ICC World Cup 2023: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka | Match 8 | Hyderabad | 10 October | Pre-Match Discussion

[mominsaigol]

fellas, what stream do you guys use? is it showing on stan? i cant see that option. can anyone also suggest any quality streams. paid or unpaid dont matter.

You can use a site called crichd. It's free and has good quality streams.

Problems is the amount of ads on the site, but the stream itself is ad free.

 

[kron]

Ic pakistan winning lol, I just don't think the South Africa comparison is fair, since current sa have been smocking even Prime Australia and our performance against nedtherlands didn't exactly do wonders. Pakistan isn't thrashing Sri lanka like South Africa did lol.

They were losing 2 0 to aus when aus fielded full strength. They only beat their bench players in game 3 to 5.

 

[mominsaigol]

They were losing 2 0 to aus when aus fielded full strength. They only beat their bench players in game 3 to 5.

Fair

 

[DJhant]

I think Pakistan would thump SL

 

[kingusama92]

I think PAK has extra motivation for this game after the phainta they received in the Asia Cup.

This is one game where I do think they will turn up the heat from ball one.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Why Pakistan and Sri Lanka Not Practising at Uppal Stadium?
The Sri Lankan and Pakistani teams will be holding their training session at the Gymkhana Ground in Secunderabad. The decision was taken by the ICC and the BCCI because of the New Zealand and Netherlands match in the stadium today. Players won't have access to the stadium pitch due to the match and even the nets won't be available for the two teams. Hence, they have been allotted a different venue for training.

Mykhel

 

[adi_62941]

Sri Lanka is as unpredictable a team as Pakistan. Sometimes they can chase scores of 275 or more, and at other times, they get bowled out for just 50. On their good days, they can produce blockbuster performances, but on bad days, they can fail miserably.

Looking at the history of Pakistan vs Sri Lanka encounters in World Cups, it is evident that Pakistan will be going into this match with the upper hand and good confidence. It should be an easy win for Pakistan unless we collapse under pressure

 

[SamNJ]

Read somewhere that Salman Agha is likely to open tomorrow.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Read somewhere that Salman Agha is likely to open tomorrow.

My my my. If Salman is opening, then it is a move nobody would have expected. I really wanted to see Rizwan up there and Salman in the middle but that is another move that, if made, will be the latest news.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Good luck to both teams

 

[Swashbuckler]

Today's game is in Hyderabad. Tomorrow as well Sri Lanka and Pakistan, same venue.

 

[Rana]

What has Imam done to not be dropped?

 

[Extra_Cover]

I think Pakistan win this but with difficulty. I predict Pakistan bat first and score similar to what they scored vs Netherlands (280-290 all out). And in reply, SL get 260-270 all out.

No way. Bat first will be our big mistake. Bat 2nd and get the win. Just see how much easier it is to bat under lights in Hyderabad. Our spinners would fare so much better bowling first whilst Lankan spinners can be rendered toothless to an extent under lights. Bat 2nd is a no brainer in this game.

 

[Vikram1989]

No way. Bat first will be our big mistake. Bat 2nd and get the win. Just see how much easier it is to bat under lights in Hyderabad. Our spinners would fare so much better bowling first whilst Lankan spinners can be rendered toothless to an extent under lights. Bat 2nd is a no brainer in this game.

Sri Lanka may score 300 to 325 on that pitch batting first,they are playing quite aggressive cricket.Does Pak and Babar have guts to chase in wc match?I completely agree with Ur logic.But we know babar mode of operation.

 

[Extra_Cover]

Sri Lanka may score 300 to 325 on that pitch batting first,they are playing quite aggressive cricket.Does Pak and Babar have guts to chase in wc match?I completely agree with Ur logic.But we know babar mode of operation.

Babar can chase down 325 on Hyderabad wicket under lights. Answer to your question.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

A must win tomorrow. SL will be competing for that top 4 spot and we ain’t beating SA, Eng, Aus and India.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

Someone tell me, if Pakistan can get Kusal Mendis and Asalanka out for cheap runs, is that Game for Pakistan?

Because I hardly know anyone in this Sri Lanka team, and after Sri Lanka had won against Pakistan in Asia Cup by very thin margins, I thought Pakistan would win easily.

But after Sri Lankas aggressive batting vs South Africa...

 

[FearlessRoar]

Pakistan looks to make it two in two in Hyderabad.

Pakistan had a perfect start to their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign with a thumping 81-run win over the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium thanks to some outstanding performances.

Pakistan found themselves three down for 38 after being inserted, but a sparkling partnership worth 120 off 114 between Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel, the World Cup debutant, rebuilt the innings before all-rounders Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz put together a 64-run stand for the seventh wicket to lift their side to 286.

