ICC World Cup 2019 | SWOT Analysis - Pakistan
One of the most important things to consider, however cliched, in Pakistan’s case is that they are annoyingly unpredictable and the history hardly matters if they decide to get their act together. The 2019 edition promises nothing different as Sarfraz Ahmed will lead a bunch of mercurial characters.
If there is one country that can evoke a sense of comfort for Pakistan, one that gives them the hope to turn around everything and go beyond the realms of fantasy, it has to be England. They reached the final in 1999 World Cup in the same country, won their second global trophy in 2009 T20 World Cup, and made history by beating India in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy. All of them from the most inauspicious of beginnings, and ended up pulling off what the world had termed “improbable”.
The air in England this time is no different either. Pakistan are on a 10-game losing streak - with the loss against Afghanistan bringing all their faults to the fore. However, scratch it a bit more, and you will find a sense of optimism in the Pakistan dressing room and there is a reason for that. When Pakistan hosted Australia in the UAE this March, only to face a 5-0 drubbing, the underlying fact of the matter is they had rested seven of their top players as a part of a programme to rest and rotate for the World Cup.
Ever after the four consecutive loss against England earlier this month, the team came out with a lot of positives - they understood their power-hitting, which had evaded them big-time once Shahid Afridi decided to call it a day from international cricket. So as another edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup comes around the street once again blaring its horn incessantly, it is time for the Pakistan cricket team to sit back and stay true to their image of flying under the radar and who knows, landing another trophy almost in an unassuming manner.
Strength
It may seem surprising if you have just woken up from a deep sleep, but yes, Pakistan’s batting promises them more than their bowling. During the England series, Pakistan have crossed the 300-run barrier in all the games, and while the flat deck that England dished out were to blame for the insane 2800 runs scored in the series, most of the teams wouldn’t have been able to do it. Fakhar Zaman has an impressive record in England and Iman Ul Haq, who as a matter of fact, is in a league of his own. Ever since his debut in October 2017, only Virat Kohli, Ross Taylor, and Rohit Sharma have scored more runs than him in the ODIs and if the duo shines, well, Pakistan will be in good stead.
If the Imam-Fakhar pair is Shikhar Dhawan-Rohit Sharma in spirit, then the world must prepare themselves to face, as Michael Clarke puts it, Pakistan’s own version of Virat Kohli - Babar Azam. The Lahore-born batsman has been in sublime form in the ODIs for a while now, averaging 52.44 this year and in the England series, he showed pragmatism and discipline while constructing a fine innings. In the loss to Afghanistan, Azam’s brilliance was on the show too and his 112 despite a slow start saved Pakistan from blushes. With the presence of experienced campaigners like Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, and Sarfaraz Ahmed, the middle-order is more substance than flashiness, and add to that their big-match temperament, it will be helpful for Pakistan.
Weakness
Mohammed Amir is no more the same bowler who cut past Virat Kohli's edges time and time again in 2016 and 2017. Wahab Riaz is unlikely to bowl another spell of unexpected grit and courage that had Shane Watson flummoxed during the third quarter-final of the 2015 World Cup in Adelaide. With both of them returning to the squad replacing Junaid Khan and Faheem Ashraf, there are not a lot to be excited about.
In the PSL, Wahab bowled well and was among the top three wicket-takers, but can he be effective enough to hide a bad day for Amir, who since the Champions Trophy final in 2017, has played only 14 ODIs and has taken just five wickets, going wicketless in an innings as many as nine times. Although many points to his economy rate in that period, which is an impressive 4.58, but take out games against Zimbabwe and Hong Kong that goes up to 5.28.
The duo will have a huge monkey on their back and in the realisation that a bad game for them could potentially make a winning total a losing one in the unforgiving English cauldron can help Pakistan big-time. Their performance will also help bring the pressure down from the leg-spinner Shadab Khan.
Opportunity
In the era of slam-bang cricket, Pakistan have more virtuoso batsmen than sloggers. Sure enough, Fakhar Zaman has a double century in the ODIs and Malik a proven finisher, but do they have their own version of Hardik Pandya or Andre Russell? Well, Asif Ali can raise his hand and say that he can essay that role for Pakistan. He hits big and hits long and in his 16-match ODI career, he has a strike rate of 131.03.
Threat
The arrival of Mohammad Hasnain has given Pakistan’s bowling unit a decent look, considering the amount of pace that he can generate. Mickey Arthur, in particular, is very excited about the X-factor that Hasnain brings to the table, and in a moment of ecstasy, everyone and their pet dog are conveniently ignoring the extreme rawness that he has as a bowler. As it had been proven in the last three years in England, only pace can lead you until a point and your ability as a bowler would dictate the course of the action.
SportsCafe Best XI: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir
The Squad: Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz
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