Basit Ali stresses importance of Shadab Khan and Nawaz against India 

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has said that Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan must deliver strong performances in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash against India.

The high-profile match between Pakistan and India is scheduled to be played on Sunday in Colombo.

He was speaking on ARY News program Har Lamha Purjosh.

Basit Ali the need for a left-handed batter in the number four or five position to target India’s spinners and clear the boundary in Sunday’s match.

He also shared his belief that Shaheen Afridi will look very different in the India match. “This is my opinion. Shaheen is making an effort and he is an experienced player,” he said.

Meanwhile, former wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal said that Sahibzada Farhan will be under greater pressure to perform with the bat.

He added that while Babar Azam is also under pressure, the runs he scored in the previous match must be reflected again in Sunday’s encounter against India.

“Babar is a senior player. He needs to lead the batting, take responsibility and win the match for Pakistan,” Kamran Akmal said.

Earlier, Basit Ali criticised the decision to use Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan as openers in T20Is, calling those who introduced the move “foolish”.

He said genuine openers were unfairly pushed aside, adding that an injustice had been done, though he avoided naming individuals.

Basit Ali further claimed that Pakistan’s all-rounders lack confidence because selections were not made on performance but on personal preferences. He alleged that players were picked on the basis of performances in leagues such as the Bangladesh Premier League rather than merit at the international level.