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Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan v Nepal | Match 1 | 30 August | Multan | Pre-match Discussion

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MenInG

MenInG

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So Nepal may be a relatively new/weak side, but will Pakistan use this game to try out their b side? Or simply go with the side that beat Afghanistan in the last game OR go with the big guns?
 
My lineup
imam
fakhar
babar
rizwan
saud shakeel
agha salman
shadab
nawaz
shaheen
haris rauf
nasim shah

Saud is good against spin bowling he will be needed on slow wickets of SL
 
Fakhar should use this game to gain his confidence back, He's a confidence player, so scoring a 100 against a weak side will give him confidence

Otherwise play Abdullah and saud. It's a shame that tayyab is now just a reserve despite not getting a game. He should have played
 
Pakistan should now play the team that is going to play against India on Saturday...

Saud Shakeel is a must on these Sri Lankan pitches especially knowing that India might play 3 spinners, also is way better than Iftikhar Ahmed in strike rotation, fielding e.t.c

In my opinion he should come ahead at 4, and Rizwan at 5. This will also balance the left right combination in the middle with Nawaz also available for a promotion according to match situation.


My lineup for Nepal & India

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Imam Ul Haq
3. Babar Azam (C)
4. Saud Shakeel
5. Mohammed Rizwan (Wk)
6. Agha Salman
7. Shadab Khan
8. Mohammed Nawaz
9. Naseem Shah
10. Shaheen Afridi
11. Haris Rauf
 
Please do not use this match for stat padding. Give Saud a proper bat and Haris a game.
 
If we can't manage to score 500 runs against Nepal, the cricket ball might just file a complaint for neglect!
 
Mercurial said:
If we can't manage to score 500 runs against Nepal, the cricket ball might just file a complaint for neglect!
Click to expand...
Pak is never gonna ever reach 400 😂😂. We are perpetually a 280 to 300 team against big players and a 350 side against the minnows.
 
hitthestump said:
Saud should be in line a run of games as a first choice. Looks like the general feeling is that Chacha is washed now.
Click to expand...
Chacha was always washed. People hate imam and call imam egotistical but imam has always been proven right.

Imam silenced his early critics but scoring 1000 runs at such a fast pace and being super consistent. And imam was right to be angry on twitter, since they pak management kept lying to public that imam was injured even though he was 100% fit just to replace him shan masood of all people.

Similarly imam was right about chacha and haris. While I like haris and think he should be a backup keeper, lad is raw, he's got the potential to be future atg no 7 great of Pakistan but close to wc its a risky move to take him, wouldn't be suprised if he doesn't get a single game this wc and Asia.

As for Chacha, choosing a 40+ year old, who's a misbah Clone, can't play spin and managed to play 2 good games against NZ but otherwise is bang Average is not the answer.

Pak management should have never experimented with these 2, Theirs just no time with the wc so close around the corner. But fans will keep hating imad and will pretend he's umar akmal Crybaby on social media.
 
Arsalan Pro said:
Pakistan should now play the team that is going to play against India on Saturday...

Saud Shakeel is a must on these Sri Lankan pitches especially knowing that India might play 3 spinners, also is way better than Iftikhar Ahmed in strike rotation, fielding e.t.c

In my opinion he should come ahead at 4, and Rizwan at 5. This will also balance the left right combination in the middle with Nawaz also available for a promotion according to match situation.


My lineup for Nepal & India

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Imam Ul Haq
3. Babar Azam (C)
4. Saud Shakeel
5. Mohammed Rizwan (Wk)
6. Agha Salman
7. Shadab Khan
8. Mohammed Nawaz
9. Naseem Shah
10. Shaheen Afridi
11. Haris Rauf
Click to expand...
This should be the lineup for India. I think Abdullah shafique and haris should be given a go against Nepal with agha and rizwan being rested, cause let's be honest 5 bowlers are enough against Nepal, we don't need a 6th option against them in the form of agha.

But i dont think management has the Guts to do that, they don't even have the Guts to play saud ahead of rizwan.

