Former Pakistani cricketer Salman Butt has picked Mohammad Rizwan and Sarfaraz Ahmed as batsman and wicketkeeper for the first Test match against Bangladesh. He backed the former to take the position as he is a better batsman and also a wicketkeeper.
Pakistan is all set to take on Bangladesh in the two-match Test series starting next week. The first match will be played in Rawalpindi from August 21, while the second match is scheduled to be played in Karachi on August 30. The two matches will also be part of the ICC World Test Championship.
Heading into the first match, the Pakistan national cricket team will have to face a major headache in selecting their squad. One of the toughest decisions for them will be choosing between Mohammad Rizwan and Sarfaraz Ahmed for the wicket-keeper batsman slot in the playing XI.
Both Mohammad and Sarfaraz Ahmed have played well in the Test format. In the last Test series, the 2017 Champions Trophy-winning captain was the favourite but as Rizwan is the regular player in the white-ball format, there has been a lot of speculation as to who will play.
Salman Butt chooses between Mohammad Rizwan and Sarfaraz Ahmed
One of the fans asked Salman Butt to name his favourite. The former Pakistan national cricket team captain picked Mohammad Rizwan and said that he is better than Sarfaraz Khan in terms of defence and batting in the longest format of the game.
Salman Butt admitted that Sarfaraz Ahmed is a good spin player as he bowls well. But according to him, the wicketkeeper-batsman is also getting older and Mohammad Rizwan is a much better choice than him to be in the starting XI for the first Test against Bangladesh. In a video posted on his YouTube channel, he explained:
“I think Rizwan is a better option, there is no doubt about it. There is a big difference in his style of keeping and batting (and Sarfaraz). Yes, Sarfaraz Ahmed tackles bowlers well and plays well against them. But overall, if you look at it, there is an age difference as well, so I think Rizwan is a much better option.”
Mohammad Rizwan has played 30 Test matches and has scored 1616 runs at an average of over 40, along with 2 centuries and 5 half-centuries. On the other hand, Sarfaraz Ahmed has scored 3031 runs in 54 games at an average of around 37, along with 4 tons and 21 half-centuries.
On the other hand, Pakistan released Abrar Ahmed and top-order batsman Kamran Ghulam from the squad for the first Test against the Bangladesh National Cricket Team. This is because they are keen to utilise a high-paced attack for the first Test in Rawalpindi.
There were reports that the team had asked the groundskeepers to prepare the green pitch for the Rawalpindi Test. This is because Bangladesh’s batsmen are good against bowlers but can be easily exploited on grass pitches, giving the home team an advantage.
With the pitch likely to favour fast bowlers more than spin bowlers, Mohammad Rizwan is likely to get the nod ahead of Sarfaraz Ahmed.