While Rizwan made 68 off 75, which was his seventh half-century of the year, it was Saud, playing only his seventh ODI, who got the limelight with a 52-ball 68, hitting nine fours and a maximum. The next best score in the innings came from Nawaz, who made 39 off 43, and Shadab scored 32 off 34.

There were initial hiccups in Pakistan’s defence as half-centurions Vikramjit Singh and Bas de Leede added 70 off 76 for the third wicket, before Haris Rauf’s two wickets in three balls thumped Pakistan’s authority in the contest. Hasan Ali, returning to ODI cricket after a gap of over 15 months, finished with two wickets, and Shaheen Afridi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Nawaz and Shadab picked up a wicket each.

Pakistan managed the net run rate of 1.620 for rolling out the opposition in 41 overs. De Leede, who made 67 off 68, threatened to take the proceedings further deep that could have lowered Pakistan’s net run rate but a Nawaz ripper undid the right-hander in the 34th over.

They play Sri Lanka tomorrow in what will be their final outing in Hyderabad in this tournament, and are eager to leave the city with two wins in two matches. Speaking to PCB Digital ahead of the contest, Nawaz, said, It is very important to start a big tournament on a positive note and that is what we were looking for.

We have played two practice matches here and our tournament opener in Hyderabad. It all, however, boils down to playing good cricket on the day and executing your skills perfectly. We are hopeful of carrying the momentum that we have gained by beating the Netherlands and finishing the Hyderabad leg with a win.

That Pakistan were able to set a defendable score after initial dismissals was because of some brilliant rearguard partnerships in the middle and lower-middle order. While reflecting on those partnerships and Saud’s incredible half-century, Nawaz said, “It was an outstanding partnership between Rizwan and Saud Shakeel considering the circumstances it came in. Saud played some brilliant counterattacking cricket after going in at 40 for three [38 for three] and it gave us a good stand.

Shadab and I were looking to take the innings deep and the plan was to keep building the partnership till the 45th, 46th over and then finish on an attacking note. Unfortunately, we could not provide that finishing but we were able to get a good total for the team.

After that 27th over by Haris, Pakistan had a tight grip on the match, but de Leede continued to provide resistance. He was finally undone, thanks to a scorcher from Nawaz that had everything that a left-arm orthodox can imagine.

It is a dream ball of any left-arm orthodox to bring the ball in with drift and then turn it away,Nawaz, who finished with figures of one for 31 from seven overs, said. Bas de Leede is a good all-rounder and he was looking good at that time. His wicket was crucial.

Nawaz also shares the notion that the bowlers will need to be disciplined here in India to get rewards in conditions which are largely tilted towards the batters, but he feels that the spinners will have a role to play as the tournament goes on.

Most of the venues in India are more batting conducive, but the pitches will offer more turn as the tournament will progress,he said. Boundaries are a bit smaller here which is why it is tough here for the bowlers, but we have tried to adjust according to the conditions. I have gotten confidence from bowling in the last match and I want to build on it so I can deliver my best according to the team’s requirements.

Though Pakistan enjoy an impeccable record against Sri Lanka in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup since 1975 defeating them on all seven occasions, the Islanders have recently outdone them. They lost a last-ball thriller in Colombo in the One-Day iteration of the Asia Cup last month and faced back-to-back defeats in the tournament’s T20 edition last year, with the last of the two matches being the final.

Nawaz, however, suggested that the past results would have no bearing when the two sides meet tomorrow. They have won important matches against us in the last one year in white-ball cricket, but that is in the past and it should not affect us. We will go in with ‘new game, new day’ and positive mindset on Tuesday.

 

[adi_62941]

Read somewhere that Salman Agha is likely to open tomorrow.

Very desperate move really. If you have 3 specialist openers and you selected them for Indian pitches then go with them. Why you want no 6 to open the innings for you is beyond my logic.

 

[Nado_]

Read somewhere that Salman Agha is likely to open tomorrow.

Where did you read this , Salman Agha doesn’t have technique to bat 8 let alone open

 

[Nil Dhumrojal]

SL may win it

 

[Swashbuckler]

Must win for Pakistan, after this encounter two back to back tough matches for PCT against India and Australia. Pakistan don't want to be 1-1 going to Ahmedabad.

I don't think Sri Lankans themselves are serious about SF prospects, they can just play freely.

 

[Nado_]

Must win for Pakistan, after this encounter two back to back tough matches for PCT against India and Australia. Pakistan don't want to be 1-1 going to Ahmedabad.

I don't think Sri Lankans themselves are serious about SF prospects, they can just play freely.

