who can win a match from any position.
The former all-rounder played all around the world and in various T20 leagues and has a very in-depth knowledge of the T20 format. After retiring from cricket, he pursued his coaching career and joined the Delhi Capitals as an assistant coach in the IPL in 2022.
In the latest episode of The ICC Review, with Sanjana Ganesan, he was asked about his first-choice XI for the upcoming T20 World Cup. He picked the top five batters for his XI.
1. Babar Azam (Pakistan) - No. 1 Ranked T20I Batsman
Without any hesitation, Watson picked Pakistan skipper Babar Azam as his first choice. Babar is the No. 1 ranked T20I batsman in the world. He said that Babar scores heavy and quick runs without taking any risks against the best bowling attacks, and he has a great technique to succeed in Australia, so he will do a great job in the T20 World Cup.
2. Suryakumar Yadav (India) - No. 2 Ranked T20I Batsman
In second place, Watson picked India's "Mr. 360" and No. 2 ranked T20I batsman, Suryakumar Yadav. The former all-rounder said that SKY is batting incredibly well and would be the second batsman to pick. However, he also pointed out that KL Rahul could be another Indian batter who could be the player to watch out for in Australia during the T20 World Cup. He said that Rahul has that game which can dominate the opposition.
3. David Warner (Australia) - No. 40 Ranked T20I Batsman
The 41-year-old picked his former opening partner and swashbuckling Australia opener, David Warner, as his third pick. Watson highlighted that Warner also won the "Man of the Tournament" in the last T20 World Cup in 2021 and is also in good T20 form as he showed in the IPL for Delhi Capitals. The former all-rounder added that Warner still has enough to score heavy runs and would like to perform at home.
4. Jos Buttler (England) - No. 17 Ranked T20I Batsman
For No. 4, Watson has gone with the new England skipper, Jos Buttler, who was the highest run-scorer in the IPL 2022. He pointed out that Buttler also scored four centuries in the IPL, which was done only once previously by Virat Kohli in 2016. He also said that when Buttler is in form, he is impossible to stop and can hit the ball to all parts of the ground, and that's what makes him a dominating batter.
5. Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan) - No. 13 Ranked T20I Bowler
Among his five picks, Watson only picked one bowler, who is from Pakistan, and it is none other than Shaheen Shah Afridi. The former Australian all-rounder said that Shaheen's ability to take wickets is different from others, and he also performed really well in the last T20 World Cup in the UAE. With Australia's help, Shaheen can easily dominate. He concluded, "My only little concern with him is that if he doesn’t take wickets to start with, then he can tail off a little bit."