Jayawardene said, “For me this bowler is the most important player in T20 cricket and Rashid Khan is a spinner who can bat. He is a No 7 or No 8 batsman and you can use him in different situations depending on your combination. He can also bowl at different stages of an innings such as during the powerplay, in the middle overs and also in the death overs. He is not a bad choice depending on the circumstances, so Rashid would be my first choice.
Regarding Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi, who is ranked 10th in the ICC T20 bowling rankings, Jayawardene said, “I will actually take two more bowlers and the first one will be a left-arm bowler in Shaheen Afridi.” Afridi has played 40 T20Is so far, taking 47 wickets at an average of 24.31 with an economy of 7.75. He also played a notable ICC T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates last year.
“He had a great World Cup last year, bowls very well with the new ball and is able to get some swing quickly. He is also a wicket-taker who bowls well in the death overs as well. Jayawardene also heaped special praise on Jasprit Bumrah, who is currently ranked 28th in the ICC bowling rankings. He said that he has always admired the bowling of the Indian fast bowler. “Jasprit Bumrah is one player I have always admired because of his ability to bowl at different stages of an innings. He is another wicket-taker option and when you need to take wickets, there is no one better than Jasprit Bumrah.
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Bumrah has consistently taken wickets in T20 cricket and has played 57 T20 matches for the country, taking 67 wickets at an average of 19.89 and an economy rate of 6.50. England batsman Jos Buttler’s form in IPL has been tremendous and Jayawardene said of the talented opener, ‘I will probably start with Jos. He is very aggressive. He plays fast pace and spin bowlers very well. He also did well in the last T20 World Cup where he did really well in tough conditions in the UAE. Butler has represented his country in 88 T20Is, scoring 2,140 runs at an average of 34.51 and a health strike-rate of over 141. Jayawardene said that Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan is rich in versatility, who is currently ranked No. 3 in the ICC 20 Batsmen’s Rankings.