Pakistan STILL has what it takes to win the ICC World Cup 2023!

[ExpressPacer]

Somehow, the loss to India has completely demoralised our fans right before the World Cup. Yes, we lost badly. But this was a rain-affected game played over 2 days with our main strike bowler during the middle overs injured out.

As far as the batting is concerned, it is normal for batters to collapse when chasing high totals because of the pressure (India in CT '17 final, Australia vs RSA the other day). Pakistan will not always be chasing 350+ and our batters will not always collapse.

I've been reading some crazy theories on PP and social media. Apparently fans have convinced themselves that Shaheen is only operating at 50%? No source for this whatsoever. Rauf is injured but will be fine in time for the world cup as he only had a side strain. The only bowler well and truly out is Naseem with his shoulder, which is concerning. With the depth in our fast bowling, and the upcoming warm-up matches, we will be able to find a replacement for Naseem that does an appropriate job.

But other than that, we've got the same settled side that we had before the Asia Cup. We are still a good side and we still are very likely to make the semi-finals, at the very least.

Pakistan fans, on the eve of the World Cup, cut yourselves some slack and give yourselves something to look forward to! All is not doom and gloom.

 

[Devadwal]

Definitely Pakistan is one of the favourite to win the world cup .they have all well balanced team but they were panic after humiliated by india.
Still i believe Pakistan is very strong team .

 

[ExpressPacer]

Definitely Pakistan is one of the favourite to win the world cup .they have all well balanced team but they were panic after humiliated by india.
Still i believe Pakistan is very strong team .

Absolutely. Losing badly, or "humiliation", as you put it, can happen to any team. A batting collapse is all the more likely when chasing a huge total in a high pressure game.

IMO, the Indian team that collapsed in the 2017 CT final was one of the ATG batting lineups but the huge total and the pressure triggered a collapse.

Pakistani fans have convinced themselves that this WC is doomed. Fans fail to realise that we wont always be chasing 350 and their batting wont always collapse. This is a strong lineup that have proven themselves.

 

[Devadwal]

Pakistan is momentum based team once they gets ,they can beat any team in the world

 

[Nikhil_cric]

If you look at the historical ICC ODI rankings, one of the top 2 ranked ODI sides going into a World Cup has won it since 1992. SL in 1996 was the only exception and the greatest upset in World Cup history

So that bodes well for Pakistan

 

[ExpressPacer]

If you look at the historical ICC ODI rankings, one of the top 2 ranked ODI sides going into a World Cup has won it since 1992. SL in 1996 was the only exception and the greatest upset in World Cup history

So that bodes well for Pakistan

Was it really the greatest upset? Sorry, not old enough to know I guess.

But I agree with your point. Also, Pakistan have generally done well in India from recent memory. SF in 2011, won the Aane Do series — vibes are very similar to Pakistan.

 

[Farabi]

Somehow, the loss to India has completely demoralised our fans right before the World Cup. Yes, we lost badly. But this was a rain-affected game played over 2 days with our main strike bowler during the middle overs injured out.

As far as the batting is concerned, it is normal for batters to collapse when chasing high totals because of the pressure (India in CT '17 final, Australia vs RSA the other day). Pakistan will not always be chasing 350+ and our batters will not always collapse.

I've been reading some crazy theories on PP and social media. Apparently fans have convinced themselves that Shaheen is only operating at 50%? No source for this whatsoever. Rauf is injured but will be fine in time for the world cup as he only had a side strain. The only bowler well and truly out is Naseem with his shoulder, which is concerning. With the depth in our fast bowling, and the upcoming warm-up matches, we will be able to find a replacement for Naseem that does an appropriate job.

But other than that, we've got the same settled side that we had before the Asia Cup. We are still a good side and we still are very likely to make the semi-finals, at the very least.

Pakistan fans, on the eve of the World Cup, cut yourselves some slack and give yourselves something to look forward to! All is not doom and gloom.

Dont think it’s got anything to do with the loss to India.
The injuries to Naseem, Rauf, as well as the lack of form of main players like Shadab and Fakhar is concerning. Asia cup has exposed lack of spinner in middle order as well.

 

[Kriketer]

These fans cries and panic are very typical of them after a big loss. India loss was just another game, even a strong Australia got a good beating from South Africa and lost by a huge margin recently, would that write off Australia from lifting the cup? These fans are just overreacting who can't see beyond India, which is just another team, the team who is known chokers in big tournaments.

Pakistan is certainly among the few favorites to win the World Cup or atleast make it till semis. The unpredictable tag in big tournaments will forever tag along Pakistan. They may as well lose the first game against Netherlands and then go on to lift the cup.

 

[mominsaigol]

Why is everyone so delusional?

The India game I agree was Rain affected and normally we wouldn't lose by such a horrific margin, but that does not invalidate any point all us fans have been making.

Pakistan has 4 accumulators at the top, with one of those accumulators averaging 16 atm, Imam can't hit, Babar can't play spin, Rizwan is limited and struggles with the onside.

Agha, Shadab, Faheem/Nawaz, Chacha. This is the worst middle order I have ever seen, Shadab and faheem/ Nawaz are tailenders. Agha is a dissapointment and chacha is okay, just okay.

Bowling trio is class but the rest is horrific.

We are playing with 1990's era batsmen at the top, a tail ender middle order, a non existent spin department and an injury prone fast bowling attack.

^^ Is everyone blind?

 

[ExpressPacer]

Dont think it’s got anything to do with the loss to India.
The injuries to Naseem, Rauf, as well as the lack of form of main players like Shadab and Fakhar is concerning. Asia cup has exposed lack of spinner in middle order as well.

That is where you’re precisely wrong. Rauf had a side strain - he will be back at full fitness for the WC. If this was a major injury, I would share your pessimism but a side strain isn’t the end of the world.

Naseem is the only player that’s well and truly out — which is disappointing. But as a team and as fans, we need to be prepared that our players will get injured. Every team has injuries. One bowler being out isn’t the end of the world especially when you have decent bench strength.

As far as Shadab is concerned, his form is worrying but you need to consider that as a spinner, Sri Lanka in the monsoon season isn’t the ideal place to be bowling with a wet ball which becomes harder to grip. I don’t think he will be phenomenal but he will be far better in India.

As for Zaman, it is good that we have good back up options in Haris and hopefully Saim Ayub.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Why is everyone so delusional?

The India game I agree was Rain affected and normally we wouldn't lose by such a horrific margin, but that does not invalidate any point all us fans have been making.

Pakistan has 4 accumulators at the top, with one of those accumulators averaging 16 atm, Imam can't hit, Babar can't play spin, Rizwan is limited and struggles with the onside.

