Cricket News

‘He is a fantastic all-round package with the ball’ -Mark Waugh heaps high praise on Jasprit Bumrah

With the 20-20 World Cup 2022 set to begin in Australia in a few weeks, everyone is eagerly waiting for the event. This will be the second 20-20 World Cup in two years, where Australia will start as defending champions. The last World Cup was hosted in 2021 in the United Arab Emirates.

Former Australia batter picked his top five players ahead of the 20-20 World Cup 2022. His list had Jasprit Bumrah, Shaheen Afridi, Jos Butler, Glenn Maxwell and Rashid Khan.

In an interaction, Mark Waugh talked about Jasprit Bumrah. “I think he’s a fantastic bowler in all formats, actually. His ability to get wickets in T20 cricket is key. He can bowl at the death, and he can bowl up front”, he said.

On Shaheen Afridi, he talked about his presence in the Pakistan bowling lineup. Waugh said, “He is a left-armer so that’s another point of difference. He can swing the ball back into the right-hander, he’s quick as well, so I’ve got him number two”. He also said that a guy like Shaheen Afridi will uplift the spirits of the Pakistani side.

Mark Waugh praised Rashid Khan for his impactful performances on the cricket field. “In all competitions, he plays in, he’s just the one guy who you know is going to bowl four overs. He’ll probably get two or three wickets and go for 20 runs, and he can bat. He can also whack the ball over the fence”, he said.

He just looks on a different level to other players: Mark Waugh on Jos Buttler

Waugh was all praise for Jos Butler’s 360-degree hitting ability. “I think he’s probably the number one batsman in world cricket in the T20 format. He’s just a clean striker of the ball. We’ve seen him in all tournaments, he just looks on a different level to other players”, he said.

He finished his list with Glenn Maxwell, who has been a big match player for Australia over the years. “Glenn Maxwell is the sort of player that can win you a game in the field and with the bat. With the ball, he’s probably underrated. And I think if he bats 30 balls, he’ll win you the game. So, I think Maxwell, even though he’s just not a consistent player, he’s that X-factor that can win your game on any given day”, he said.