Shaheen and at least one of the openers has to fire . As ultimate pessimistic as it may sound I give us 0% chance to beat India. What sort of pitch are we looking at against SL? People are going nuts over their batting but it’s easy to play your shots like that when you’ve got nothing to lose almost, they were never really going to chase that total and South Africa switched off too. Mendis worries me but that’s it.

 

[pakfan54588]

SL have smash pak in recent limited over matches .it will be very close encounter

 

[Nado_]

SL have smash pak in recent limited over matches .it will be very close encounter

What? How is winning off the last ball considered a smash, and before that what a t20 game ?

 

[Omer2002]

sorry guys we have our ONE win which is what we expected from this squad I dont think we will be getting any more.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Should be an unchanged side. As you gain nothing by dropping players after playing 1 world cup match, that too against Netherlands.

Though I still believe Usama has a place in the XI and Pakistan will need to fit him in somehow going forward in the tournament. He is the answer for Pakistan middle overs spin bowling woes.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Read somewhere that Salman Agha is likely to open tomorrow.

I hope its just a rumor. Because panicking this early in the tournament will just tell us all that the team selection, world cup preparation and everything else there about was wrong.

 

[boomboomcheema]

Must win game for Pakistan. A Team aspiring for Semis Slot cannot afford to lose matches against sides like SL, Afg, BD and Netherlands.

If Pakistan lose, they will lose even against India and follow it up with another lose against Australia. WC campaign well over in a few days.

Must must must win match for Pakistan.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

fellas, what stream do you guys use? is it showing on stan? i cant see that option. can anyone also suggest any quality streams. paid or unpaid dont matter.

If in North America use ESPN plus otherwise use Now TV sky.

Or u can use Kayo sports in Australia.

 

[jnaveen1980]

If Srilanka had Hasaranga and THeekshana on this pitch they would have been more potent. All their spinners are second grade spinners.

 

[SamNJ]

If Srilanka had Hasaranga and THeekshana on this pitch they would have been more potent. All their spinners are second grade spinners.

Teekshna likely to play.
But he is bang average in ODIs.

 

[alishahid]

If common sense prevails, abdullah shafique should open with imam specifically for tomos match. Shafique was technically correct while facing the likes of theekshana wellalage and dananjaya. Fakhar opening will be a walking wicket since theekshana is playing tomo and will definitely open the bowling from the other end. Or by minimum be bought into the attack after 5 to 6 overs. Fakhar will block block and block and get out against theekshana

 

[Technics 1210]

So much over analysis, melodramatic emotions, and arm chair critique here.

Just enjoy the match! It's not like your life depends on it or you've bet the house on the result!

And yes, Pakistan to win! Side note if SL do break the trend and go on to win, then accept this as a sign Pakistan will break the trend and go on to beat India!

Win/Win from my point of view!

 

[Kriketer]

Good luck to both teams, will be a good contest and can't really label favorite here as both are well capable of rolling under pressure.

 

[TheSultan]

Fakhar should be given out with Injury, and reservist Haris called up.

Harry and Abdullah to open
Babar at 3
Saud at 4
Ifti 5
Rizwan 6

 

[TheSultan]

Fakhar should be given out with Injury, and reservist Haris called up.

Harry and Abdullah to open
Babar at 3
Saud at 4
Ifti 5
Rizwan 6

But obv that won’t be allowed as poor little Riz will feel threatened. Expect more of the same.

 

[mumtaz]

Bat first if you win the toss of course. Second consecutive match at the same ground. The pitch will be dry and slow. 270+ will be a winning total.

 

[TheSultan]

Read somewhere that Salman Agha is likely to open tomorrow.

So you’ve picked a reserve opener, one of the openers is out of form, and you replace him with a lower order bat

Only in Pakistan

You’re probably right, this is typical of our dumb thinking

 

[jnaveen1980]

Pitches are progressively giving assistance to spinners.

 

[SamNJ]

Where did you read this , Salman Agha doesn’t have technique to bat 8 let alone open

Not sure how credible is this but this picture appeared on my twitter TL

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7-tJBDW4AAtQQo?format=jpg&name=large

 

[alishahid]

Wicket is taking much spin. Santner spining it miles

 

[FearlessRoar]

Pakistan Coach Grant Bradburn pre-match press conference

9 October - Hyderabad

[Reporter:]

From your previous performance you've spoken about even in victories you'll look at aspects that didn't go well. And there were certain points in the game where Netherlands were ahead of Pakistan. So, what have you all assessed as the drawbacks of, I mean, currently things that are not working out for the team?