Agha, Shadab, Faheem/Nawaz, Chacha. This is the worst middle order I have ever seen, Shadab and faheem/ Nawaz are tailenders. Agha is a dissapointment and chacha is okay, just okay.

Bowling trio is class but the rest is horrific.

We are playing with 1990's era batsmen at the top, a tail ender middle order, a non existent spin department and an injury prone fast bowling attack.

^^ Is everyone blind?

If there’s anyone that’s delusional, I’m afraid, it’s you. The majority of Pakistan fans are very pessimistic and negative right now, after the loss to India. So, I don’t know what you’re talking about.

The only accumulators we have at the top are Imam, Babar and Rizwan. And every team needs at least couple of them in ODIs. With Pakistan’s bowling strength, Pakistan can afford to have 3.

All 3 are proven batsmen who have their own weaknesses but generally tend to do well on flat pitches like the ones in India. Imam needs to find some form, and he will — he is a good batsmen who has worked on his power game and other problems in the past; he will work on his technique in the future too. His average speaks for itself.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Was it really the greatest upset? Sorry, not old enough to know I guess.

But I agree with your point. Also, Pakistan have generally done well in India from recent memory. SF in 2011, won the Aane Do series — vibes are very similar to Pakistan.

Yep. SL in 1996, then India in '83 and then OZ in '87. Bilateral ODi cricket was rare before the '75 and '79 World Cups.

'92 onwards, the World Cups got longer and the groups were more evenly matched and you had to play more number of matches against tough sides - so it has been tougher to cause upsets. Consistent bilateral sides have done better in the World Cups since 1992 .

SL were a bit lucky in '96 in that they got easy points against WI and OZ in the group stages. They were not thoroughly tested and played only 4 tough games - 2 against India and 1 against England. They did not get to play RSA, WI, PAK etc.

This time, the World Cup cycle has been a farce with Covid and less bilateral matches. PAK will find it tough to qualify for semis. The 4 strong contenders to win the Cup have to be India, England, OZ and SA at this point. They have shown more batting strength in this cycle and against top sides and that is most important.

PAK have the best chance out of the rest because of your consistent cricket and ranking but those 4 teams, especially after recent events, have shown to be more of a threat.

Rest 5 don't have any chance of winning the Cup.

 

[ExpressPacer]

These fans cries and panic are very typical of them after a big loss. India loss was just another game, even a strong Australia got a good beating from South Africa and lost by a huge margin recently, would that write off Australia from lifting the cup? These fans are just overreacting who can't see beyond India, which is just another team, the team who is known chokers in big tournaments.

Pakistan is certainly among the few favorites to win the World Cup or atleast make it till semis. The unpredictable tag in big tournaments will forever tag along Pakistan. They may as well lose the first game against Netherlands and then go on to lift the cup.

Precisely!

In my years of watching and playing cricket, I have observed that the pressure of chasing a huge total almost always causes a batting collapse. Australia, the other day, are one example. India in the CT 2017 final, are another, and they had one of the ATG batting lineups.

 

[ArabKnight]

Well, you need a good captain to win a tournament. We don’t got one and we’re not willing to change until the World Cup is all done and dusted.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Yep. SL in 1996, then India in '83 and then OZ in '87. Bilateral ODi cricket was rare before the '75 and '79 World Cups.

'92 onwards, the World Cups got longer and the groups were more evenly matched and you had to play more number of matches against tough sides - so it has been tougher to cause upsets. Consistent bilateral sides have done better in the World Cups since 1992 .

SL were a bit lucky in '96 in that they got easy points against WI and OZ in the group stages. They were not thoroughly tested and played only 4 tough games - 2 against India and 1 against England. They did not get to play RSA, WI, PAK etc.

This time, the World Cup cycle has been a farce with Covid and less bilateral matches. PAK will find it tough to qualify for semis. The 4 strong contenders to win the Cup have to be India, England, OZ and SA at this point. They have shown more batting strength in this cycle and against top sides and that is most important.

PAK have the best chance out of the rest because of your consistent cricket and ranking but those 4 teams, especially after recent events, have shown to be more of a threat.

Rest 5 don't have any chance of winning the Cup.

Thanks for the history in the previous world cups.

As far as this World Cup and Pakistan’s chances are concerned, I personally think Pakistan is very likely to make the semifinals, much more so than South Africa, for example.

Playing as a group is often not given enough credit on PP but consistent games and experience as a group has always resulted in great performances in Cricket. India in 2011, Australia in the 2000s and England in 2019, are some examples. Similarly, this Pakistani team has consistently been playing as a group across formats and performing remarkably well lately. I find this momentum will help them to make the semifinals. After that, it will be a test of the nerves.

Historically as well, host teams tend to do really well. India-SL, Aus-NZ, for instance. Pakistan is definitely not a host team here but India is as close to Pakistan as it gets. So, I’m backing Pakistan’s chances and am fairly optimistic. Hopefully more Pakistanis can escape this doom and gloom.

 

[mominsaigol]

If there’s anyone that’s delusional, I’m afraid, it’s you. The majority of Pakistan fans are very pessimistic and negative right now, after the loss to India. So, I don’t know what you’re talking about.

The only accumulators we have at the top are Imam, Babar and Rizwan. And every team needs at least couple of them in ODIs. With Pakistan’s bowling strength, Pakistan can afford to have 3.

All 3 are proven batsmen who have their own weaknesses but generally tend to do well on flat pitches like the ones in India. Imam needs to find some form, and he will — he is a good batsmen who has worked on his power game and other problems in the past; he will work on his technique in the future too. His average speaks for itself.

How am I delusional? Please enlighten me?

Fakhar averages 16 with a strike rate of 58 in last 10+ games he has played. His replacement Abdullah atm has shown himself to be another accumulator.

Imam has never worked on his power game? What are you even talking about? He's a decent accumulator though, Babar is a bunny to spin, rizwan is okay.

Problem os we have 1990 era batsmen, 4 playing at the top. I also love how you glossed over all my other points made.

Go ahead enlighten me on how I'm delusional?

 

[ExpressPacer]

Well, you need a good captain to win a tournament. We don’t got one and we’re not willing to change until the World Cup is all done and dusted.

Changing your captain right before the World Cup is a recipe for disaster. Babar, I agree, is not the best captain in the world.

But generally, a captain is only taken seriously when they are the best performing player in the team or at least one of the bests. We have no options outside of Babar.

Shadab’s performances have been lacklustre, Shaheen is a bowler who needs rest between games so can’t be made the captain and Rizwan is already doing enough with keeping and constantly dealing with criticism.

 

[Kriketer]

Precisely!

