World T20: Spinners will have edge in ‘tough battle’ with India, says Sohail Tanveer

Pace bowler says India has strongest batting line-up in the tournament, but Pakistan has a very good bowling attack.

Noting that Pakistan and India matches have always been about the former’s bowling versus the latter’s batting, Pakistani left-arm pacer Sohail Tanveer said on Saturday their match in the ICC World Twenty20 2014 next Friday will be yet another 'tough battle' with spinners playing a key role.

“It has always been the case – Pakistan’s bowling against India’s batting,” said Tanveer in a press conference according to ICC-Cricket.

Tanveer, who also played in the inaugural World T20 when Pakistan lost the final to India in 2007, added that India’s batting line-up is very strong.

“To me it is the strongest line-up in the tournament, especially in these conditions in the subcontinent. Their entire line-up wears a formidable look about it; they have big names and big match-winners.”

While India may boast one of the strongest batting line-ups in the tournament, Pakistan boast arguably the strongest bowling line-up where Tanveer will be bowling alongside the likes of Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez.

“We have always had a good bowling attack, we have always produced wicket-taking bowlers. We have a lot of variety, and we have three quality spinners in Afridi, Ajmal and Hafeez,” he said adding that “alongside Gul, myself and Bilawal Bhatti, that is a very good attack, which can perform on any given day against any side.”

“India against Pakistan is a match of high expectations and it will be a tough battle. But the team that does better on the day will come up trumps.”

He noted that unlike Pakistan’s experienced bowling attack, India will be fielding a fairly inexperienced attack. “We know India’s faster bowlers are a little short on international experience, and there is a huge difference in pressure between domestic cricket and international cricket. I am sure that will be an area of concern as far as they are concerned.”

But the left-arm pacer, who has found his opportunities limited outside T20s, warned that it would be wrong to look at India based on individual performances.

“Especially in Twenty20 cricket, it is not prudent to single any one individual out or focus on any one batsman. If you compare the two sides from then to now, even then we had a very good bowling attack and they had a very strong batting line-up. And you have to play against the entire team, not one or two batsmen. The scenario in a T20 game can change in the space of one or two overs, you have to therefore focus on the whole opposition.”

Variation and spin are key

Recalling his time spent playing a T20 league in Bangladesh, the pacer conceded that spin would have a big role to play.

“Whichever team has a strong spin attack will have the edge,” he said, but added that the pacers couldn’t be ignored. “You need the seamers to bowl at the death, you can’t just discard the seamers.”

“The attacking role in the middle overs will rest with the spinners and for all the seamers, bowling on these pitches will be a challenge. “

Tanveer said he will be banking on his experience of playing the T20 league in Bangladesh to outwit batsmen.

“Gul and myself, we have a lot of experience, we have played a lot of T20 cricket. I have also played in the Bangladesh Premier League here, on these pitches, so I know these pitches and I don’t foresee a problem as such.”

The pacer added that the key will be who brings the most variation.

“Whether you are a fast bowler or a spinner, you must have variations. It is a very skilful game, which requires you to be smart and intelligent. I am not saying pace doesn’t matter, but if you just bowl quick without variations, then your chances of success become that much lesser. You need to change things up to surprise the batsmen and keep them honest; if you are predictable, you will get hammered.”

While the T20 format requires a bowler to bowl no more than four overs in a game, it wasn’t easy, Tanveer insisted. “It looks easy, to bowl four overs in a game, but it is like bowling more than ten overs in a One-Day International,” he noted. “Every ball is crucial in a T20 game, every ball takes so much physical and mental energy out of you. You are always in pressure situations, bowling in the Power Play or at the death, it can be really very stressful.

Batting versus batting?

Tanveer felt Pakistan had a pretty formidable batting unit of its own to go with its versatile bowling.

“We showed during the Asia Cup what a strong batting unit we have,” he pointed out. “The batting did well under pressure, which is the sign of a good team. And Shahid Afridi coming good when the team needed him to, that is a huge positive for us.”