2017 ICC Champions Trophy: Captain’s Corner – Five Tactics Pakistan Must Use To Beat England

Nov 2, 2023 at 3:41 PM

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2017 ICC Champions Trophy: Captain’s Corner – Five Tactics Pakistan Must Use To Beat England

Pakistan has been at its unpredictable best in this ICC Champions Trophy so far. After being thrashed by the arch-rivals India in their first match, they came back strongly and with a message. They stunned the no.1 side South Africa in their second match and beat Sri Lanka in a thriller in the third one to make it to the semi-finals.

On the other hand, England had a smooth journey in the league stage as most people expected. They beat the other three teams in the group with ease and became the first team to qualify for the semifinals. Now both the teams are getting ready to face each other in the all-important semi-final clash. There is no doubt that England is going into the match as clear favourites. But Pakistan has always been a dangerous team and can surprise you on their day. It should be an interesting match and definitely worth the watch on a nice sunny Cardiff day.

Here are the five tactics Pakistan needs to get it right to upset England:-

  1. Amir- Junaid to Strike Early:-

Mohammed Amir went wicket-less in the first two matches against India & South Africa. But he got his form back when it mattered the most against Sri Lanka. He along with Junaid Khan triggered the middle order collapse and left Sri Lanka reeling at 167/7 from being 161/3 at one stage. But the duo needs to do even better against the English side. Their batting is extremely dangerous and if Pakistan doesn’t get early wickets with the new ball then they will be in a huge trouble.

  1. Fakhar To Give A Flying Start:-

Fakhar Zaman has been a revelation for this Pakistan side. After losing Sharjeel Khan for some unwanted reasons, they finally found an alike replacement for him in the form of Fakhar. In the two innings he played, he has impressed everyone with his audacious stroke play. For Pakistan to score big, batting first or chase a big total set for them by England, this guy is the key. It looks like he is the only one who can get them past the ‘elusive’ 300 run-mark which we don’t see Pakistan scoring that often even in this era.

  1. Sarfraz To Bat Higher:-

Sarfraz Ahmed is probably the third best batsman Pakistan has in this form of the game after Babar Azam and the veteran Shoaib Malik. But he bats too low down the order for anyone’s liking. With their weak middle order, Pakistan needs him to bat somewhere in top four and get to face a maximum number of deliveries. Remember, he has opened for them in a couple of matches in the 2015 World Cup and even scored a century versus Ireland. No reason why he can’t do that again. But if he can’t open, he definitely needs to bat somewhere in the top four.

  1. Middle Overs- The Key:-

England’s run-rate in the middle overs since 2015 World Cup is the best among all teams. Their batsmen are able to hit boundaries at will and steal singles with ease which is also a very important skill. Joe Root is the best example. He steals singles with ease. Pakistan needs to bowl aggressively in the middle overs and try to get wickets instead looking only to stop the run flow because with wickets in hand England with their explosive batting line-up can be extremely treacherous in the final 10-15 overs. Also, Pakistan can take a leaf out of England’s book on how to bat in the middle overs.

  1. Hasan Ali To Continue His Good Form:-

Hasan Ali has been the best bowler for Pakistan so far in this Champions Trophy, picking wickets whenever he has been given the ball by his skipper. He has bagged seven wickets so far in this tournament. He is someone who can pick wickets at any stage of the match. Sarfraz needs to use him wisely and as an attacking option in the middle overs. Pakistan needs him to be at his very best on Wednesday.

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