'England know Pakistan bowlers India jaise nahi hai. Walkover nahi milega': Akhtar's explosive remark ahead of final
Shoaib Akhtar had a rather straightforward remark on Indian bowling attack as he talked about the T20 World Cup final between England and Pakistan.
Pakistan will take on England in the final of the men's T20 World Cup on Sunday at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Both teams will be eyeing their second title at the global event; while Pakistan had lifted the trophy in 2009, England won the title a year later. The Babar Azam-led side had a rather dramatic campaign that saw them on the verge of being knocked out in the Super 12 stage itself; however, the other results in their group favoured Pakistan in reaching the semis before the side's convincing win over New Zealand in the knock-out match.
England, meanwhile, crushed India by 10 wickets in a brilliant all-round performance in Adelaide. The opening duo of Jos Buttler and Alex Hales forged a 170-run stand to secure a final showdown against Pakistan. However, former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar believes that it won't be as easy for England when they take on Babar Azam's men on Sunday.
Also read: Pakistan vs England, T20 World Cup 2022 Final: PAK vs ENG head-to-head record and form guide
“Farak ye padega ki England ek comprehensive position me hai. England ka confidence sky-rocketing hoga. England ko pata hai ki yahan par Pakistan bowlers India bowling ki tarah nahi hai. Yahan kuch na kuch karke jeetna apdega. Itni aasani se walkover nahi milega. (The difference is that England are in a comprehensive position, their confidence will be sky-rocketing. England know Pakistan bowlers are not like India. They will have to work hard to win, they won't get a walkover),” Akhtar said on his official YouTube channel.
The former Pakistan speedster also talked about the return of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to run-scoring, insisting that their increased strike rate in the semi-final against New Zealand was a major boost for the side.
“Babar aur Rizwan pe bohot depend karta hai. Jis strike rate se khele hain, vo important hain. Jin 6 overs me hamaara strike rate missing tha, vo vaapis aa gaya hai. Melbourne wicket allow karegi aapko ki aap ussi strike rate ko maintain karke khelein. (A lot depends on Babar and Rizwan. Their strike rate against New Zealand was very important. The wicket in Melbourne would allow them to maintain a similar strike rate),” Akhtar said.