[Grant Bradburn:]

Oh, look, we're focusing on what's working, not so much what's not working. And as you know, as we spoke earlier, we're becoming confident as a group and as a coaching staff. We're very keen on critiquing our performance, especially when we win. Not only when we lose, which is obviously common, but we're really searching for our formula and what happens consistently, what are the trends when Pakistan wins games of cricket.

So those are the things that, the little battles if you like, that we identify, the process of winning rather than just looking at the game in its entirety.

We certainly break the game down into the key aspects. But we're well aware that the first phase of our batting is not clicking as yet, which we think is a good thing, in a way, because we have full trust in all of the guys who are capable at batting within the Powerplay. And they've done it before, over perhaps the last period between World Cups, the top three have scored the majority of our runs, which maybe is detrimental to other parts of our game.

So, look, we've got full faith in our top order. They will click at some stage. And we're open and honest to say that we're not getting what we would like out of the Powerplay as yet. But we're certainly very happy with other phases of our game which have kicked into gear and did enough the other night to get over the line and create a W, create two points for us coming out of that dressing room which was the ultimate goal.

[Reporter:]

What kind of a character is Hasan Ali in the dressing room?

[Grant Bradburn:]

Hasan is a ball of energy. He's a fantastic re-edition, if you like, to our team.

Look, everyone knows that Hasan came in on the back of Naseem Shah's injury. We miss Naseem dearly. Our heart is with him, and we know that his heart is with us as well. We've been keeping in touch with him over recent times, and he's a big loss for us. But to be able to add someone like Hassan Ali into the mix is such an asset to us. He's a great resource in all three departments of the game and I would say four departments because he's you know such a positive team man off the park as well.

He bats, he bowls, he fields and he's a live wire in the dressing room always full of positivity. So, you know we certainly are lucky to have someone like him to step in.

[Reporter:]

I was there at the Gymkhana ground for training. I saw quite a few players missing so first part of the question is - Was this an optional training session and is it like all the players are available because Shaheen, Imam, Rizwan, all of them were not there?

[Grant Bradburn:]

Yeah, look we trained at Gymkhana today which firstly was excellent, really good facilities there, very welcoming for us to train there, it was a great opportunity. And look, our trust, our full trust is with our players in terms of understanding exactly what they need, especially the day before a game, to top off their training, to top up their training rather, and just prepare themselves mentally and physically to put in what we want on the park, which is commanding performances.

We want our players to produce impact performances. It's not about them individually anymore. It's about us as a team. It's about us extracting another two points tomorrow. And that's our sole mission. We put full faith in the players to know exactly what they need to do to prepare. And some have chosen to prepare in other ways other than taking more energy out of their bodies today.

So, from a coaching point of view, I'm very, very happy with that.

[Reporter:]

Sir, though you have Sri Lanka to play tomorrow's match, but already there is a lot of buzz regarding India and Pakistan.

We have October 14th match. India has started the campaign very well. So is Pakistan. But are you feeling the buzz, I mean, feeling the pulse from now on?

[Grant Bradburn:]

Look, you know, I think as a whole group, we're really excited to be here. Everyone knows that Mohamed Nawaz was the only one that's played in India previously. So, it's been a wonderful two weeks for our players to get their feet on the ground. There's been lots of excitement. Early on, from our training point of view there was lots of energy and excitement to get the pads on, to get into the nets and to get into action on Indian soil. The facilities here are excellent so everyone's been wanting to train. But as a coaching group of course we've got to balance that because number one - we want our tanks full of energy for game day. And we're trying to wean our players off from comfort training and we want them really to have all aspects of their training to be done with purpose in relation to their clear individual roles and our clear game roles.

Number one, we're really excited to be here and every game for us on Indian soil, even the practice games, it's been wonderful to get out there and allow our boys to just get a sense of what it's like to play here.

It's fair to say we've really enjoyed the conditions so far. They've been subtly different on all of the pitches we've played. The training facilities have been wonderful. And look, our guys, both batting and bowling, are really enjoying what the pitches here have to offer.

So yeah, we're really enjoying every moment of the two weeks so far, both on and off the field. But of course, we're excited to be moving forward in this competition. We're looking forward to going to new venues, we're looking forward to playing all opposition and really hoping that you know we can get into a stage where all six phases of our game are coming together and we can show the fans here and our fans at home what amazing skills this group has and really put together some performances and get on a roll.

So, we're looking forward to every aspect of this tour.

[Reporter:]

So, you had the luxury of playing here earlier in the first game, but Sri Lanka didn't have a chance to play here yet, and they haven't even seen the pitch conditions over here. So that obviously will be a plus factor for you, but in the recent past Sri Lanka have had the better of Pakistan in the bilateral series and wherever they played. So how does it affect the team and how is the preparation to stop that streak?

