Pakistan’s cricket team would be stepping into the World Cup with the least to lose. No one expects this side to make it to the finals, which is actually a great, great thing for the men in green.
They’re a troubled side. But they’re also an unpredictable bunch. I mean, who can forget the 1992 World Cup when a torn and tattered Pakistan team defied all odds to sneak into the finals and take the Cup home under the leadership of Imran Khan.
The biggest fact from which Pakistan can take heart is the last time Australia and New Zealand hosted the World Cup, Pakistan won it. Another fact is, Misbah-ul-Haq, who’ll bring down the curtains on his ODI career after this tourney, is of the same age as Imran Khan was (40), when this side lifted the WC last time. Therefore, it’s not a wise idea to dismiss the Pakistani side.
However, one factor to consider would be the huge blow that the Pakistan team has received. Mohammad Hafeez, their opener is out of World Cup contention, and that would hurt their chances big time. Prior to this blow, they also dealt with the bad news that Junaid Khan, one of their frontline bowlers would also miss the action. No Mohammad Hafeez would mean that the opening slot would be wobbly, with someone solid needed to assist Ahmed Shehzad from the other end.
The Pakistan side has so far featured in all the 10 editions of the World Cup, making it to the semi-finals thrice, twice to the finals and once to the quarters. The team would be playing under the watchful eyes of Waqar Younis, who would be looking to feature in a World Cup winning team, after having missed his chance as a player, as he was injured in 1992. Like he correctly says, playing without the pressure of expectations would benefit the team hugely.
Key Players
Apart from Younis Khan and captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who will play key roles in the team as being two of the senior-most players in the side, here are some players who could be the game changers.
Shahid Afridi: This boom boom dude is aggression personified. Given his unpredictable nature, he can pretty much keep the opposition in the dark. Plus, he’s an all-rounder, meaning, when the chips are down in the bowling department, he’s the one who can add weight. Almost 8,000 runs, almost 400 wickets. Need we say more?
Ahmed Shehzad: When we say his performances are significant, that’s the case because he comes in at the top of the order. For Pakistan to make use of their bowling talent, the batsmen have to put up a good total for them to bowl their hearts out. This will happen only when the top order fires. This young dashing opener will have a lot of keys to unlock the rest of the levels for Pakistan. It also helps that the fast and bouncy tracks of Australia and New Zealand are tailor-made for his kind of batting.
Dark Horses
For Pakistan, the dark horses would be Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Khan and Shoaib Maqsood.
Complete squad:Â Ahmed Shehzad, Ehsan Adil, Haris Sohail, Misbah ul Haq (captain), Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Sohaib Maqsood, Sohail Khan, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Younis Khan.