In my years of watching and playing cricket, I have observed that the pressure of chasing a huge total almost always causes a batting collapse. Australia, the other day, are one example. India in the CT 2017 final, are another, and they had one of the ATG batting lineups.

Exactly it's like these big red panic buttons (fans) completely forgot the first game against India in this Asia Cup, Pakistan had them by the throat with top 4 back in the hut quick, until Babar pulled his usual lousy captaincy card to bring on the spinners and stuck with them for God knows what terrible reason! Had he stuck with the pacers that game would have been done in Pak favour before rain arrived.

And in second game had Pakistan batted first and scored 260+, India could have likely repeated their first outing with big names crumbling against pacers under pressure. It's all sound like could have, would have now but if you put things into perspective and use a bit of memory and common sense then it isn't hard to connect the dots. Yes Pakistan ended up having a terrible game against India, but it's nothing to panic over, it's sport so move on instead of sheading tears and sweats. These over reactions here are really extremely childish.

 

[ArabKnight]

Changing your captain right before the World Cup is a recipe for disaster. Babar, I agree, is not the best captain in the world.

But generally, a captain is only taken seriously when they are the best performing player in the team or at least one of the bests. We have no options outside of Babar.

Shadab’s performances have been lacklustre, Shaheen is a bowler who needs rest between games so can’t be made the captain and Rizwan is already doing enough with keeping and constantly dealing with criticism.

A captain has a role of decision-making on the field. A series of decisions accumulate into a result. You need someone able to make sound judgments & clever decisions.

Victory can come via fluke, and that’s what we’ll have to hope for with Babar.

Changing the captain before the World Cup is a totally good idea. New captain means better decisions hence results. Players perform better when the captain supports them.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Thanks for the history in the previous world cups.

As far as this World Cup and Pakistan’s chances are concerned, I personally think Pakistan is very likely to make the semifinals, much more so than South Africa, for example.

Playing as a group is often not given enough credit on PP but consistent games and experience as a group has always resulted in great performances in Cricket. India in 2011, Australia in the 2000s and England in 2019, are some examples. Similarly, this Pakistani team has consistently been playing as a group across formats and performing remarkably well lately. I find this momentum will help them to make the semifinals. After that, it will be a test of the nerves.

Historically as well, host teams tend to do really well. India-SL, Aus-NZ, for instance. Pakistan is definitely not a host team here but India is as close to Pakistan as it gets. So, I’m backing Pakistan’s chances and am fairly optimistic. Hopefully more Pakistanis can escape this doom and gloom.

You need a bit of both i.e. consistency in results and chutzpah/X factor in the batting to win World Cups imo. Pakistan sides have rarely had both in the past.

Even in 1999, that side was very inconsistent but had X factor players like Anwar and exemplary lower-order hitting which was lightyears ahead of other teams. SA had robotic consistency but they, apart from Klusener and Gibbs, did not have batters who could take the game on aggressively.

Australia had a bit of both and they prevailed.

This side is the opposite of 99 PAK side - very consistent but just not enough aggressive batting to win the Cup.

 

[ExpressPacer]

How am I delusional? Please enlighten me?

Fakhar averages 16 with a strike rate of 58 in last 10+ games he has played. His replacement Abdullah atm has shown himself to be another accumulator.

Imam has never worked on his power game? What are you even talking about? He's a decent accumulator though, Babar is a bunny to spin, rizwan is okay.

Problem os we have 1990 era batsmen, 4 playing at the top. I also love how you glossed over all my other points made.

Go ahead enlighten me on how I'm delusional?

You are delusional for assuming that everyone thinks that Pakistan is going to win. For the majority of Pakistani fans on PP, they share your pessimism.

To address your concerns, Imam HAS worked on his power game, which is evident for his markedly improved strike rate compared to the previous WC. I’m not going to spoon feed you, go and look at his statistics.

Babar is a bunny to spin yet averages in the mid 50s despite every single team playing a spinner? Do you understand the term “bunny”? Because I don’t have the time to give you an English lesson. Yes, it is not a secret that he is not the best player of spin but to call him a bunny is a severe exaggeration.

As far as Fakhar is concerned, I agree with you. But Saim Ayub is banging on the door with a hammer and Mohammad Haris is a highly talented and dynamic player in the mix who are likely to both be in the squad. So, our openers are the least of our concerns.

The middle order lacks experience of having played together but most teams have a weak middle order in this WC. I am backing Agha to come good like he did in the Tests.

 

[ExpressPacer]

A captain has a role of decision-making on the field. A series of decisions accumulate into a result. You need someone able to make sound judgments & clever decisions.

Victory can come via fluke, and that’s what we’ll have to hope for with Babar.

Changing the captain before the World Cup is a totally good idea. New captain means better decisions hence results. Players perform better when the captain supports them.

So, who do you suggest, considering the factors I have above highlighted which are universally accepted?

I am curious to know your pick on who should be captain because it definitely can’t be Shaheen or Haris considering they need rest or are regularly injured.

 

[ExpressPacer]

You need a bit of both i.e. consistency in results and chutzpah/X factor in the batting to win World Cups imo. Pakistan sides have rarely had both in the past.

Even in 1999, that side was very inconsistent but had X factor players like Anwar and exemplary lower-order hitting which was lightyears ahead of other teams. SA had robotic consistency but they, apart from Klusener and Gibbs, did not have batters who could take the game on aggressively.

Australia had a bit of both and they prevailed.

This side is the opposite of 99 PAK side - very consistent but just not enough aggressive batting to win the Cup.

I agree with the crux of what you’re saying but you need to note that the “X factor” or the “chutzpah” is not limited to batting. Pakistan have the firepower and the X factor in their fast bowling to add to their overall consistency. I think the bowling will carry the batting side who will seldom be chasing high scores.

I really like Mohammad Haris as he has the ability to explode, and with Saim Ayub banging on the selection door with his incredible performances, I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes a part of the squad. The batting firepower is not much but it is much better for Pakistan than it has been in the last 10 years.

 

[Mesozoic]

I'm sorry you aren't winning a world cup with just two genuine world class players in Babar and Shaheen (and even they too have a lot of limitations) . Rizwan and Rauf are good but they're not even close to being genuine match winners in this format.


You can win a tournament like Champions Trophy by scraping through a game or two and then turning up for the finals but in the WC , you need to be ruthlessly consistent for a duration of 11 games for a month and half. You need to have immense depth in quality to pull it off , which Pakistan doesn't have at the moment.

 

[AAli98]

There’s a reason why Pak only has 1 World Cup & Salman viv Richard’s aga & Hassan has been Ali aren’t going to add another anytime soon.

