“If Rishabh Pant Played For Pakistan…”: Ex-Pak Cricketer’s Big Statement On Team Selection For T20 World Cup

The Pakistan cricket team’s poor results in the T20 World Cup 2022 have drawn a plethora of reactions from their cricketing fraternity. Several former Pakistan cricketers have attacked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), their selection committee, as well as the captaincy of Babar Azam for the poor nature of results in Australia. Citing the example of India’s Rishabh Pant, former Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz pointed out how the Indian team management decides fixed roles for its players, contrary to their Pakistani counterparts who don’t seem have adopted such a mentality.

Pant is widely considered one of the most talented wicket-keeper batters in the game at the moment. But, he hasn’t been able to do justice to his talent in limited-overs cricket. Dinesh Karthik, on the other hand, has done wonders in the past year as a ‘pure finisher’. Hence, the Indian team management has preferred him over Pant for the finisher’s role in the team.

“Rishabh Pant is India’s best wicketkeeper-batter since MS Dhoni. He even has hundreds in England and Australia. If he was in the Pakistan team, would he sit outside in a World Cup match? No chance. India kept him out for Dinesh Karthik. They know Pant is a good player who will score a lot of runs but he can’t be a finisher. At that specific number, they need a finisher. Pant might hit a couple of sixes but if he fails to finsih the game, India will lose. That’s the way to go),” Riaz said in a chat on News 24HD.

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“I agree with you. The Rishabh Pant – DK example he gave is absolutely spot on. When Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out of the T20 World Cup, they brought in Axar Patel and not another bowler. India belive in match-ups,” said Mohammad Amir, who was also one of the guests at the show.

In the two games that India have played in the T20 World Cup, Karthik has been preferred for the wicketkeeper’s role over Pant. Against South Africa on Sunday, India aren’t expected to alter their team combination either.