Reason I think they should be tested cause Abdullah regained his red hot form in test series and the lad has an excellent technique, just lacks the temperament that Imam has. So trying Abdullah out might prove to be a good move alongside Haris for rizwan.
 
Rizwan
Saud
Agha
Then Shadab and Nawaz

Isn't that a too much one dimensional batting line up ?
Someone like Haris or Iftikhar may be needed to get to 340 on some of the Indian grounds.
 
SamNJ said:
Rizwan
Saud
Agha
Then Shadab and Nawaz

Isn't that a too much one dimensional batting line up ?
Someone like Haris or Iftikhar may be needed to get to 340 on some of the Indian grounds.
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That's why I was advocating for haris and imad to occupy no 6 and no 7. But inzi Hates imad.

Also no saud isn't one dimensional, he batted faster then Babar, Imam, Abdullah in the test series for his 200. He also has a superior strike rate to Imam in general and against spin he will find you boundaries very easily and will strike at 100+.

Him not being able to hit a 6, doesn't mean he's slow and can't play according to the situation.

Problem is rizwan who get stuck on the front foot, Babar who slows down for his milestones and Imam who can't increase the tempo even if his life depended on it.
 
boomboomcheema said:
I think Lamichane hasn't come to Pakistan due to some court issue.
Click to expand...

The rape trial of Nepal's cricket star Sandeep Lamichhane was postponed Sunday, allowing him to join teammates in Pakistan for the upcoming Asia Cup, his lawyer said. Spin bowler Lamichhane, 23, once the poster boy for the rise of cricket in Nepal, is accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in a Kathmandu hotel room in August last year. Lamichhane denies all charges. The latest hearing on Sunday was deferred until September 7, Lamichhane's lawyer Saroj Ghimire said. "Sandeep will now fly to Pakistan to play," Ghimire told AFP.

Last year, Lamichhane was suspended as national captain and arrested, but was freed on bail in January and Nepal then lifted his ban on playing.

Under his bail conditions, Lamichhane has been able to travel abroad, including to Zimbabwe for the World Cup qualifiers.

The six-nation ODI Asia Cup opens Wednesday in Multan, Pakistan, where the hosts will clash with debutants Nepal.

Pakistan will co-host the 50-over tournament with Sri Lanka, where nine of the 13 matches -- including the final in Colombo on September 17 -- will be played.

Nepal failed to make the cut for the 50-over showpiece event in India in October.

NDTV
 
I think it matters less whether Pakistan plays B team or not against Nepal but more that Pakistan get accustomed to the conditions in Pallekele.

Which is interesting since Pakistan have just traveled to Multan and then they'll be traveling back to Sri Lanka to play against India. But for Indian team, they will stay in Pallekele for their games against Nepal and Pakistan. So for Indian team they way feel more adept with the conditions there.
 
RidiculousMan said:
I think it matters less whether Pakistan plays B team or not against Nepal but more that Pakistan get accustomed to the conditions in Pallekele.

Which is interesting since Pakistan have just traveled to Multan and then they'll be traveling back to Sri Lanka to play against India. But for Indian team, they will stay in Pallekele for their games against Nepal and Pakistan. So for Indian team they way feel more adept with the conditions there.
Click to expand...
Bro is it gonna rain in india pak match i really hope rain doesn't spoil the fun.
 
MenInG said:
The rape trial of Nepal's cricket star Sandeep Lamichhane was postponed Sunday, allowing him to join teammates in Pakistan for the upcoming Asia Cup, his lawyer said. Spin bowler Lamichhane, 23, once the poster boy for the rise of cricket in Nepal, is accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in a Kathmandu hotel room in August last year. Lamichhane denies all charges. The latest hearing on Sunday was deferred until September 7, Lamichhane's lawyer Saroj Ghimire said. "Sandeep will now fly to Pakistan to play," Ghimire told AFP.

Last year, Lamichhane was suspended as national captain and arrested, but was freed on bail in January and Nepal then lifted his ban on playing.

Under his bail conditions, Lamichhane has been able to travel abroad, including to Zimbabwe for the World Cup qualifiers.

