Armed with fighting words and encouragement from the coach and captain, and now sporting a new ODI kit, the Pakistan World Cup squad is heading for ICC’s premier 50-over tournament in England. The preparations, if one could call them such, have been far from ideal. Back-to-back whitewashes by Australia and England in ODIs have had a demoralising effect on a team which has historically done well in England. However, being outwitted by their opponents in pretty much all aspects of the game have lead to pronouncements of doom and gloom for the Men in Green and it appears that the road ahead is nothing but bumpy for the 1992 World Cup winners but the question on everyone's minds is simply, will Pakistan's 'Cornered Tigers' rise to the challenge and surprise us all?

By Amir Husain (22nd May, 2019)

Strengths:

Odd as it may seem, the strength section of a preview of a Pakistan side is not filled with glowing tributes to their bowling side. Instead, the true strength, as demonstrated by the Pakistan batsmen in the recently concluded series against England, came from the more underestimated aspect of their cricket. So the likes of Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail and even captain Sarfaraz Ahmed have all shown signs of good form which could hold the side in good stead and if the 300+ scores against a pretty competent England bowling attack is any indicator, some encouraging times lie ahead for Pakistan in the World Cup.


Weaknesses:

But what good are those big scores when your bowling or fielding cannot defend them or restrict the opponents from scoring with ease? This is the question plaguing Pakistan coaching staff and should also be of concern to the bowling attack. Faheem Ashraf and Junaid Khan have been ejected from the final 15 and we are now left with a very talented but inexperienced rookie in the shape of Mohammad Hasnain who is expected to provide the ‘X’ factor for Pakistan. Wahab Riaz, considered unworthy of a Pakistan World Cup cap a month ago is now an important part of the squad and Mohammad Amir who’s only achievement on this trip to England so far is a bout of chickenpox is being considered the leader of the pack. Apart from glimpses of excellence by Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi, the overall abject state of Pakistan’s bowling during the series against England where they were unable to control the flow of runs in death overs is a major source of concern for Pakistan supporters and unless they improve drastically, more punishment from opposition batsmen could be in the offing. 


Players to watch for:

Fast-bowler Wahab Riaz seems to have come back to the side with all guns blazing and is saying all the right things, and could well make a difference to the Pakistan bowling attack. Mohammad Hasnain’s raw pace could rattle a few opposing batsmen but it will be the combined talents of Babar Azam and Hasan Ali who really have the overall strength to take Pakistan all the way to the top.


Prediction:

The unexpected victory in the Champions Trophy in 2017 has given a lot of hope to Pakistan supporters about how an unfancied side can make their mark when they play with zeal but I am afraid that fairy-tale will not be repeated again. A semi-final place is the highest this Pakistan side can hope for and will probably be happy to get to.


Full Squad:

1. Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper, captain)
2. Asif Ali
3. Babar Azam
4. Fakhar Zaman
5. Haris Sohail
6. Hasan Ali
7. Imad Wasim
8. Imam-ul-Haq
9. Mohammad Amir
10. Mohammad Hafeez
11. Mohammad Hasnain
12. Shadab Khan
13. Shaheen Shah Afridi
14. Shoaib Malik
15. Wahab Riaz

Discuss!