[Grant Bradburn:]

Yeah, look, we're really looking forward to playing Sri Lanka. They're a team that we've become familiar with over recent times, obviously with the Asia Cup, and we know well that they have had the upper hand on us over the last year in white-ball cricket.

But we know their players very, very well. We have a secret weapon, if you like, in Mickey Arthur, who has coached them before. So, our scouting meetings this morning and our video meetings this morning, Mickey was a very, very handy addition to those meetings to be able to add in some intricate points around their batters and bowlers.

So, we respect all opposition. We respect the skills that Sri Lanka possess. And we're really looking forward to taking them on tomorrow. I guess, the priority has been around our game and just making sure that we're training specifically, we're preparing specifically, and we're coming together as a group to really understand what our performance is about.

We've worked hard on gaining some absolute crystal clarity around what we're trying to do as a unit to win games of cricket, what the process of that is, what the little battles are along the way to win. And together with that, we've also worked very, very hard on giving each of our players absolute clarity of their individual roles within that.

So, it's now not about individuals, it's now about the group and I'm really excited just sensing that this group is starting to come together really nicely, not only on the park, not only in training, but just as a group.

I think there's a wonderful respect for each other and there's a wonderful confidence brewing in their own skills.

We haven't put our best on the park yet. We haven't put a complete performance on the park as yet. But as I mentioned before, we sense that that's not a bad thing, because we know at some stage that'll come. And if we just got to head down, we're working hard every day just to keep improving every day.

[Reporter:]

This is going to be your fourth game at this venue, including the warm-ups. So, what has been your biggest takeaway from the conditions that have been on offer here, in terms of what you expected and how they turned out to be? And do you think it will give you an edge over Sri Lanka tomorrow?

[Grant Bradburn:]

Yeah, these conditions are foreign for the players, especially, but for us coaches you know, we've had a little bit of experience in Indian conditions, and we certainly have used all of our contacts to scout the facilities as much as we can. The ground staff here have been amazing. They've been very, very good in giving us some information.

But also, we've looked hard at the domestic performances here and the few internationals that had gone before so we've done our homework, we know what the conditions are likely to do and our players are certainly enjoying these conditions. They're equivalent if you like of some of the better conditions at home in Pakistan. From a batting and bowling point of view, you know they're offering a little bit for everyone. Out here we've seen, you know we're understanding the difference in plays and we've seen out of the you know three games we've had, all three wickets have performed slightly differently.

We're well aware of what tomorrow's wicket should do. But we're trying to not overplay that as well, because the conditions are the conditions. And It's really about us bringing a determination for 11 players to play a winning impact in the game or winning impacts throughout the game. So, that's our real focus.

[Reporter:]

[inaudible question] What's your take on this?

[Grant Bradburn:]

No, it's something, look, during the Afghanistan series and the Asia Cup, we felt, we really [felt] like number one, we really wanted to give our own players absolute clarity and confidence of the team we were playing. So, we felt it was right to put it out.

And through nothing else other than, look, we're well aware that due to the conditions and due to the fact that we're very confident in playing all 15 of our players. So, within that 15, there's a number of different combinations. So, we're very, very happy that we're able to, and one of our desires, too, is to be less one-dimensional, if you like. Pakistan are renowned for our quick bowlers and winning games of cricket with our pace. But you're also seeing maybe some surprises to some in the middle order. We've got some dynamic players throughout the team and we want to be showing that we can win games of cricket in multiple ways.

So, with that, we've got a number of combinations that we can put out. We can play four seamers. We can play three genuine spinners and a part-time spinner. We've got five spin options, really, should I say, not half.

So, with that, we think we should just announce the team in a traditional way.

[Reporter:]

Pakistan's openers is not in the best forms. Especially Fakhar is not giving, he's not making runs. Is there any going to be change in the tomorrow's game for Pakistan?

[Grant Bradburn:]

Okay, as I said before we're not getting what we would like to get out of our Powerplay but fortunately, we also we look at it as six phases of the game. There's the Powerplay, the mid phase, and the close, obviously, in both innings. So, our simple focus is to win more of those phases than the opposition, and you generally win the game.

So, while it's clear to see that we haven't been getting the dynamic results out of our batting Powerplay that we would like, our full faith is with all of our players that could take up that position. We've got four to five options that we could put out at the top of the order and we'd be very confident that they can deliver not only the runs but the tempo that we want to play at. We want to create a tempo for the middle order and the back end of our innings to build from. We're not getting that at the moment, so those are discussions that we're having, but we've got full faith in all of our options at the top.

 

[Syed1]

They have to adjust Lahori quota Salman Agha somewhere to meet the quota requirements.