The six-nation ODI Asia Cup opens Wednesday in Multan, Pakistan, where the hosts will clash with debutants Nepal.

Pakistan will co-host the 50-over tournament with Sri Lanka, where nine of the 13 matches -- including the final in Colombo on September 17 -- will be played.

Nepal failed to make the cut for the 50-over showpiece event in India in October.

NDTV
Click to expand...
Why is a player allowed to play or be in the squad if he is facing rape accusations? 💀.
 
Cricket Warrior said:
I believe he is currently not included in the squad.
Click to expand...
Isn't he playing against Pakistan and then will go and face the trail?

I hope thats not true, if this went to court then their has to be some evidence.

Anyway I'm gonna drop this topic, don't wanna get into controversial rape topics on a forumn that's meant to be about cricket only.
 
Hope the conditions are good for pace bowling. It will be a good test for Nepal against the Pakistani pace trio.
 
Typically the pitch in Multan favors batting so we shouldn't take the Nepal side lightly.
 
Arsalan Pro said:
Pakistan should now play the team that is going to play against India on Saturday...

Saud Shakeel is a must on these Sri Lankan pitches especially knowing that India might play 3 spinners, also is way better than Iftikhar Ahmed in strike rotation, fielding e.t.c

In my opinion he should come ahead at 4, and Rizwan at 5. This will also balance the left right combination in the middle with Nawaz also available for a promotion according to match situation.


My lineup for Nepal & India

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Imam Ul Haq
3. Babar Azam (C)
4. Saud Shakeel
5. Mohammed Rizwan (Wk)
6. Agha Salman
7. Shadab Khan
8. Mohammed Nawaz
9. Naseem Shah
10. Shaheen Afridi
11. Haris Rauf
Click to expand...

This is probably the lineup they'll go with. The only difference is that Rizwan will be playing at 4, which is a shame. He's not a better player than Shakeel, but "seniority". Mickey should lay down the law here. If it were up to me, I'd play Agha at 5 and Haris at 6, but alas that will never happen.
 
Third Man said:
This is probably the lineup they'll go with. The only difference is that Rizwan will be playing at 4, which is a shame. He's not a better player than Shakeel, but "seniority". Mickey should lay down the law here. If it were up to me, I'd play Agha at 5 and Haris at 6, but alas that will never happen.
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I've been dissapointed my mickey in general this time around. Mickey is the one who cultivated the fakhar, Imam and Babar trio, and was the one who removed umar and ahmed shezad for good.

So I'm astonished that he's hesitant at trying new things and stick to the winning 11 mentality that pakistan usually has. We won the champions trophy only because of NOT adopting the same 11. Ahmed shezad in the final against India would have been a disaster 😂.
 
controversial_man said:
Fakhar should get down to business and hoping he will score 250 runs in the innings . Here I am praying for it.
Click to expand...
Fakhar is the ultimate confidence player, he performs against Nepal and gains confidence then he'll perform against other teams. Fakhar is an emotional one 😂.
 
I know he looked fine before the run-out against, Saud Shakeel is not the answer to this middle order despite the fact I am contradicting myself.

Saud Shakeel is very similar style to Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq. They are all anchor type players. I would stick despite the lack of form with Iftikhar Ahmed. Potentially give a go to Tayyab Tahir out of reserve. I would also like to see Usama Mir given more of a go. I know many fans don't really care about the Asia Cup, but I would like to see Pakistan try to continue give opportunity to some of the squad players, just not against India.

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Imam-ul-Haq
3. Babar Azam (C)
4. Mohammad Rizwan (WK)
5. Agha Salman
6. Iftikhar Ahmed
7. Shadab Khan
8. Usama Mir
9. Shaheen Shah Afridi
10. Naseem Shah
11. Haris Rauf.
 
TeymurBlake said:
I know he looked fine before the run-out against, Saud Shakeel is not the answer to this middle order despite the fact I am contradicting myself.

