South Africa pace sensation Anrich Nortje has backed the under-fire Rishabh Pant, saying that the Indian wicket-keeper batter is the kind of player that can possibly take the game away from the opposition.
The 25-year-old's recent form has come under the scanner, however, the wicket-keeper has recently admitted that there is no point in mixing the format and he is currently in a good frame of mind. Nortje, who plays the Indian Premier League (IPL) under Pant's captaincy for Delhi Capitals, has backed the southpaw amid criticism.
"He (Pant) is a very good player, someone who can do amazing things at different times. He can take the game away from the opposition," Nortje told IANS on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi T10 league here.
Not only Pant, but the South African pacer was also in praise for the Indian bowling attack despite the Rohit-Sharma-led side bowing out cheaply in the recently-concluded T20 World Cup. "It's cricket, every day is gonna be a different result, it is wrong to say that there is a problem if the team is winning one game only.
This is cricket you are gonna win some and lose some too," said Nortje. "Yeah, they (Arshdeep, Umran Malik) are good players. I'm sure they have got a good future, They are exciting to watch, hopefully, they can keep on developing and grow as players," he added.
Nortje is playing for Morrisville Samp Army in the Abu Dhabi T10 league. The South African pacer is relishing the new format and the challenges he is encountering as a bowler. "We have been having a lot of fun, the guys are doing really well, not the bigger score we expect here.
I think all in all the team is doing good and we need one or two more good performances," said Nortje. "In T10 you are always under pressure, so it is a good challenge for bowlers. It is really nice to have a challenge and learn something more about the game," he signed off.