Pak should boycott right on the eve of the tournament to get back at bcci for the humiliation of the last month the whole of the World Cup relies on the funds of Ind Pak game hit ‘em wer it hurts !!

 

[mominsaigol]

You are delusional for assuming that everyone thinks that Pakistan is going to win. For the majority of Pakistani fans on PP, they share your pessimism.

To address your concerns, Imam HAS worked on his power game, which is evident for his markedly improved strike rate compared to the previous WC. I’m not going to spoon feed you, go and look at his statistics.

Babar is a bunny to spin yet averages in the mid 50s despite every single team playing a spinner? Do you understand the term “bunny”? Because I don’t have the time to give you an English lesson. Yes, it is not a secret that he is not the best player of spin but to call him a bunny is a severe exaggeration.

As far as Fakhar is concerned, I agree with you. But Saim Ayub is banging on the door with a hammer and Mohammad Haris is a highly talented and dynamic player in the mix who are likely to both be in the squad. So, our openers are the least of our concerns.

The middle order lacks experience of having played together but most teams have a weak middle order in this WC. I am backing Agha to come good like he did in the Tests.

1) That's not delusion then, I don't think you know what delusion even means .

2) That's completly false. Stop looking at statistics thinking that they tell the entire story. Imam has been playing against c string sides hence his 100's against c string Australia boosted his stats and his strike rate. If anything he's regressed since the rate of how he frequently he use to score 100's has deteriorated. He got dropped from the PSL due to an abysmal strike rate. Imam is a good accumulator, He strikes a few boundaries in the 1st few overs because only 2 fielders are allowed outside the circle. Look at his current games, His first 50 is ironical faster then his next 40. Imam is the only player I've seen who slows down as the in inns progresses. Its easy to hit at the start especially on flat pitches where only 2 fielders are allowed outside and the ball isn't swinging and your playing against c string sides. Imam convientally vanishes when chasing in tournaments against 1st string sides.

3) Because he's playing ish sodhi Level spinners . The first world class spinners he faced in 2023 was in the Sri Lankan test series where he was rightfully exposed by jaysuria. Afterwards against afghanistan he was rightfully exposed by mujeeb and rashid, and then again against wallenge in the Asia cup. Babar is clueless against quality spin on spin turning wickets. No more c string Australian spinners West Indian Level spinners or is sodhi Level spinners for babar this world cup, he's getting cremated if he comes across kuldeep or anyone good.

4) Haris and Saim ayub if their added then its fine, I've been advocating for them anyway,
If you read any of my past posts, but haris is failing at opening in odi lol, his hacks ain't gonna work. Saim ayub is good but only if he's included. Many of our talented players have knocked on doors with pcb just reincronfing those doors with steel bunkers and keeping said players out. Very likely they'll go with Abdullah knowing our management.

5) Most teams have a weak middle order? This showcases your delusion and how much of a biased fanboy you are.

Look at india's middle order, Rahul/kishan/ sheryas, Pandya, Axar patel, Jadeja

^^ How is this a weak middle order? When this middle order has outright recovered India multiple times when their top order has collapsed against Pakistan?

Look at England's middle order. Ben Stokes, Butler are probs the 2 best middle order batsmen I've ever seen.

I can go on and on, our middle order is atrocious not weak lol.

6) Again your backing of agha is entirely based of belief not facts. Test is a different ball game. Agha is not a no 5, he's another accumulator, and no 5 is a very very weak position to accumulate since agha will either come in a collapsed position or around over 31 or 32 in which we need a striker not another accumulator who's even worse at accumulating then our top 4 atm.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Wo

I'm sorry you aren't winning a world cup with just two genuine world class players in Babar and Shaheen (and even they too have a lot of limitations) . Rizwan and Rauf are good but they're not even close to being genuine match winners in this format.


You can win a tournament like Champions Trophy by scraping through a game or two and then turning up for the finals but in the WC , you need to be ruthlessly consistent for a duration of 11 games for a month and half. You need to have immense depth in quality to pull it off , which Pakistan doesn't have at the moment.

Winning the World Cup or doing well in the World Cup isn’t a zero-sun equation. There are many nuances that are involved and Nikhil above has given some good history on WC performances. For instance, Pakistan has done exceptionally well in the two previous T20 WCs despite having only a couple of world class players. Different format, yes. But the argument still stands considering we are talking about World Cups.

I generally agree that we only have a couple of really good players but that’s all that is needed provided that everyone around them is consistent to the best of their abilities. In the recent past, the Pakistan team has shown this.

I am in no way arguing that we will definitely win. But to rule them out as many of our fans have been doing of late is an overreaction.

 

[ExpressPacer]

1) That's not delusion then, I don't think you know what delusion even means .

2) That's completly false. Stop looking at statistics thinking that they tell the entire story. Imam has been playing against c string sides hence his 100's against c string Australia boosted his stats and his strike rate. If anything he's regressed since the rate of how he frequently he use to score 100's has deteriorated. He got dropped from the PSL due to an abysmal strike rate. Imam is a good accumulator, He strikes a few boundaries in the 1st few overs because only 2 fielders are allowed outside the circle. Look at his current games, His first 50 is ironical faster then his next 40. Imam is the only player I've seen who slows down as the in inns progresses. Its easy to hit at the start especially on flat pitches where only 2 fielders are allowed outside and the ball isn't swinging and your playing against c string sides. Imam convientally vanishes when chasing in tournaments against 1st string sides.

3) Because he's playing ish sodhi Level spinners . The first world class spinners he faced in 2023 was in the Sri Lankan test series where he was rightfully exposed by jaysuria. Afterwards against afghanistan he was rightfully exposed by mujeeb and rashid, and then again against wallenge in the Asia cup. Babar is clueless against quality spin on spin turning wickets. No more c string Australian spinners West Indian Level spinners or is sodhi Level spinners for babar this world cup, he's getting cremated if he comes across kuldeep or anyone good.

4) Haris and Saim ayub if their added then its fine, I've been advocating for them anyway,
If you read any of my past posts, but haris is failing at opening in odi lol, his hacks ain't gonna work. Saim ayub is good but only if he's included. Many of our talented players have knocked on doors with pcb just reincronfing those doors with steel bunkers and keeping said players out. Very likely they'll go with Abdullah knowing our management.

5) Most teams have a weak middle order? This showcases your delusion and how much of a biased fanboy you are.

Look at india's middle order, Rahul/kishan/ sheryas, Pandya, Axar patel, Jadeja

^^ How is this a weak middle order? When this middle order has outright recovered India multiple times when their top order has collapsed against Pakistan?

Look at England's middle order. Ben Stokes, Butler are probs the 2 best middle order batsmen I've ever seen.

