We examine the strengths and weaknesses of the five regional teams taking part in the Pakistan Cup One-day tournament. 

By PakPassion.net Staff (15th April, 2016)

Balochistan

Azhar Ali will captain Balochistan and whereas his credentials as Pakistan ODI captain should leave no doubts about his ability to lead a successful campaign, there are many who are not convinced about his abilities in both leadership and skills as a modern day ODI batsman.

He will be assisted by a wide array of well-known Pakistan players who have frequently proven to be masters at the international level.

The batting for Balochistan will rely heavily on Azhar Ali's batting prowess but Umar Akmal will need to show some of the fire-power that he has always promised to have but seldom delivered at the international level. Babar Azam and Rameez Raja Jnr will be the other names to watch in this line-up.

Bowling unit for Balochistan will have some old stalwarts in the shape of Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir whilst the well-recognized talent of Mohammad Nawaz will be interesting to watch. Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan are also names we know well and should form an effective combination if conditions allow.

Verdict : All in all, a balanced squad, well capable of lifting the trophy.

Squad :

1. Azhar Ali (Captain)
2. Umar Akmal
3. Saeed Ajmal
4. Mohammad Hassan
5. Mohammad Nawaz
6. Babar Azam
7. Usama Mir
8. Sohail Tanvir
9. Bilawal Bhatti
10. Umar Gul
11. Junaid Khan
12. Shahid Yousuf
13. Rameez Raja Jnr.
14. Imran Khan (U19)
15. Ghulam Haider (U19)

Discuss!

Punjab look more outsiders than favourites.

The Punjab squad has the look of a team that would be more suited to a four-day tournament than a One-day tournament. The batting looks orthodox and solid rather than spectacular and that could be a problem. There are a number of good batsmen who can score steadily but that explosive batsman looks to be lacking in the squad. There will be a heavy burden on skipper Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Rizwan to do the bulk of the big-hitting supported by Salman Butt, Saad Nasim and Asad Shafiq.

In the bowling department, the spin-bowling options are experienced and capable of troubling the opposition. Shoaib Malik and Zulfiqar Babar can form a good partnership with the ball but the other twelve overs could be a problem. The seam bowling looks weak and heavily reliant on medium pacers Aamer Yamin and Ehsan Adil. The pace attack lacks a leader and stemming the opposition's flow of runs could be a headache for the skipper.

Verdict: The batting could compete with other teams but the bowling could be the weak link. Punjab look outsiders rather than favourites.

Squad:

Shoaib Malik (C)
Mohammad Rizwan
Salman Butt
Asad Shafiq
Zulfiqar Babar
Shan Masood
Aamer Yamin
Saad Nasim
Ehsan Adil
Asif Ali
Akbar-ur-Rehman
Ammad Butt
Adnan Ghaus
Kashif Bhatti
Saif Badar (U-19)
Salman Fayyaz (U-19)

Discuss!

Can Misbah-ul-Haq repeat for Federal what he achieved in the PSL?

A few months ago, a beaming Misbah-ul-Haq lifted the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Trophy much to the surprise of many who did not consider him able to achieve such a feat with the squad he had.

All eyes will be on the Pakistan Test captain to repeat the same feat in the Pakistan Cup 2016.

In terms of resources, he will have plenty to offer to his opponents. Sharjeel Khan the hero of the PSL and the World Twenty20 is in prime form and on home pitches should deliver what he did recently on the international stage.

Apart from Sharjeel, Kamran Akmal is always good at the domestic level but Mohammad Sami has experienced a resurgence in the last few months and along with Mohammad Irfan will form the back-bone of the Federal bowling attack, with Zafar Gohar a good all-round spin option.

Hasan Ali and Mohammad Abbas are 2 bowlers who have regularly set the domestic scene on fire and Hammad Azam will be itching to show his credentials as an all-rounder.

Verdict : Excellent blend of experience and youth but One-Day format may not be to their liking.