Garbage player not even PSL quality but dished out Pakistan cap because of quota

 

[The cricket enthusiast]

So same team

 

[lazy cricketer]

i hope they dont put agha in team...if they put this guy in team they all should be slapped

 

[Nado_]

We need a victory but we need Shadab to get smashed so he will be replaced , if he flukes a decent outing then we are stuck with him for the rest of the campaign.

 

[MMHS]

It will be a bat first game for sure. SRL won the last game chasing against a different PAK attack, at home & slightly under wet conditions. Here ball will turn & grip, also this is 3rd game in 5 days - lots of running on the side wickets one of which will be used for this game.

Bat first and bat out 50 overs - anything over 270, neither team will chase that.

 

[Nado_]

It will be a bat first game for sure. SRL won the last game chasing against a different PAK attack, at home & slightly under wet conditions. Here ball will turn & grip, also this is 3rd game in 5 days - lots of running on the side wickets one of which will be used for this game.

Bat first and bat out 50 overs - anything over 270, neither team will chase that.

If that’s the case we will have to be aggressive in the powerplay and try to not give wickets away in the middle overs. Fakhar should just slog his way into form lol . Looks like Saud and Ifti will be key, unfortunately I don’t see Babar going past 30.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Only one change to the side that played against Netherlands.

Abdullah Shafique replaces Fakhar Zaman.

Shafique
Imam
Babar
Rizwan
Saud
Ifthikar
Shadab
Nawaz
Hasan
Shaheen
Rauf

I would’ve went with:

Rizwan (left hand right hand combo)
Imam
Babar
Saud
Ifthikar
Fakhar
Nawaz
Usama
Hasan
Shaheen
Rauf

 

[Sherazkhalid]

Drop Ifthikhar

Why, i think is more reliable than some of the others, given he is not as glamorous as others, but he gets the job done. I rather take out Imam/Fakhar/Shahdab/Nawaz before taking him out.

 

[Sherazkhalid]

Only one change to the side that played against Netherlands.

Abdullah Shafique replaces Fakhar Zaman.

Shafique
Imam
Babar
Rizwan
Saud
Ifthikar
Shadab
Nawaz
Hasan
Shaheen
Rauf

I would’ve went with:

Rizwan (left hand right hand combo)
Imam
Babar
Saud
Ifthikar
Fakhar
Nawaz
Usama
Hasan
Shaheen
Rauf

How is Usama's batting, that lineup feels like a really long tail, no one is taking out Shahdab the buddy. Sending up Rizwan makes sense but then we won't need Fakhar later in the lineup, best to drop him.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

How is Usama's batting, that lineup feels like a really long tail, no one is taking out Shahdab the buddy. Sending up Rizwan makes sense but then we won't need Fakhar later in the lineup, best to drop him.

He’s inconsistent with the bat, but on a good day he’ll get you 35-40 runs from 15-20 balls.

 

[VForVendetta]

What has Imam done to not be dropped?

★50+ average
★Fastest 2000/3000 runs
★No 2 in the rankings
★GOAT anchor, more than often ensures those lovely match winning 85 from 105 balls
★Never panics, always plays steady irrespective of the match situations
....
You know the drills.

 

[mominsaigol]

★50+ average
★Fastest 2000/3000 runs
★No 2 in the rankings
★GOAT anchor, more than often ensures those lovely match winning 85 from 105 balls
★Never panics, always plays steady irrespective of the match situations
....
You know the drills.

The funny thing is when imam made his debut I use to back him.

I knew he was slow, but I thought he was raw and he would improve overtime. 100 on debut irrespective of the attack is impressive.

Little did I know he peaked on debut . The guy hasn't improved since his debut, Mashallah what a goat opener we have, take the meaning of the word CareFree to a whole new level.

 

[VForVendetta]

The funny thing is when imam made his debut I use to back him.

I knew he was slow, but I thought he was raw and he would improve overtime. 100 on debut irrespective of the attack is impressive.

Little did I know he peaked on debut . The guy hasn't improved since his debut, Mashallah what a goat opener we have, take the meaning of the word CareFree to a whole new level.

He hasn't improved because he doesn't feel the need to improve, no one in the team is forcing him to improve. He realized it long ago what it would take to survive in the team. He ticks all the boxes to get priority :
★Maintain good average even if the s/r literally goes to hell
★Bash the minnows & ensure top spot in the rankings
★Take all time in the world but score hundreds at any cost
★Talk big in the media
★Be Babar's friend, although he already was
His ceiling was always lower tier but still he could have been more refined performer. Those hundreds he scored against SA & Eng back in 18/19 indicated someone who should have been a far more impactful batter than he has become after 5 years. This lazy buddy culture has pretty much ensured free meal ticket for someone who plays 80's template in 2020's.

