The veteran Pakistani cricketer Zaheer Abbas thinks that Indian cricket team has an asset in the form of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He termed MS Dhoni as the brain of the team. In an interview with PTI Bhasha, he talked in detail about his thoughts on the upcoming World Cup 2019.

India has a genius called Mahendra Singh Dhoni

The former Pakistani skipper has full faith on MS Dhoni, and he said, “India has a genius called Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the team. He is the brain of cricket in the team. He understands the game so well and has experience of leading India in two World Cup wins. His experience will be vital for captain and coach, and he can be their trump card.”

On Virat Kohli

He thinks that Kohli will like to prove himself as a worthy captain in this first World Cup under his captaincy. “Also, it is the first World Cup under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, and he would be eager to prove his mettle as a captain.” He added that the strong Indian batting line up can score 400-450 runs on England’s batting-friendly pitch. “We have seen that in the recently-concluded Pakistan–England series, that over 300 runs were scored and chased. Now in the World Cup, 450 runs could be a possibility as there is no grass on the wickets and bowlers will get little help from the conditions.” Therefore he added, “In such scenario, India will benefit as they have one of the strongest batting line ups. English wickets are now batsmen’s paradise.”

India’s NO. 4 spot

Regarding India’s NO. 4 spot the Asian Bradman suggested, “It is purely captain’s decision, but my view is that the top four batting order shouldn’t be changed frequently. You can make changes in the lower middle order but not at the top.”

On Top Contenders for World Cup

Apart from India, he thinks that Pakistan, Australia, England, and New Zealand are the top contenders for the semi-finals. He insisted, “Fitness will be the key in this World Cup, given the format and the weather in England. I think that the fittest teams will reach the last four.”

On Pakistan’s Squad

He, while questioned about Pakistan team seemed satisfied with the squad. Then he shared his views about the poor record his home team has against India in the World Cup. “Record is with India, but Pakistan can beat any team on their day. It will depend on who handles the pressure well. It will be the match of the tournament for sure, no matter who wins.”

Written by Shreyasi Dravid

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