Squad:

1. Misbah-ul-Haq (Captain)
2. Mohammad Sami
3. Asif Zakir
4. Sarmad Bhatti
5. Kamran Akmal
6. Iftikhar Ahmed
7. Hasan Ali
8. Mohammad Abbas
9. Sharjeel Khan
10. Mohammad Irfan
11. ZafarGohar
12. Imran Khalid
13. Nasir Jamshed
14. Hammad Azam
15. Arsal Sheikh (U19)
16. Shadab Khan (U19)

Discuss!

Sindh team provides opportunity for fringe players to make their mark.

On paper, Sarfraz Ahmed's side is relatively inexperienced but packed with potential and the skipper will be looking to go one better than his PSL team, Quetta Gladiators, by winning the Pakistan Cup. In Sohaib Maqsood and Sami Aslam, Sindh have two batsmen that have shown glimpses of immense talent – could this be the tournament that propels them both back into the national side? They will be backed up by Khalid Latif who should prosper on these wickets, and Fawad Alam who will be expected to maintain his prolific domestic form. Sarfraz himself needs to ensure he gets time in the middle as he can be a highly versatile batsmen when he gets going.

The bowling attack will, or course, be led by Mohammad Amir while the likes of Sohail Khan, Anwar Ali and Bilal Asif will want to make the national selectors sit up and take notice of them once again. Rumman Raees is another name on the fringes of national selectors and this could be an important tournament for him ahead of the England tour. Hasan Mohsin was a late addition and will be under the spotlight after his success at U19 level.

Given Azhar Ali's difficult start as leader of the ODI side and Sarfraz's appointment as T20I captain, success for Sindh could lead to bigger and better things for the Pakistani wicketkeeper.

Verdict: Inexperienced but packed with potential and a number of players on the fringes of selection. Victory unlikely but could be a pleasant surprise if the youngsters turn up.

Squad:

Sarfraz Ahmed (C)
Mohammad Amir
Sohail Khan
Yasim Murtaza
Sohaib Maqsood
Khalid Latif
Khurram Manzoor
Fawad Alam
Sami Aslam
Anwar Ali
Bilal Asif
Rumman Raees
Mohammad Waqas
Saad Ali
Hasan Khan (U-19)
Hasan Mohsin (U-19)

Discuss!

Can KPK win the title under the leadership of Younis Khan?

Once one gets past the amazement at the rather strangely named Boom Boom Bubble Gum Khyber Pakhtunkhwa team, one will notice that they have chosen some promising names, such as Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Asghar, Naveed Yasin, and so on. These names have been doing the rounds a lot in the domestic circuit of Pakistan cricket and it would be great for them to have a chance to showcase their talent in the upcoming Pakistan Cup. If they do well, then perhaps this could be a path to selection for the national team as well.

Besides that, there are some questionable selections, such as Younis Khan, who is also leading the team. Some say that he should have made a way for younger cricketer to lead, while others say he is only suited to the longer format of game. On a more positive note, this tournament will provide some much-needed practice to Younis Khan, who'll be heading to England, in a few months.

Back from an extended absence due to a drugs ban, all eyes will be on Yasir Shah who will lead the spin attack, alongside Mohammad Asghar; while Rahat Ali will lead the pace attack. All in all, Younis Khan, Ahmed Shehzad and Fakhar Zaman will probably be looked on to set or chase targets that their bowling attack can protect with ease.

Verdict : Definitely not the favorites, but a firing Shehzad and Zaman could make things interesting.

Squad :

1. Younis Khan (C)
2. Ahmed Shehzad
3. Rahat Ali
4. Musadiq Ahmed
5. Mohammad Asghar
6. Azizullah
7. Naved Yasin
8. Sadaif Mehdi
9. Fakhar Zaman
10. Fahim Ashraf
11. Bismillah Khan
12. Hayatullah (U19)
13. Sameen Gul (U19)
14. Yasir Shah
15. Rameez Aziz
16. Zohaib Khan

Discuss!