Saud Shakeel is very similar style to Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq. They are all anchor type players. I would stick despite the lack of form with Iftikhar Ahmed. Potentially give a go to Tayyab Tahir out of reserve. I would also like to see Usama Mir given more of a go. I know many fans don't really care about the Asia Cup, but I would like to see Pakistan try to continue give opportunity to some of the squad players, just not against India.

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Imam-ul-Haq
3. Babar Azam (C)
4. Mohammad Rizwan (WK)
5. Agha Salman
6. Iftikhar Ahmed
7. Shadab Khan
8. Usama Mir
9. Shaheen Shah Afridi
10. Naseem Shah
11. Haris Rauf.
Click to expand...
Iftikhar Ahmed isn't doing anything. It's these anchors that have chased pakistan to successfully chase 300+ totals whereas the iconic misbah era had 300 be a pipe dream.

Iftikhar's strategy is to block every delivery and wait for a bowler to overpitch, cut it short and wide or bowl a full toss so he can hit It. The guy is clueless against reverse swing, or wrist spin.

Also babar, Saud, rizwan are not anchors, despite believing them to be. They play like any modern era batsmen aka taking singles, finding gaps, capitalising on loose balls and increasing their strike rate when needed. Only imam is an achor.

Saud's only issue is lack of hitting sixes but he's capable of hitting boundaries and playing lofted strokes and clearing the infield very easily.

Batsmen making 50's to 100's at 80 to 100 strike rates will win you the game, not chacha taking 25 balls to make 10 runs, then hitting like 3 to 4 boundaries in quick succession and then getting out at 25 of 27 which is what his numbers usually look like.
 
Iftikhar Ahmed seems to be struggling to perform in ODIs, so I believe we should only play him in T20s.
 
Abdullah Shafique,
Fakhar Zaman
Babar Azam
Saud Shakeel
Mohammad Haris
Tayyab Tahir,
Faheem Ashraf
Mohammad Nawaz
Usama Mir
Mohammad Wasim
Hairs Rauf
 
Cricket Warrior said:
I think fakhar should be dropped.
Click to expand...
Problem with Fakhar is that he waits for fast bowlers to pitch the ball of his legside so he can smash it, he's defo ampung the best leg side players in the world, but fakhar seems to not have any shots for onside, just 2, one straight drive jab for a boundary if the ball if overpitched or one cut shot if the ball is short and wide.

He seems clueless if the ball is bowled close to his body and 90% of the time an I swing delivery will bowl him out or he'll knick it to the slip or just get lbw altogether.

Even against spin he waits for bowlers to pitch it to his legs, he's clueless if the ball offspins directly into him or legspins away from him if the bowl is pitched close to his body.

Management needs to iron out these issues, since NZ 2nd string bowlers kept making that mistake and so will Nepal, 1st class bowling sides won't ever make that mistake. Fakhar will be a bunny to boult, Henry, Bumrah, Mujeeb etc.
 
mominsaigol said:
Problem with Fakhar is that he waits for fast bowlers to pitch the ball of his legside so he can smash it, he's defo ampung the best leg side players in the world, but fakhar seems to not have any shots for onside, just 2, one straight drive jab for a boundary if the ball if overpitched or one cut shot if the ball is short and wide.

He seems clueless if the ball is bowled close to his body and 90% of the time an I swing delivery will bowl him out or he'll knick it to the slip or just get lbw altogether.

Even against spin he waits for bowlers to pitch it to his legs, he's clueless if the ball offspins directly into him or legspins away from him if the bowl is pitched close to his body.

Management needs to iron out these issues, since NZ 2nd string bowlers kept making that mistake and so will Nepal, 1st class bowling sides won't ever make that mistake. Fakhar will be a bunny to boult, Henry, Bumrah, Mujeeb etc.
Click to expand...
A fair point to a certain extent , but you don’t become the 2nd quickest to 3000 runs in ODI history and have 3 180 plus scores if you have not scored against all types of bowlers .

He has limitations but he usually finds a way.
 
GreenKhan said:
Just for the record he has 3 hundreds this year , and despite a lean series against Afghanistan he still averages 58 in 2023 and is ranked in the top 5 in the ICC rankings .
Click to expand...
Fakhar needs to play and he's a must. But management needs to work on his weakness against inswing, bowlers aren't always gonna keep bowling to his leg side nor are they always going to overpitch and bowl it short and wide.

