LAHORE: India’s Jasprit Bumrah claimed the top spot in the latest ICC ODI Rankings for bowlers and also has been in the red-hot form across formats.
The 28-year-old is regarded as the best all-format player in the world currently by experts and commentators. However, former Pakistan captain Salman Butt believes that Pakistan’s ace bowler Shaheen Afridi is not far off from Bumrah.
“Shaheen hasn’t played as much cricket but he is among the very best. He is no less than him (Bumrah). In fact, Shaheen with experience will only get better and then he has more pace and offers a different angle,” Butt said on his YouTube channel.
“Both are world cricket’s finest and watching them bowl is an exciting experience. It’s great fun to watch both Bumrah and Shaheen perform, and the way they bowl with the new ball it feels as if a wicket can go down anytime. You don’t get this feeling watching any other bowler,” he added.
Shaheen has been the leader of Pakistan’s pace attack since the 2019 World Cup. He has proved to be a match-winner with his opening spells. He gave his country a head start against India in the 2021 T20I World Cup where he cleaned up openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul.
“Nonetheless, for a 21-year-old bowler to perform in the manner that he has is not easy. Both are outstanding. Obviously, Bumrah has played a lot more and is a brilliant performer so, at the moment, there shouldn’t be any comparison. One has played a lot, the other not so much,” he stated.