 

[mominsaigol]

He hasn't improved because he doesn't feel the need to improve, no one in the team is forcing him to improve. He realized it long ago what it would take to survive in the team. He ticks all the boxes to get priority :
★Maintain good average even if the s/r literally goes to hell
★Bash the minnows & ensure top spot in the rankings
★Take all time in the world but score hundreds at any cost
★Talk big in the media
★Be Babar's friend, although he already was
His ceiling was always lower tier but still he could have been more refined performer. Those hundreds he scored against SA & Eng back in 18/19 indicated someone who should have been a far more impactful batter than he has become after 5 years. This lazy buddy culture has pretty much ensured free meal ticket for someone who plays 80's template in 2020's.

To be fair, it's more then that with Imam. Inzimam's son Itisam ul haq use to go to the same school as me before I eventually moved to Australia at a young age. We use to be classmates but when I returned to Pakistan for a bit to watch one local game I saw the type of guy itisam is.

Itisam would get into the aitchison team simply because he was inzimam's son, he himself however wasn't the best player but marketed as the best.

Aitchison would always 99% of the time lose any competition they would enter into schools because itisam who had the best average would play match losing innings cause he would carry in his merry way while others were forced to attack and cover for him.

The lazy culture that imam has seems to run in the family. Inzimam was a great bat so idk why he didn't instill this mindset into his children and his nephew but ig this is what happens when you allow imam to come into the team even though the guy had an SR of 79 on pindi pitches in domestic.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

It will be a bat first game for sure. SRL won the last game chasing against a different PAK attack, at home & slightly under wet conditions. Here ball will turn & grip, also this is 3rd game in 5 days - lots of running on the side wickets one of which will be used for this game.

Bat first and bat out 50 overs - anything over 270, neither team will chase that.

This is a good call. My Cricviz App tells me that even today par score was around 270 while batting first.

Only some really good hitting in the last 3 overs and a lack of quality in NED bowling allowed 322.

Par score 2nd innings was around 240.

Unless it's a fresh pitch , it's going to be a bat first pitch with probably even lower par scores.

 

[MMHS]

If that’s the case we will have to be aggressive in the powerplay and try to not give wickets away in the middle overs. Fakhar should just slog his way into form lol . Looks like Saud and Ifti will be key, unfortunately I don’t see Babar going past 30.

May be, for a change PAK might alter their batting line up a little. Fakhar is on his last life, before being dropped - normally at this stage (of facing chop) batsmen often becomes confused, can’t decide batting strategy and become ultra aggressive or defensive.

Considering SRL will start with Thiksena, two lefti to open isn’t a great idea. I’ll drop Fakhar to middle order for a change and open with Rizwan - FZ played couple of great counter attacking Test innings from 5/6, worth trying - if not, try Haris, but not as opener, he won’t last long against Thiksena.

I’m not a believer of scoring 60+ in first PP for the sake of it & in that attempt loose 2-3 wickets. These are not 300+ tracks for sure - attempting that should result in like the Aussies … 141/7 after 30.

Imam (no option)
Rizwan
Babar
Saud
Iftikhar
Fakhar/Haris
Shadab
Nawaz
Hasan/Mir
Shaheen
Rauf

Win toss & bat first, then plan to reach 30 overs with 2 down & two set batsmen in.

Chasing side will have to attack in PP - must reduce asking below initial by 10 overs, even for the cost of 2/3 wickets, because unless target is a humble one like 240is, neither team will be able to manage an asking over 6 for last 35 overs. If PAK is chasing, then may be FZ shouldn’t be dropped down.

 

[MMHS]

This is a good call. My Cricviz App tells me that even today par score was around 270 while batting first.

Only some really good hitting in the last 3 overs and a lack of quality in NED bowling allowed 322.

Par score 2nd innings was around 240.

Unless it's a fresh pitch , it's going to be a bat first pitch with probably even lower par scores.

ODI stats (& rankings) are misleading for last few years because of the compromised playing XI chosen by teams. Also, playing conditions (par score range) has a much wider spectrum these days - it varies from 250 to 400!!!, when 20 years back that range was max 50 runs across globe. And, bilateral series are not valued like what was in past, there are hardly any multiple team tournaments happening apart from ICC events, means WC games come with lot, lot more mental pressure for players, particularly batsmen - that should pull down par score at least by 25-30 in WC games.

Going forward, apart from 1/2 odd games (that can happen everywhere, every era - even in 1987 Viv had a great day and WIN posted 360 against SRL…), games among evenly matched sides will be 275 ranged (25 runs either side) - teams need to rethink for their batting strategy accordingly.