The one thing I love about fakhar however is that anytime you bowl legside or cut it short and wide or overpitch, it's always going to the fence.

Unlike imam or babar or rizwan who may waste that opportunity, fakhar will always capitalise. But he's a complete bunny to inswing or any ball that's put onto his 3rd offstump, that includes spin as well. Bowl wicket to wicket around 3rd offstump, and fakhar will either get out or just dead bat everything. He needs to learn to play on the front foot for inswing and play on the backfoot for 3rd offstump spin in the same way imam or saud or any quality player of spin does.

But his stance doesn't allow for that, his stance is basically a baseball stance lol.
 
GreenKhan said:
A fair point to a certain extent , but you don’t become the 2nd quickest to 3000 runs in ODI history and have 3 180 plus scores if you have not scored against all types of bowlers .

He has limitations but he usually finds a way.
Click to expand...
That's because fakhar does not throw his wicket away, because he dead bats these types of deliveries, something he was also doing in the NZ series. Also the fastest to 3000 runs is inflated due to Zimbabwe series, and as I said he always captilises if the ball is bowled to his leg side or overpitched or bowled short and wide.

And Zimbabwe consistently during those games did that to him. The South Africa 190+ was insane though, probably the only game where his technical weakness didn't show so ik he has the ability to play inswing and wicket to wicket offspin but for some reason he doesn't do it consistently.
 
GreenKhan said:
A fair point to a certain extent , but you don’t become the 2nd quickest to 3000 runs in ODI history and have 3 180 plus scores if you have not scored against all types of bowlers .

He has limitations but he usually finds a way.
Click to expand...
I want fakhar to play BTW. Dropping him is the biggest mistake pakistan will ever do. Never drop fakhar.
 
We shouldn't solely rely on a player's previous record for selection. If Fakhar's form isn't good there's no harm in having Abdullah Shafiq open with Imam.
 
Cricket Warrior said:
We shouldn't solely rely on a player's previous record for selection. If Fakhar's form isn't good there's no harm in having Abdullah Shafiq open with Imam.
Click to expand...
I agree with you, however its better to actually critically analyse as well. Fakhar's weakness is inswing onto 3rd offstump line or offspin/legspin towards or away from offstump line.

Anything on the legside he will smack away. And bowlers will make mistakes like they do on every game.

Management should focus on fakhar improving, such as helping fakhar to maybe develop the same shot babar uses which is angle it away in the backfoot to the back fielder for a run when inswing or 3rd offstump line is in play, and try to have him nudge the offspin line from the backfoot in a similar way to saud or Imam. The rest however any other ball faced fakhar will play, since he's an expert at anything legside, overpitched, short and wide and at pulling the ball.

I've been watching fakhar for a long time and 95% of his dismissals are always to balls bowled on the 3rd offstump length.
 
mominsaigol said:
I agree with you, however its better to actually critically analyse as well. Fakhar's weakness is inswing onto 3rd offstump line or offspin/legspin towards or away from offstump line.

Anything on the legside he will smack away. And bowlers will make mistakes like they do on every game.

Management should focus on fakhar improving, such as helping fakhar to maybe develop the same shot babar uses which is angle it away in the backfoot to the back fielder for a run when inswing or 3rd offstump line is in play, and try to have him nudge the offspin line from the backfoot in a similar way to saud or Imam. The rest however any other ball faced fakhar will play, since he's an expert at anything legside, overpitched, short and wide and at pulling the ball.

I've been watching fakhar for a long time and 95% of his dismissals are always to balls bowled on the 3rd offstump length.
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If Fakhar gets a delivery slightly around the 3rd or 4th stump and gets a hint of outward movement he would definitely be out on that kind of ball. He is quite vulnerable to outswingers.
 
What concerns me the most about his role as an opener is his tendency to play wild slog shots during powerplays which often leads to his dismissals.
 
