New Delhi, India

Reappointed Pakistan’s white-ball captain, Babar Azam made a bold claim on who he thinks can defend 10 runs off a final over between his compatriot Naseem Shah and ace India seamer Jasprit Bumrah. While cricket fans worldwide know what cloth Bumrah is cut from, mainly considering death bowling, fans are also aware of Naseem’s exploits across formats and what he brings to the table.

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Chatting on a podcast, Babar, who recently replaced Shaheen Shah Afridi as Pakistan’s new ODI and T20I captain, was asked a hypothetical question surrounding the two best bowlers – Naseem and Bumrah. With the question being, if given a choice, who would he pick to bowl the final over if his team is defending 10 runs in the last over, Babar said he would pick Naseem over death-over specialist Bumrah.

"One over, T20 match, you have to win the match, you have two options to defend 10 runs, whom will you give the last over, Naseem Shah or Jasprit Bumrah? The hosts asked the Pakistan skipper, to which Babar replied, “Naseem Shah.”

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Without discounting or even mentioning Bumrah’s name, Babar praised Naseem, who recently returned from the shoulder injury he sustained during the Asia Cup last year.

"Firstly, I felt so happy for Naseem, for the way he returned to cricket after injury, the way he recovered," said Babar. 

Welcoming Naseem back into the scheme of things, Babar acknowledged his all-round skills, adding Naseem is on the right path, citing Shaheen’s example.

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"The number of skills he has, you don’t get a talent like this very often in Pakistan. There are others too, like Shaheen, he has his own class, he is experienced and Naseem is on Shaheen’s path," Azam added.

Bumrah shines in IPL; Naseem trains for NZ series

Bumrah has been making headlines since his emergence on the IPL stage around a decade ago, bowling toe-crushing Yorkers. His recent exploits against SunRisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals kept everyone talking. 

The right-arm seamer has been an ace bowler for every team he’s played for and holds strong credentials of being a top-notch bowler at any stage in the game.

On the other side, Pakistan’s Naseem Shah is training in Kakul with the rest of the squad, preparing for the home five-match T20Is against New Zealand, starting April 18. 

Meanwhile, India and Pakistan will face off at this year’s T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, with their game scheduled for June 9 in New York.