I can go on and on, our middle order is atrocious not weak lol.

6) Again your backing of agha is entirely based of belief not facts. Test is a different ball game. Agha is not a no 5, he's another accumulator, and no 5 is a very very weak position to accumulate since agha will either come in a collapsed position or around over 31 or 32 in which we need a striker not another accumulator who's even worse at accumulating then our top 4 atm.

That is precisely what delusion is. But like I said earlier, I don’t have the time to give you a lesson on grammar. As many others on PP have, you too will learn eventually the correct meaning of things.

To address your point about Imam — Imam can only play whomsoever he plays against. It is not his problem that Australia rotates its bowlers and that he performed against “C-String” sides. Statistics don’t lie — his SR had markedly improved and that is a sign of a player working on his weaknesses. Your PSL argument is irrelevant because ODIs are very different to T20s. You can’t compare. (So much for calling me a biased fanboy)

Getting to Babar — why have the arbitrary cut off date as 2023? Babar has been playing cricket for Pakistan for a long time so it’s unfair to arbitrarily dissect and observe his statistics from a particular year. Over the course of his career, he has played many world class spinners and performed remarkably well in many games. As I said in my previous post, I acknowledge his limitations against spin but to label him as a bunny against spinners is an exaggeration of the highest order. You don’t average in the mid 50s if you are a bunny against spin. Babar scored 2 50s the in Afghanistan series despite playing against world class spinners. I’m not saying he dominated them but he did negotiate them.

Getting to the middle order, India’s middle order that you have cited is largely untried of late — KL is coming back from an injury and has only played a couple of games, Ishan Kushan, while talented, has yet to play in high pressure tournaments against quality sides. Although I agree our middle order is weak, I think many sides can complain about this issue for their own teams.

 

[ExpressPacer]

There’s a reason why Pak only has 1 World Cup & Salman viv Richard’s aga & Hassan has been Ali aren’t going to add another anytime soon.

Pak should boycott right on the eve of the tournament to get back at bcci for the humiliation of the last month the whole of the World Cup relies on the funds of Ind Pak game hit ‘em wer it hurts !!

Boycotting will merely deprive fans of seeing their team. But I do agree that Hasan Ali is the last thing this Pakistani team needs. At least based on his LOI form I last saw.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Pakistan can go all the way provided they make some brave selection calls. Can't go with 20 overs of buffet spin bowling in India. 2011 Pakistan team had Ajmal, Hafeez and Afridi, that made them formidable. Maybe the Asia Cup setback will force Pakistan to make right selection calls come the main event.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Seriously fanciful. Unless they unearth a gun batter or three and maybe bring Abrar in

 

[ExpressPacer]

Pakistan can go all the way provided they make some brave selection calls. Can't go with 20 overs of buffet spin bowling in India. 2011 Pakistan team had Ajmal, Hafeez and Afridi, that made them formidable. Maybe the Asia Cup setback will force Pakistan to make right selection calls come the main event.

Seriously fanciful. Unless they unearth a gun batter or three and maybe bring Abrar in

Agreed with both of you that Pakistan can’t afford buffet spin bowling and that Abrar would be a good option to have in the squad.

As far as fun batsmen are concerned, I like the look of Haris and if Saim Ayub is selected, the squad will only get stronger.

 

[ArabKnight]

So, who do you suggest, considering the factors I have above highlighted which are universally accepted?

I am curious to know your pick on who should be captain because it definitely can’t be Shaheen or Haris considering they need rest or are regularly injured.

Imam-ul-Haq, he’s our consistent batsman. He also has a high IQ and bold character to make clever decisions. He also is good PR and speaks good English. Being the nephew of the most successful ODI batter of Pakistan, he’s got that blood in him to win.

 

[Mesozoic]

Winning the World Cup or doing well in the World Cup isn’t a zero-sun equation. There are many nuances that are involved and Nikhil above has given some good history on WC performances. For instance, Pakistan has done exceptionally well in the two previous T20 WCs despite having only a couple of world class players. Different format, yes. But the argument still stands considering we are talking about World Cups.

Disagree.

Pakistan are a much much better T20 side than they're in ODIs. The whole "number 1 ODI ranking" jhumla made people believe otherwise but it's the plain fact. Alongside Babar and Shaheen, the likes of Rauf, Rizwan, Shadab are all world class in the shortest format. Also players like Iftikhar, Asif Ali, Nawaz, Wasim Jr etc have a lot more utility in T20s than they do in ODIs...

Definitely not the right comparison.

 

[gazza619]

I like the positivity but Shaheen is defo not fully fit. I have seen enough cricket to figure out when someone is not functioning at 100%

 

[ExpressPacer]

I like the positivity but Shaheen is defo not fully fit. I have seen enough cricket to figure out when someone is not functioning at 100%

So, you’re being pessimistic for the sake of being pessimistic then? No sources, no official statements, no interviews but you think he’s not 100%? Come on bro.

He was fine when he was taking wickets but is suddenly unfit? Mate, he’s not a machine, he will have off days, he will have off games, his pace will come down in some games.

You’ve been watching cricket long enough to know Shaheen is a momentum bowler. The stop start India game completely ruined his momentum and that game is not good enough to judge his performance. I personally think he’s fine. He did well vs Sri Lanka.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Imam-ul-Haq, he’s our consistent batsman. He also has a high IQ and bold character to make clever decisions. He also is good PR and speaks good English. Being the nephew of the most successful ODI batter of Pakistan, he’s got that blood in him to win.

He would be even more limited and defensive compared to Babar. What captaincy or leadership experience does Imam even have?

Half of our fan base call him a parchi and ridicule him to the point that the poor guy’s never even allowed his family to come watch him play. That would not work bro. I’m sorry.

 

[Omer2002]

This must be a joke of a thread. A team which has just finished last in the Asian league..has to play England, NZ , Aussies and Saffers have no chance what so ever.

I like the format as you play 9 matches in the world cup but downside is only 4 will qualify straight to semis which means not much of a chance.

 

[Mesozoic]

The biggest problem with Pakistan in not with the overall quality or squad potential but their style of play when it comes to long tournaments like the World Cup. The lack of ruthlessness will once again bite them at a crucial juncture...

For example, on their okayish days they are very much likely to beat South Africa and New Zealand. Now this should be enough for them to finish in the top 4 even if they lose to all the big 3 sides right? A big fat NO... because Pakistan are a side that also has a tendency of losing to 'inferior' sides as well, thereby allowing their competitors to catch upto them. Teams like Big 3 + SAF + NZ will be much more professional in getting over the line against the bottom 4 sides than Pakistan even if the latter is a tad bit more likely to beat themselves. And that's what makes the difference at the end...

