23 years ago, Pakistan stunned the entire world when they defeated England in the finals of the 1992 World Cup at Melbourne and were crowned as Champions. Since then, Pakistan are yet to taste success for the second time in World Cups even though they had won the 2009 World T20. This time around, Pakistan come into the World Cup with a depleted squad as many of their premier players ruled out of the tournament due to injuries. Their only motto coming into the tournament is defeating India in their first match at Adelaide on 15 February and put an end to their five match losing streaks in World Cup. Here is an analysis of the Pakistani team ahead of the World Cup:
Can Pakistan repeat their 1992 heroics?
Pakistan’s World Cup History:
|
Year |
Position |
|
1975 |
First Round |
|
1979 |
First Round |
|
1983 |
First Round |
|
1987 |
First Round |
|
1992 |
Winners |
|
1996 |
Quarter Finals |
|
1999 |
Runners up |
|
2003 |
First Round |
|
2007 |
First Round |
|
2011 |
Semi Finals |
Pakistan will miss the services of Junaid Khan (centre), Saeed Ajmal (left) and Mohammad Hafeez (not in picture)
Pakistan Squad for the ICC World Cup 2015:
Captain: Misbah ul Haq
Coach: Waqar Younis
Batsmen:
- Nasir Jamshed
- Ahmed Shehzad
- Younis Khan
- Misbah ul Haq
- Umar Akmal
- Sohaib Maqsood
- Haris Sohail
Bowlers:
- Mohammad Irfan
- Wahab Riaz
- Eshan Adil
- Yasir Shah
- Sohail Khan
- Rahat Ali
All-Rounders:
- Shahid Afridi
Wicket Keepers:
- Sarfraz Ahmed
Strengths:
- Experienced middle order with the likes of Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal.
- Mohammad Irfan’s consistency with the ball.
Threats:
- Absence of some impact players like Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan.
- Unpredictable nature.
- Over dependent on Shahid Afridi to deliver with the bat and ball.
- Pakistan might miss the services of an effective spinner to partner Shahid Afridi.
- Most of the players are new to the conditions in Australia and New Zealand.
- Poor fielding side with aged players in their ranks.
Impact Players:
Ahmed Shehzad
A huge burden will be on the shoulders of Ahmed Shahzad.
Opener Ahmed Shehzad, who has often drawn some comparisons with India’s Virat Kohli courtesy the similar look will be itching to match his Indian counterpart in scoring runs too. Shehzad holds key at the top of the order as Pakistan’s chances depend on how he bats. If he manages to get off the blocks early and put Pakistan in command, batsmen following him can play their natural game. Pakistan will be in deep trouble if Shehzad gets out early in the innings. Injury to his opening partner Mohammad Hafeez will put some extra burden on Shehzad’s shoulder. Still, Shehzad’s opening partner is yet to be decided as Nasir Jamshed and Sarfraz Ahmed are set for the face-off with the latter being the favourite to open with Shehzad.
Shahid Afridi
Boom Boom will make his last ODI tournament count
Depending on Shahid Afridi is the last thing that one can do knowing his tendency of being irresponsible at times. Afridi knows only one way to bat, as he likes to go after the bowlers right away without any half measures. The experienced campaigner holds key in Pakistani line-up as he can win matches with both bat and ball. He is one of the complete all-rounders as he can turn the game in a matter of overs and win matches for his side with his leg-spin. He has scored nearly 8000 runs with the bat and has picked up 393 runs with the ball in the 390 ODIs he played. Even though the conditions will not offer him much, he will use his experience and will adjust accordingly. No ground is bigger when Afridi is on song and will fancy himself in the smaller ground of New Zealand. The World Cup, being his last International tournament, he also promised to break the record of fastest ODI hundred, which he held for nearly 18 years.
Mohammad Irfan
Mohammad Irfan hold the key in bwling.
With Umar Gul missing out of the World Cup due to injury, Saeed Ajmal banned from bowling because of illegal bowling action and Junaid Khan failing to recover from the injury he sustained has created a huge void in Pakistani bowling line-up as the three mentioned names are proven match winners. In their absence, pacer Mohammad Irfan has to carry his side on his broad shoulders. Over 7 feet tall, Irfan has been a consistent performer for Pakistan in the last couple of years and has the tendency to strike early with the new ball. Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq will depend on Irfan to deliver goods for him. With conditions favouring him, he will use height to maximum effect and will put the opposition under trouble.
Possible Playing XI: Ahmed Shehzad, Sarfraz Ahmed, Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Mohammad Irfan and Yasir Shah.
Can the depleted Pakistani side make history in the 2015 World Cup?
Pakistan’s Schedule in the ICC World Cup 2015:
|
Match No. |
Date |
Against |
Venue |
Time |
|
1 |
15-2-2015 |
India |
Adelaide |
0900 IST |
|
2 |
21-2-2015 |
West Indies |
Christchurch |
0330 IST |
|
3 |
1-3-2015 |
Zimbabwe |
Brisbane |
0850 IST |
|
4 |
4-3-2015 |
UAE |
Napier |
0630 IST |
|
5 |
7-3-2015 |
South Africa |
Auckland |
0630 IST |
|
6 |
14–3-2015 |
Ireland |
Adelaide |
0850 IST |
|
Quarter Finals begin from March 18 |
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Semi-Finals Takes place on March 24 and March 26 |
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Finals on March 29 in Melbourne |
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