Image Credit- AFP
In white-ball cricket, every skipper wishes for an
all-rounder who can bowl key overs and bat in the top seven. Such multifaceted
cricketers are, however, extremely uncommon today. In white-ball cricket,
India’s Hardik Pandya is the epitome of that type, and his latest injury has
only increased his importance to the team. Picking a player from each
discipline is the only method to replace Hardik, which is impossible in an XI.
Although Afghanistan has a fit and firing Azmatullah
Omarzai at their disposal, they don’t need to worry too much about the balance
of their side. Omarzai, who is only 23 and has only participated in 17 ODIs,
has already demonstrated the ability to someday become Afghanistan’s Hardik. He
can bat with the new ball, smash massive sixes down the order, or even move up
the order and build steadier runs, as he did in Delhi against India. The
administration of the Afghan team has determined that he possesses the
necessary talents to warrant investment, demoting the more seasoned Gulbadin Naib
to the reserves.
Omarzai had initially made a name for himself as a
batsman, with bowling being his secondary talent. He didn’t even bowl a single
over in his debut T20 match of 2018 in the Afghanistan Premier League (APL). He
only bowled 16.4 overs in four games at the Under-19 World Cup that year in New
Zealand. It is no longer his secondary skill after five years. Sachin Tendulkar
was so taken aback by him that he compared him to Bhuvneshwar Kumar because of
the way he held his wrist.
Omarzai’s entrance onto the main stage gives
Afghanistan’s assault greater variation. While left-armer Fazalhaq Farooqi can
also swing the ball, Naveen-ul-Haq is more of a specialist in slower balls. The
focus of Afghanistan’s attack has expanded beyond the spinners. Omarzai’s
choices with the ball at the death are currently quite restricted, but after
Naveen leaves ODI cricket after this World Cup, he will have a larger role to
play.
Omarzai has now been pitted against Babar in the World
Cup clash at Chepauk. Afghanistan need him to reprise his PSL heroics – and
also deliver with the bat – if they are to add Pakistan to their list of World
Cup scalps.