 

[ExpressPacer]

This must be a joke of a thread. A team which has just finished last in the Asian league..has to play England, NZ , Aussies and Saffers have no chance what so ever.

I like the format as you play 9 matches in the world cup but downside is only 4 will qualify straight to semis which means not much of a chance.

The Asia Cup was a joke of a tournament — from the scheduling, the rain, the constant travelling, the reserve day to what not. It is not an accurate measure of a teams potential.

 

[Rana]

If there’s anyone that’s delusional, I’m afraid, it’s you. The majority of Pakistan fans are very pessimistic and negative right now, after the loss to India. So, I don’t know what you’re talking about.

The only accumulators we have at the top are Imam, Babar and Rizwan. And every team needs at least couple of them in ODIs. With Pakistan’s bowling strength, Pakistan can afford to have 3.

All 3 are proven batsmen who have their own weaknesses but generally tend to do well on flat pitches like the ones in India. Imam needs to find some form, and he will — he is a good batsmen who has worked on his power game and other problems in the past; he will work on his technique in the future too. His average speaks for itself.

Who are India, Australia, England and New Zealand’s ‘at least 3’ accumulators?

 

[ExpressPacer]

Who are India, Australia, England and New Zealand’s ‘at least 3’ accumulators?

I said at least a couple, so here you are:

Aus: Smith, Marnus.
England: Root, Bairstow (? not sure if he’s in the squad though).
India: Kohli, KL.
NZ: Basically half their team.

 

[Mesozoic]

The Asia Cup was a joke of a tournament — from the scheduling, the rain, the constant travelling, the reserve day to what not. It is not an accurate measure of a teams potential.

How does rain and reserve day dilute the quality of a tournament?


No Indian fan ever gave this lame excuse of rain and reserve day when we lost the semifinal to New Zealand in 2019 or the WTC final in 2021. Infact, this time around pak got to bat at a similar timing to the previous day whereas India had to bat on a fresh morning wicket in 2019 due to rain.

And if you're complaining about traveling time in this day and age (that too between closer countries Pakistan and Sri Lanka), I've got nothing much to say really..

 

[VForVendetta]

Who are India, Australia, England and New Zealand’s ‘at least 3’ accumulators?

I was about to ask this, so just commenting over yours. Other than Smith,Root & Kane I don't see a single player on their announced squads who can be termed as accumulators. Of them Smith has fourth /fifth gear & can be just as much ruthless as Kohli if set. Root is in horrible form, but he is a master of spin bowling & can absolutely boss any spinner in the world. Also due to bazzball effect he certainly has become more dynamic. Kane is worst odi batsmen out of fab 4 & Babar, also coming out of a serious injury. But much like Root he can take on the best of the spinners. I don't see any Pak accumulator doing that. Forget dominating fast bowlers, none of them have the balls to single out & take apart even a orthodox spinner.

 

[BouncerGuy]

I was about to ask this, so just commenting over yours. Other than Smith,Root & Kane I don't see a single player on their announced squads who can be termed as accumulators. Of them Smith has fourth /fifth gear & can be just as much ruthless as Kohli if set. Root is in horrible form, but he is a master of spin bowling & can absolutely boss any spinner in the world. Also due to bazzball effect he certainly has become more dynamic. Kane is worst odi batsmen out of fab 4 & Babar, also coming out of a serious injury. But much like Root he can take on the best of the spinners. I don't see any Pak accumulator doing that. Forget dominating fast bowlers, none of them have the balls to single out & take apart even a orthodox spinner.

Babar Azam's record against spin is not bad but in recent times his game against spin has seen a downfall. I haven't seen him playing that slog sweep against spin which will be the release shot for most batsmen out there.

 

[Rana]

Right

So only pakistan fit the criteria of at least 3 accumulators in India? Hence they are best placed to win it out of these top teams?

 

[kingusama92]

I agree, Pakistan has what it takes to win.

ICC tournaments are unique and Pakistan is more than capable of turning things up a few gears in these conditions. With a few tweaks, the XI will be strong enough to get to the semis and then put up a good fight.

 

[Rana]

I was about to ask this, so just commenting over yours. Other than Smith,Root & Kane I don't see a single player on their announced squads who can be termed as accumulators. Of them Smith has fourth /fifth gear & can be just as much ruthless as Kohli if set. Root is in horrible form, but he is a master of spin bowling & can absolutely boss any spinner in the world. Also due to bazzball effect he certainly has become more dynamic. Kane is worst odi batsmen out of fab 4 & Babar, also coming out of a serious injury. But much like Root he can take on the best of the spinners. I don't see any Pak accumulator doing that. Forget dominating fast bowlers, none of them have the balls to single out & take apart even a orthodox spinner.

These 3 so called accumulators can maximise to 170+ scores if they play half the innings. Not sure ours can unless they open

 

[BouncerGuy]

I agree, Pakistan has what it takes to win.

ICC tournaments are unique and Pakistan is more than capable of turning things up a few gears in these conditions. With a few tweaks, the XI will be strong enough to get to the semis and then put up a good fight.

I agree with that. Pakistan team is so unpredictable that you never know when it is going to be their time and they can topple any team you never know.

 

[VForVendetta]

Babar Azam's record against spin is not bad but in recent times his game against spin has seen a downfall. I haven't seen him playing that slog sweep against spin which will be the release shot for most batsmen out there.

The problem isn't just that Babar is recently struggling against spin or will probably struggle in the world cup. The problem is he doesn't seem to have any other option to compensate. Kohli & Warner aren't also exactly the best players of spin,but you know damn well they can absolutely murder any pace attack in the world. Can Babar do it? Has he ever done it? If he plays conventionally against spin then he must opt to attack fast bowlers. I just don't see that happening at all based on his gameplans in last 3 tournaments.

 

[BouncerGuy]

The problem isn't just that Babar is recently struggling against spin or will probably struggle in the world cup. The problem is he doesn't seem to have any other option to compensate. Kohli & Warner aren't also exactly the best players of spin,but you know damn well they can absolutely murder any pace attack in the world. Can Babar do it? Has he ever done it? If he plays conventionally against spin then he must opt to attack fast bowlers. I just don't see that happening at all based on his gameplans in last 3 tournaments.

Good point to be honest. Babar has yet to show his class in a major tournament. The 2019 World Cup was the time when he dominated every bowler. Since then, I agree that he has yet to prove that he can dominate a top class pace attack if he is not able to handle spin that well.

 

[VForVendetta]

These 3 so called accumulators can maximise to 170+ scores if they play half the innings. Not sure ours can unless they open

I don't think Kane can,he is just way too limited.He may score 150+ only if he bats till end. Other two absolutely can, no question.

