Who Will Trouble Babar Azam? Kaif Picks This Indian Bowler. It's Not Jasprit Bumrah

Former Indian cricket team star Mohammed Kaif believes that pacer Mohammed Shami can cause problems for Babar Azam when India take on Pakistan in their first match of Asia Cup 2023 on Saturday. In a recent interaction, Kaif explained that Shami managed the bowling well when Jasprit Bumrah was out of action due to injury and with the fast bowler enjoying a good run of form, he can prove to be a key asset for the Rohit Sharma-led side in the high-voltage match against Pakistan.

"Mohammed Shami is a fantastic bowler, his form is also very good. And even in Bumrah's absence, he managed the bowling very well. Even his form in the IPL was great. So he has a lot of talent. In my opinion, Babar Azam is going to have a lot of difficulty," Kaif said on Star Sports.

Three possible high-octane India versus Pakistan games for the starved fans on both sides of the border along with a final chance for five nations to put their respective houses in order before the World Cup adds context to the Asia Cup, starting in Multan on Wednesday. It is a tournament that has often struggled to find relevance in the midst of mushrooming bilateral contests over the last decade along with the waning popularity of T20 cricket but the 2023 edition, beginning on Wednesday, has occupied a large slice of the mind space of team think tanks.

It is the final stop for five of the six teams barring Nepal, to find answers for some nagging questions ahead of the global event, starting October 5.

(With PTI inputs)