Cricket Warrior said:
If Fakhar gets a delivery slightly around the 3rd or 4th stump and gets a hint of outward movement he would definitely be out on that kind of ball. He is quite vulnerable to outswingers.
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That's what I'm saying, any delivery that comes inside 3rd stump or swings away from it, fakhar is a goner. But he's strong in everything else.

Management should just work on it. Teaching him how to nudge it off the backfoot down like babar and Imam and Saud and abdullah are capable of doing and consistently do so will iron everything out.

Fakhar's impact is greater than anyone in pur team as well as internationally and that includes players such as kholi. But his weakness and inconsistency frustrates pakistan
 
I was surprised to read that spin averages 42 in Pakistan since the last World Cup. On the other hand, pace averages 34.

Could make an argument for playing four seamers - however very hot weather is forecasted in Multan.
 
Markhor said:
I was surprised to read that spin averages 42 in Pakistan since the last World Cup. On the other hand, pace averages 34.

Could make an argument for playing four seamers - however very hot weather is forecasted in Multan.
Click to expand...
Bro i am in multan right now it is scorching hot here i dont know how they will play around 230 thats like playing in fire.
 
mominsaigol said:
That's because fakhar does not throw his wicket away, because he dead bats these types of deliveries, something he was also doing in the NZ series. Also the fastest to 3000 runs is inflated due to Zimbabwe series, and as I said he always captilises if the ball is bowled to his leg side or overpitched or bowled short and wide.

And Zimbabwe consistently during those games did that to him. The South Africa 190+ was insane though, probably the only game where his technical weakness didn't show so ik he has the ability to play inswing and wicket to wicket offspin but for some reason he doesn't do it consistently.
Click to expand...
Fakhar Zaman averages 45+ against In India
New Zealand averages 50+
South Africa 50+
 
Mercurial said:
If we can't manage to score 500 runs against Nepal, the cricket ball might just file a complaint for neglect!
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Nepal is not as bad as people think.Associate teams are improving fast.Recently UAE beat NZ in a T20.
 
apnapind said:
Bro i am in multan right now it is scorching hot here i dont know how they will play around 230 thats like playing in fire.
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Barbaric to host an ODI in such weather. Only T20s should be hosted in PAK in late Aug and Sep.
 
shamaan said:
Fakhar Zaman averages 45+ against In India
New Zealand averages 50+
South Africa 50+
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Yes but those averages are inflated due to those 180, 192 scores.

Fakhar is an impact player and I want him on the team, but he's the type of guy to score a massive 170+ and then fail in the next 3 to 4 games.

The massive 100's inflate his average.
 
Imam
Fakhar
Babar
Rizwan
Saud
Agha
Shadab
Nawaz
Shaheen
Naseem
Haris

This is defo the line up for Wednesday and Saturday baring any injuries. Good solid line up. Hopefully Nawaz and Fakhar find their mojo.

But i have this gut feeling that this will be fakhars tournament. Big runs on the way.
 
Hot humid is it in Multan? Is the weather completely unplayable to play in?

As a pakistani who lives In Australia, the last time I encountered a 38 degrees weather was never 😂😂. But 38 degrees sounds almost impossible to play cricket in.

Sar jaein gei ham aur Nepal ko sath lei kar jaein gei.
 
I am sure Pak will play their three main fast bowlers in this match as well.. but do we really need them here? We need them fresh for India game but I am sure this is asking for too much to rest them, knowing babar.. he will play full strength team against Nepal also..
 
The much-anticipated Men’s ODI Asia Cup 2023 is finally here and it begins tomorrow with Pakistan, the top-ranked One-Day International side, taking on Nepal in the Group-A clash at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The contest marks many firsts as Nepal, as a team, and Multan, as a venue, make their debuts in the continental tournament. It is also a maiden contest between Pakistan and Nepal at the top level.

The atmosphere in the picturesque Multan Cricket Stadium promises to be electrifying for the Wednesday clash. Both teams will receive tremendous support from the cricket-loving Multan fans. The fans will be treated with an absorbing opening ceremony before the match, which begins at 1430 PKT time.

