Amid coronavirus pandemic followed by worldwide lockdown, cricketers are shifting towards social media in order to increase the interaction with their fans and admirers. Some are even posting regular content in their respective channels so that cricket fans would get entertained frequently.
In the process, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra on his YouTube channel picked 10 youngsters from all over the world who according to him will rule the captivating game in future.
Chopra picked three Indian players, three Pakistani talents, and one each from England, Afghanistan, South Africa and Australia.
To begin with, Chopra selected Shubman Gill as he thinks the latter score runs quickly and fits in all three formats.
“Shubman is an extremely talented cricketer. He is technically rich and possesses the ability to score runs in quick time. He is one of a kind player who doesn’t compromise his style of play yet fits in across formats. Currently, Shubman is not getting any chance, but in the coming years he will get a lot of opportunities,” said Chopra.
The former Indian Test opener then picked Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi and said people would get to hear a lot about the left-arm bowler in future.
“Shaheen is really fast. He made his debut in the Asia Cup, and he keeps on growing in leaps and bounds. He has a great height and can bowl the bowl full while swinging it. His speed is great, and someone who can bowl full is bound to pick up wickets. The way his career graph is progressing, it looks like the future is his. We will probably be hearing this name even more as we go along,” added Chopra.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also picked India U-19 sensation Yashaswi Jaiswal. He said that the young left-handed batsman would get a lot of opportunities in future and he will be a phenomenon.
“Yashaswi’s work ethic is top class and incredible. Even at such a young age, he knows a lot about his game. He does a lot of hard work and shows sincerity. He has been absolutely sensational. This boy is hungry for runs, and his future is bright,” Chopra articulated.
Apart from Yashashwi, Chopra picked Prithvi Shaw as well. He said that Prithvi showed significant commitment in the recent India tour of New Zealand.
Chopra named Haider Ali as the next batsman after Babar Azam who will shimmer in Pakistan cricket. He said that Ali’s show in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Quaid-e-Azam trophy expressed confidence in him.
“Haider Ali is another player from Pakistan. He is a batsman of pedigree. He has already done well if you look at his trajectory. He made runs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy which is their domestic tournament. He is getting a lot of praise from all quarters. He is being compared to Babar Azam, even being called the next Babar Azam. We don’t know if he can become the next Babar Azam, but if he becomes Haider Ali first it would be more than good enough,” the 42-year-old opined.
The other youngsters who made it to Chopra’s list were Australian wicket-keeper batsman Josh Phillipe, England’s rising talent Tom Banton, Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmed, South Africa’s Gerald Coetzee, and Pakistan’s paceman Naseem Shah.
Here is the complete list of 10 players:
Shubman Gill (India), Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan), Tom Banton (England), Noor Ahmed (Afghanistan), Josh Philippe (Australia), Yashasvi Jaiswal (India), Gerald Coetzee (South Africa), Naseem Shah (Pakistan), Prithvi Shaw (India), Haider Ali (Pakistan).