 

[160KPH]

We definitely can still put on a strong performance. If your opinion has changed from 2 rain effected games played in the Asia Cup, then you should similarly be saying that Australia has no chance because they were crushed in the last 3 ODI’s against South Africa. A couple of our key fast bowlers were injured.

 

[VForVendetta]

Good point to be honest. Babar has yet to show his class in a major tournament. The 2019 World Cup was the time when he dominated every bowler. Since then, I agree that he has yet to prove that he can dominate a top class pace attack if he is not able to handle spin that well.

It's just as simple as that. You simply need to identity your strength & try to maximize as much as possible. That's the way 90% great odi batsmen have functioned & succeeded. Even Lara & Ponting two of the absolute goats had glaring issues, Lara against genuine pace, Ponting against spin. But they compensated by dominating other halves of any top bowling attack. Players like Viv, Sachin or AB are extremely rare who could handle both with equal competence. Babar needs to talk with Hafeez & take some notes on how to develop that power game in his arsenal.

 

[Rana]

We definitely can still put on a strong performance. If your opinion has changed from 2 rain effected games played in the Asia Cup, then you should similarly be saying that Australia has no chance because they were crushed in the last 3 ODI’s against South Africa. A couple of our key fast bowlers were injured.

The rules were the same for Pakistan’s opponents in those rain affected games

 

[Rana]

Pakistan were on the brink of being bowled out for less than 160 in the game against SL before rain intervened.

The rain helped Pakistan.

 

[ExpressPacer]

How does rain and reserve day dilute the quality of a tournament?


No Indian fan ever gave this lame excuse of rain and reserve day when we lost the semifinal to New Zealand in 2019 or the WTC final in 2021. Infact, this time around pak got to bat at a similar timing to the previous day whereas India had to bat on a fresh morning wicket in 2019 due to rain.

And if you're complaining about traveling time in this day and age (that too between closer countries Pakistan and Sri Lanka), I've got nothing much to say really..

If you need me to explain why the Asia Cup was a poorly managed tournament and why rain delays can kill the momentum of a bowling lineup, then you are clearly wanting to be spoon fed. There is a ton of literature on the subject and I am merely reiterating what far more qualified people have already said about the Asia Cup.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Right

So only pakistan fit the criteria of at least 3 accumulators in India? Hence they are best placed to win it out of these top teams?

Pakistan easily have one of the strongest bowling lineups. That’s why.

 

[Rana]

Pakistan easily have one of the strongest bowling lineups. That’s why.

And this bowling line up is fully tested against the top teams?

 

[ExpressPacer]

And this bowling line up is fully tested against the top teams?

They can only play whoever turns up. In the chances they’ve had, the hey have done more than enough to show their capabilities. Every team will have an off day and no bowling unit is perfect. However, you can easily argue that with Shaheen and Rauf backing him, you have a couple of world class bowlers right there.

 

[PakPremi]

How am I delusional? Please enlighten me?

Fakhar averages 16 with a strike rate of 58 in last 10+ games he has played. His replacement Abdullah atm has shown himself to be another accumulator.

Imam has never worked on his power game? What are you even talking about? He's a decent accumulator though, Babar is a bunny to spin, rizwan is okay.

Problem os we have 1990 era batsmen, 4 playing at the top. I also love how you glossed over all my other points made.

Go ahead enlighten me on how I'm delusional?

If Babar was such a bunny to spin he would not had scored all these runs, as all the teams he has been playing had lots of spinners and some very good ones. He does have a little weakness but so do many world class players have weakness with one kind of bowling or another.
Pakistan never had super fast players, even Fakhar takes his time even when in form, and likes of Sharjeel are only good for 20 runs. These so called accumulators have taken Pakistan to knockout rounds in ICC ad Asia Cup tournaments in past, so they can do again. Tgere after it is anyone's game, the team who plays well under pressure and makes the least mistakes will win the cup. The issue Pakistan's have is poor judgements by Babar during crucial stages in the field ,
and if course injury to Naseem. If they select Abrar in the team atleast we will also have potent spinner.

 

[Mesozoic]

If you need me to explain why the Asia Cup was a poorly managed tournament and why rain delays can kill the momentum of a bowling lineup, then you are clearly wanting to be spoon fed. There is a ton of literature on the subject and I am merely reiterating what far more qualified people have already said about the Asia Cup.

Lol..matlab kuch bhi..


Any one with even basic cricketing knowledge would know that it's the batting side that loses momentum due to rain breaks.. not the bowling side. It's the batters who need maximum concentration at any point of time...not the bowlers, who usually use rain breaks to take a breather . I don't know what "literature" you're referring to but you need to stop reading it asap.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Lol..matlab kuch bhi..


Any one with even basic cricketing knowledge would know that it's the batting side that loses momentum due to rain breaks.. not the bowling side. It's the batters who need maximum concentration at any point of time...not the bowlers, who usually use rain breaks to take a breather . I don't know what "literature" you're referring to but you need to stop reading it asap.

Who decided that? The rain makes the ball harder to grip and the outfield more difficult to field in. Having said that, the batting side too is affected.

My only point is that a rain affected match played over 2 days is hardly a true measure of a team’s ability.

 

[Mesozoic]

My only point is that a rain affected match played over 2 days is hardly a true measure of a team’s ability.

This is just weird lol. I'm hearing this line of thought for the first time.

Test matches are usually played across 5 full days in varying weather condition. Especially in places like England, where it'll be sunny and flat for an entire day and then the next day is fully overcast with multiple rain breaks. It's all part of the game.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Who decided that? The rain makes the ball harder to grip and the outfield more difficult to field in. Having said that, the batting side too is affected.

My only point is that a rain affected match played over 2 days is hardly a true measure of a team’s ability.

Batting 2nd does give an advantage to the chasing side but it is also true that after rain, it is hard to bowl due to the ball being wet and hard to grip and field as well. A wet outfield is also a danger for the fielders if it rains on and off.

 

[ExpressPacer]

This is just weird lol. I'm hearing this line of thought for the first time.

Test matches are usually played across 5 full days in varying weather condition. Especially in places like England, where it'll be sunny and flat for an entire day and then the next day is fully overcast with multiple rain breaks. It's all part of the game.

Your lack of ability to understand is not my problem.

We aren’t talking about Tests here. We are talking about ODIs.

 

[Mesozoic]

Your lack of ability to understand is not my problem.

We aren’t talking about Tests here. We are talking about ODIs.

Relax. I know we are talking about ODIs.

But to say - Just because the game is played across multiple days (on the same wicket, roughly similar conditions, same team) , it doesn't give a true measure of player's ability is just pure cope.

