Former Pakistani Fast Bowler Reveals Game Plan for Abhishek Sharma Ahead of T20 World Cup Clash

Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has described Indian opening batter Abhishek Sharma as “just a slogger” ahead of the high-profile ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash between India and Pakistan on Sunday.

Speaking during Geo News’ special show Haarna Mana Hai, Amir shared his direct assessment of Abhishek Sharma’s playing style and technique.

“From what I have seen of him so far, in my opinion, if I’m being completely honest, he looks like a slogger to me,” Amir said. “He just tries to hit every ball. If it connects, it connects. But most of the time, the chances of failure are higher.”

Amir pointed to what he described as inconsistency in Sharma’s performances, saying his aggressive approach carries significant risk.

“You must have noticed that he might play eight innings and score in only one of them, while in the others he gets 10, 15, 0, 20. The way he swings the bat, there doesn’t seem to be much technique, it’s more like, ‘Just give me the ball and I’ll swing.’ Technically, I haven’t found him very sound,” Amir added.

The left-arm pacer acknowledged Sharma’s potential but emphasized that his game remains high risk.

“I’m giving an honest opinion. I’m also saying that on the day it comes off, it really comes off, and he can hurt any team. But his game is very high risk. Secondly, he even struggles against a good slower ball,” he said.

Amir added that he would consider Sharma a complete batsman only when he consistently handles swing and executes his shots with proper technique.

“I’ll consider him a proper batsman when I see him handling even slight swing properly, tackling it well, and middling his shots consistently. Then I’ll say yes, he’s a complete batsman. For now, it’s just, if it connects, it connects,” he said.

Former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper Rashid Latif also weighed in on Sharma’s technique. Latif said that while Sharma has performed well in T20 cricket, his approach exposes certain weaknesses.

“Apart from mostly domestic cricket, he has mainly performed in T20Is. His upper body doesn’t come forward much; he gives himself a lot of room. That’s why he looks like a slogger, because he’s ready to hit every ball,” Latif said.

Latif added that Sharma’s style could create challenges in longer formats or situations that require defensive play.

Despite the criticism, Sharma’s numbers in the shorter format are strong. He has scored 1,297 runs in 39 matches at a strike rate of 194.95, including eight half-centuries and two centuries.

Against Pakistan, Sharma has scored 110 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 189.65, including one half-century.

However, his impact in the ongoing T20 World Cup has been limited so far. Sharma was dismissed for a first-ball duck against the USA, missed the match against Namibia due to illness, and his availability for the match against Pakistan remains uncertain.

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