Former Pakistan speedster Umar Gul revealed his choice of potential five pacers for the ODI World Cup later this year in India. The Men in Green is always known for their fast bowling prowess in International Cricket as they would play a vital role in for their side in the World Cup.
Pakistan continues to produce some of the finest fast-bowling talents as the team is blessed with many pacers in the team especially with many young speedsters emerging for the Pakistan Super League, as they played an important role in the team’s progress to the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Speaking in an interview with Cricket Pakistan, Umar Gul feels that the Pakistan pacers who played the New Zealand series should be retained for the ODI World Cup and said that as the World Cup is scheduled to be played in India, spinners may play a key role for the team, with the likes of Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan making it into the squad.
“If you talk about our bowling, the pace attack that we had during the New Zealand series should be retained and these are our best bowlers for the World Cup. They are Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Ihsanullah, and Mohammad Wasim Jr,” Umar Gul said.
“If you talk about the spin attack, knowing that the mega-event is being played in India, then you require help from your spinners, you have top all-rounders, like Mohammad Nawaz, and Shadab Khan, and I think we have an excellent and balanced bowling side”.
Shaheen Afridi has been among the best fast bowlers in the world since his debut for the national team and Haris Rauf is arguably the fastest bowler in world cricket currently alongside Mark Wood and youngster Naseem Shah has proved his worth against some of the biggest names in the business in international and franchise cricket.
Ihsanullah Has Emerged From The Domestic Side And Transitioned Into T20 Cricket – Umar Gul
Umar Gul feels that it is still early days for the Pakistan young pacer Ihsanullah in International Cricket, though he has played enough amount of domestic cricket in Pakistan and reckons that it would be interesting to see how he transfers his form from T20 cricket into ODI Cricket
“It’s still early for him. He [Ihsanullah] has emerged from the domestic side and transitioned into T20 cricket, where he showcased his skills. Although he has prior experience in domestic cricket, including one-day and four-day games, playing a different format like ODI requires a different approach,” Umar Gul said.
In March 2023, at the end of the PSL, Ihsanullah won both the HBL PSL 8 Player of the Tournament award as well the Bowler of HBL PSL 8 award, for his 22 wickets at an economy rate of 7.59. His spell against Quetta Gladiators is also considered the fastest in PSL’s history, with an average speed of 144.37 kph.
“While he has demonstrated his prowess in T20s with his rapid pace and aggressive bowling, we need to observe his performance in the upcoming ODI series and the World Cup to gauge how well he can adapt and prepare for the challenges ahead,” he said.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are likely to meet in August for three ODI matches at a neutral venue. Pakistan is also likely to host the 2023 Asia Cup (ODI) after 15 years in September this year.