Babar Azam doesn't suddenly forget how to hold a bat just because he is playing on a different day to the first innings. All you're implying is that Pakistani players don't have the temperament and the concentration levels to play at their best over two days. That too when they're filled with Test players (barring Rauf and Fakhar)..

 

[kron]

10000% we can

If we face England or nz or SA in the semis, I am 10000% confident we would absolutely annihilate them. I am pretty confident we can wipe out india as well in a ko. Maybe not group stage. They are poor under pressure since their 2011 win.

 

[Shafi]

If you give Babar Rohit, Tendulkar, Kohli, Gilchrist, Ponting, Kallis, Wasim, Buttler, Warne, Mcgrath, Donald, Muralitharan he will still fail to win. This guy has don't have it. He can only score and 2nd grade teams.

 

[Shafi]

Definitely Pakistan is one of the favourite to win the world cup .they have all well balanced team but they were panic after humiliated by india.
Still i believe Pakistan is very strong team .

Only in dreams!!! We will be around 7-8 in this World Cup.Team is full of parchis and accumulators. Its will be one the world World Cup for Pakistan team.

 

[Shafi]

Absolutely. Losing badly, or "humiliation", as you put it, can happen to any team. A batting collapse is all the more likely when chasing a huge total in a high pressure game.

IMO, the Indian team that collapsed in the 2017 CT final was one of the ATG batting lineups but the huge total and the pressure triggered a collapse.

Pakistani fans have convinced themselves that this WC is doomed. Fans fail to realise that we wont always be chasing 350 and their batting wont always collapse. This is a strong lineup that have proven themselves.

All the teams will send their best players not 2nd or 3rd grade. Babar used to play against weak teams and will face uphill task to fight against good players.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Only in dreams!!! We will be around 7-8 in this World Cup.Team is full of parchis and accumulators. Its will be one the world World Cup for Pakistan team.

In my opinion, I really think that we will be there in semis for sure.

 

[Shafi]

If you look at the historical ICC ODI rankings, one of the top 2 ranked ODI sides going into a World Cup has won it since 1992. SL in 1996 was the only exception and the greatest upset in World Cup history

So that bodes well for Pakistan

Really? SL was the best team back then with Jaya and Kalu as openers, Silva in middle, Murali as a spinner and Ranatunga was the best captain. We deserved to win in 1996 not 1992

 

[ChTab]

Was it really the greatest upset? Sorry, not old enough to know I guess.

But I agree with your point. Also, Pakistan have generally done well in India from recent memory. SF in 2011, won the Aane Do series — vibes are very similar to Pakistan.

What about the WT20 in India in 2016 Pakistan did well in that tournament as well?

 

[Omer2002]

Really? SL was the best team back then with Jaya and Kalu as openers, Silva in middle, Murali as a spinner and Ranatunga was the best captain. We deserved to win in 1996 not 1992

That is correct we were the best team in 1996 i assume that is the final at lords against aussies where we bottled big time but before that we demolished every one and no doubt were the best team. 1992 was written in the stars

 

[owenhcricket]

I wasn't too bothered about the loss to India...but the loss of Naseem Shah for what seems to be the entire tournament is a big issue. Pakistan do not have back up bowlers who have played often enough. I think Wasim Jr is good but he is ging to be rusty and I would hope Zaman is not selected above him but beyond those tow there is only Hasan Ali, who has played plenty of t20 cricket but very little one day cricket in the last several months. His fitness and lack pace is also a big issue now.

beyond those 3 who is there?

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Really? SL was the best team back then with Jaya and Kalu as openers, Silva in middle, Murali as a spinner and Ranatunga was the best captain. We deserved to win in 1996 not 1992

SL were not favourites for that Cup by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[BouncerGuy]

I

I wasn't too bothered about the loss to India...but the loss of Naseem Shah for what seems to be the entire tournament is a big issue. Pakistan do not have back up bowlers who have played often enough. I think Wasim Jr is good but he is ging to be rusty and I would hope Zaman is not selected above him but beyond those tow there is only Hasan Ali, who has played plenty of t20 cricket but very little one day cricket in the last several months. His fitness and lack pace is also a big issue now.

beyond those 3 who is there?

If we are looking at experience then I believe we have no one but Hassan. But if we are looking for a new face then Arshad can be added to the mix. He has had a good time blowing recently. No dahani, he is no where.

 

[Mamoon]

Pakistan is so unpredictable and dangerous that they haven’t played an ODI World Cup final in 24 years.

 

[mominsaigol]

That is precisely what delusion is. But like I said earlier, I don’t have the time to give you a lesson on grammar. As many others on PP have, you too will learn eventually the correct meaning of things.

To address your point about Imam — Imam can only play whomsoever he plays against. It is not his problem that Australia rotates its bowlers and that he performed against “C-String” sides. Statistics don’t lie — his SR had markedly improved and that is a sign of a player working on his weaknesses. Your PSL argument is irrelevant because ODIs are very different to T20s. You can’t compare. (So much for calling me a biased fanboy)

Getting to Babar — why have the arbitrary cut off date as 2023? Babar has been playing cricket for Pakistan for a long time so it’s unfair to arbitrarily dissect and observe his statistics from a particular year. Over the course of his career, he has played many world class spinners and performed remarkably well in many games. As I said in my previous post, I acknowledge his limitations against spin but to label him as a bunny against spinners is an exaggeration of the highest order. You don’t average in the mid 50s if you are a bunny against spin. Babar scored 2 50s the in Afghanistan series despite playing against world class spinners. I’m not saying he dominated them but he did negotiate them.

Getting to the middle order, India’s middle order that you have cited is largely untried of late — KL is coming back from an injury and has only played a couple of games, Ishan Kushan, while talented, has yet to play in high pressure tournaments against quality sides. Although I agree our middle order is weak, I think many sides can complain about this issue for their own teams.

Okay buddy I am delusional. You my friend are the smartest man alive, no one even comes close to your intelligence I am impressed.

Yes buddy statistics do not lie, but they don't tell the whole story either, but no no, Imam is clearly working on his weaknesses, That's why he slows down throughout the innings rather then speeds up.

Okay bro you're right, Babar is a legendary player and he will dominate spin bowling this cup with his 50+ Average. I'm sure kuldeep, Adil rasheed, Wallenge, And Rashid khan will be a walk in the park, Babar will easily dispatch them with his 50 Average.

Yes buddy, KL Rahul is untested, that's why he smashed a century against us and dominated our bowlers, and ishan kishan is also untested, that's why he and pandya single handedly recovered India from a collapsed position but no no he has yet to be tested in a tournament stage.

What amazing insight you have, Zindabad brother.