“I think we have a very good chance of winning the 2023 World Cup": Mohammad Yousuf

[MenInG]

Mohammad Yousuf speaking to the media"

“In fast-bowling, we have Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr. Then we have new pacers like Ihsanullah and Zaman Khan, so Pakistan has a lot of options in white-ball cricket"

“Our combination in white-ball cricket is really good. Our three batters are among top-ten ranked ICC ODI batters. Imad Wasim has made a comeback. Then, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz are really good. We have three top-class all-rounders, who are also good fielders"

“I think we have a very good chance of winning the World Cup"

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan are a strong side in ODIs when it comes to bowling - only problem is with the batting, not convinced.

 

[SportsWarrior]

Pakistan will certainly reach Semis.. after that is is just two good days and they are as good as anyone on Indian pitches. That is why they should stop all shenanigans and travel to India. Indian team is old, tired and will struggle to do well and probably won't go beyond semis. If Pakistan is able to manage Australia, they have an extremely good chance.

 

[Suleiman]

Pakistan will certainly reach Semis.. after that is is just two good days and they are as good as anyone on Indian pitches. That is why they should stop all shenanigans and travel to India. Indian team is old, tired and will struggle to do well and probably won't go beyond semis. If Pakistan is able to manage Australia, they have an extremely good chance.

Agreed. 100%

India is still a threat as a team since home field advantage and all.

But they have to be joking if not traveling due to security or whatever. All that time and effort and money that went to building a solid ODI team that is a WC contender, and just wasting the opportunity…. How sad that would be.

Lift the cup in India, that should be the goal. Bigger middle finger than any shenanigan PCB can pull to BCCI.

 

[Firebat]

I wouldn't have Pakistan as favourites, but it's our best chance in a long while to get close to that trophy

 

[kingusama92]

In subcontinent conditions, I agree they always have a good chance.

The batting is a bit below-par though.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

Pakistan are a strong side in ODIs when it comes to bowling - only problem is with the batting, not convinced.

I think its the other way round.

Bowling is not that convincing, Shaheen is not at his best, Naseem is goo but has played few ODIS. and after those two, any other fast bowler tends to go for a lot of runs. Spin bowling is decent.

While the top order, is Pakistans best strength in ODI team, yes even if it isn't the Butler, Roy, Warner.
Iftikhar and Agha Salman is fine for a middle order

 

[Adi.k]

Well said, we have good pacers, openers and middle order. Yes being a number 1 team we have more chances to win world cup.

 

[Asad T]

This is certainly our best shot in a long time. WI are not playing, and South Africa and NZ look relatively weak compared to previous world cups. That leaves Aussie, England, India. So I think we have a decent chance to reach the semis.

We just have to get our XI in order. Specifically, our lower-order batting. At least we still have some time to tinker around and get it right.

The other thing to contend with is the crowd and the mental aspect. It will be the first time for many of our boys to play in India, and we will likely have hostile crowds. It is not easy for our players with 100,000 Indians taunting them . they will need to be mentally tough to succeed in this wc.

 

[Firebat]

This is certainly our best shot in a long time. WI are not playing, and South Africa and NZ look relatively weak compared to previous world cups. That leaves Aussie, England, India. So I think we have a decent chance to reach the semis.

We just have to get our XI in order. Specifically, our lower-order batting. At least we still have some time to tinker around and get it right.

The other thing to contend with is the crowd and the mental aspect. It will be the first time for many of our boys to play in India, and we will likely have hostile crowds. It is not easy for our players with 100,000 Indians taunting them . they will need to be mentally tough to succeed in this wc.

We certainly won't get as good a chance in a while I think. The #1 ranked side in familiar conditions, we have to go far.

 

[szrana]

We certainly won't get as good a chance in a while I think. The #1 ranked side in familiar conditions, we have to go far.

I am afraid, it will end up like the Champions trophy in 2006 or the WT20 in 2016, both of whom took place in India.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

This time we have a completely different set of players so on paper Pakistan is likely to be the favorite in the tournament for sure.

 

[vprasanna83]

Pakistan will certainly reach Semis.. after that is is just two good days and they are as good as anyone on Indian pitches. That is why they should stop all shenanigans and travel to India. Indian team is old, tired and will struggle to do well and probably won't go beyond semis. If Pakistan is able to manage Australia, they have an extremely good chance.

I think all this writing off that is happening of the Indian team might work in our favour . Even here in India , I see very little hype about this World Cup . Quite opposite to what’s happening in Pakistan .

India maybe struggling of late to get it right , but they are a super dangerous team ! In tournaments like WC , it’s all about peaking at the right time and surely India have the players to do that

 

[vprasanna83]

We certainly won't get as good a chance in a while I think. The #1 ranked side in familiar conditions, we have to go far.

The #1 ranking and India’s form notwithstanding, I still think India is a better side than Pakistan .

Think of Rohit , Gill , Kohli , Kishan , SKY , Pandya in Indian conditions. Each of those guys can win matches by themselves if they start firing

 

[Justcrazy]

Pakistan will make semis , they have done that with worse teams , but they lack the punch to gopast that and win the trophy.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

with this kind of performance its difficult to make for Semis.
we need to fix our batting combination which looks quite abrupt.