 

[DandyFellow]

If they plan to drop Fakhar then replacing him with Abdullah is 1st possibility. The only 2nd possibility that can make some sense is that Rizwan is pushed to open and everyone till Saud is given a promotion. Agha comes in at No5 and Ifti at No 6 both providing part time finger spin which seems to be the modus operandi this World Cup.
1st possibility is simple so I am not listing it down but 2nd option.

Rizwan (WK)
Imam
Babar (C)
Saud
Agha
Ifti
Nawaz
Shadab
Hasan
Shaheen
Haris

From selfless perspective, this could be the strongest team as a whole with batting depth and bowling depth especially when Fakhar is given up.

 

[Sherazkhalid]

A must win tomorrow. SL will be competing for that top 4 spot and we ain’t beating SA, Eng, Aus and India.

We may beat one of these but not NZ for sure.

 

[shamaan]

A must win tomorrow. SL will be competing for that top 4 spot and we ain’t beating SA, Eng, Aus and India.

We will beat 1 of them 4 teams.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

A must win tomorrow. SL will be competing for that top 4 spot and we ain’t beating SA, Eng, Aus and India.

if we cant beat any top 4 teams so honestly we don't deserve to be in a race of Semis.

I think Pakistan has the potential to beat England and Australia.

 

[deltexas]

Media reporting that Mickey has "insider" "secret" info on the SL team and so will use it to help Pak in victory - LOL ! With video footage of all players and the globalization of the game , everyone knows each players in and out. It's about how you execute your plans on the field that matters.

 

[shamaan]

if we cant beat any top 4 teams so honestly we don't deserve to be in a race of Semis.

I think Pakistan has the potential to beat England and Australia.

Exactly if you can't beat one of them four teams you might aswell forget about semis.

 

[Savak]

Pakistan desperately needs to be aggressive and need to play Usama Mir.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Shaheen and at least one of the openers has to fire . As ultimate pessimistic as it may sound I give us 0% chance to beat India. What sort of pitch are we looking at against SL? People are going nuts over their batting but it’s easy to play your shots like that when you’ve got nothing to lose almost, they were never really going to chase that total and South Africa switched off too. Mendis worries me but that’s it.

Shaheen won't have that big an impact because the ball hasn't swung much in Hyderabad (least of all venues) and full lengths usually get smashed here and so do short balls.

Hasan's good length bowling will be important to keep the rate down. Most Indian venues need Test match lengths

Rauf has to break their batting with wickets because they are all suspect against genuine pace apart from Perera and Mendis.

Spin will control the rate better than pace.

Bat first pitch .

 

[Rana]

So far the best match was the SA v SL game

 

[mominsaigol]

So far the best match was the SA v SL game

Pak vs sri Lanka will surpass it because it is an even contest. Sa too good for Sri lanka lol.

 

[Rana]

Pak vs sri Lanka will surpass it because it is an even contest. Sa too good for Sri lanka lol.

It’s going to be a cracker

Sri Lanka have a much more balanced side than Pakistan.

 

[mominsaigol]

It’s going to be a cracker

Sri Lanka have a much more balanced side than Pakistan.

Yes ik. Tough task for Pakistan.

 

[kron]

Fakhar should be given out with Injury, and reservist Haris called up.

Harry and Abdullah to open
Babar at 3
Saud at 4
Ifti 5
Rizwan 6

Love it.

Just stick with 6 proper batsmen. No hacks. Proper cricket shots.

5 bowlers is fine. If can be the extra.

 

[kron]

Yes ik. Tough task for Pakistan.

Why is lahiru back or chameera? Then we may some issues.

 

[Rana]

Read somewhere Salman Agha might be opening tomorrow? Anyone else heard this?

 

[Rana]

Why is lahiru back or chameera? Then we may some issues.

The bigger issues are the spinners

Sri Lanka can open with an off spinner (Dhananjaya) in the powerplay against fakhar and Imam

Then Wallalage and Theekshana in the middle overs against the middle order

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Read somewhere Salman Agha might be opening tomorrow? Anyone else heard this?

I think Abdullah is getting a chance to open with Imam.

Agha will open the bottles only!

 

[Asad T]

Read somewhere Salman Agha might be opening tomorrow? Anyone else heard this?

It is fake news
We should also think about it logically. How would it make sense to do that since we have Abdullah Shafiq in the squad

 

[Rana]

Hopefully Babar is smart and also deploys a spinner from ball 1 against Kusal Perera

I fear that player the most

 

[Rana]

It is fake news
We should also think about it logically. How would it make sense to do that since we have Abdullah Shafiq in the squad

Abdullah is a right handed Imam