Pakistan’s last outing in Multan in the format was in June last year and the home side enjoyed resounding success over the West Indies by thrashing them 3-0 in the three-match series. The team has played 10 ODIs here and won seven.

“It is always a great feeling to play in front of the passionate Multan crowd and we all are very excited that the Asia Cup is beginning from this city,” Pakistan captain Babar Azam said on the eve of the contest. “I want to congratulate Nepal for qualifying for the Asia Cup and I hope that their participation will give a boost to the development of the sport in the country. We are looking forward to playing Nepal and I am sure it will be a good contest.”

Pakistan enter the Asia Cup with momentum on their side. They topped the ICC rankings for ODI teams on Saturday after securing a 3-0 whitewash over Afghanistan in Sri Lanka. This is the second instance of the team surmounting the chart since April. Pakistan also boast the best win/loss ratio of 2.750 with 22 wins in 31 matches since in this World Cup cycle.

The team has enjoyed success across formats at home and away recently. In April-May, they levelled the T20 International series 2-2 and won the five-match ODI series 4-1 against New Zealand, whitewashed Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in the two-Test series in July and defeated Afghanistan 3-0 in ODIs in Sri Lanka this month.

Reflecting on whether there is an added pressure for being the top-ranked side, Babar said, “I would not say that there is a pressure. Rather, we enter this tournament with more confidence. This team has put in a lot of hard work and effort over the last few years and we achieving the top spot is a testimony of it. The job, however, is not done as we want to win the Asia Cup and the World Cup. We have some competitive and exciting next few months lined up and we are eager to do well for our country.”

“Every player in this side wants to win matches for his country and raises their hand. They are always ready to put in the hard yards and never shy away from tough and difficult situations. We have had some amazing last few months and now it is time to build on the momentum.”

Pakistan will fly to Sri Lanka on 31 August to play India in the second Group-A match on 2 September at Kandy. The venue will also host the third and final match of the group between India and Nepal on 4 September.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi and Usama Mir. Traveling reserve: Tayyab Tahir
 
Pakistan must bat first and let their bowlers bowl under the lights when the weather is lot more pleasant.
 
mominsaigol said:
Yes but those averages are inflated due to those 180, 192 scores.

Fakhar is an impact player and I want him on the team, but he's the type of guy to score a massive 170+ and then fail in the next 3 to 4 games.

The massive 100's inflate his average.
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He has passed 50, 25 times in 73 innings with 10 100s. He averages 47 because he is consistent gun ODI opener.
 
Farah Sohail said:
I am sure Pak will play their three main fast bowlers in this match as well.. but do we really need them here? We need them fresh for India game but I am sure this is asking for too much to rest them, knowing babar.. he will play full strength team against Nepal also..
Click to expand...
Of course - for Babar no time like the present to boost everyone’s averages even if it’s futile to the team cause.

I’ll wait for someone to start a thread of the latest infographic about our stats
 
Pakistan will of course play their strongest XI in every Asia Cup and World Cup fixture no matter the opposition. These tournaments, especially the Asia Cup, have very few fixtures to qualify for the next round. You cannot afford a single slipup, especially when the other team in your group is India.
 
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Ifti will perform this tournament and World Cup. Good team selected for tomos, good we have Nawaz to bolster our batting too. Just one thing, v india if Nawaz plays, shouldn’t bowl in the last 5 overs.
 
What is the role of iftikhar? He came after usama mir in afghanistan match. Pak is wasting a spot by including iftikhar. Saud is an absolute necessity now. Ifti chachu is not a pinch hitter nor a proper batsmen rather a china copy of misbah
 
i suppose that is the best team they could put out but i still would have a batter in there too much bowling in that team. Also you cant take nepal lightly because there are only two matches in group match if we lose tomorrow Pak will be out as they will have to beat India which i dont see happening
 
Babar has failed to form proper middle order he's been captain for a while now 👎
 
im currently in kandy and its raining heavily. It was proper sunshine till yesterday and now continuous rain. I think we l be witnessing many washouts in pallekelle including the saturdays big one
 
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