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Not Kohli Or Rohit! Naseem Shah Admits Surprise Pick As 'Toughest' He Faced

Soumyajit Dutta

Naseem Shah [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X]Naseem Shah [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X]

Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah singled out England’s star batter as the most formidable batter he has faced in limited-overs cricket during a candid chat hosted by former teammate Wahab Riaz. The discussion, featuring Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman, delved into the challenges posed by elite opponents.

Significantly, the conversation unfolded against the backdrop of Pakistan’s faltering ODI campaign in New Zealand, where the team slumped to a 73-run defeat despite a strong start.

Naseem Shah Admits Buttler's Dominance

Naseem, currently part of Pakistan’s squad for the three-match ODI series in New Zealand, emphasized Buttler’s prowess in white-ball formats. “Recently, I feel Jos Buttler is a tough batter in white-ball cricket,” he said during the show as quoted by ANI.

The 21-year-old’s admission reflects Jos Buttler’s reputation as a match-winner, particularly in high-pressure chases and powerplay scenarios.

How Buttler Dominates Naseem

Notably, Naseem's claim points to be a good one as the bowler has faced Buttler one time in Test matches and two times in T20s and didn't manage to get him out in any of these matchups. 

In Tests, Buttler managed to whop Naseem 5 boundaries of the 72 deliveries he faced and in T20s he boasts a strike rate of 235.7 against him bagging 5 boundaries and 2 sixes off 14 deliveries.

Naseem and Pakistan To Gear Up

Notably, Pakistan’s recent loss in the first ODI exemplified their middle-order frailties. Chasing 345, the visitors collapsed from 189-3 to 271 all out after Babar Azam’s dismissal for 78. 

Naseem, who bagged a single wicket in his 10 overs at an economy rate of 6.00 will look to regroup as Pakistan aims to salvage pride in the second ODI.