Pakistan vs Australia: Which of these teams will recover in time to CAPTURE World Cup glory in 2019?

[Suleiman]

Both have been champions before. Pakistan came close to winning more than once (1989, 1999). Australia is the reigning WC champion of the world.

Paksitan is the reigning Champions Trophy holder.

Yet both teams are in shambles in ODIs right now. Pakistan is getting taught lesson after lesson from the NZ boys, to the point that their bowlers are getting mocked on the field by NZ bats

Australia are getting embarrassed at home by bilateral kings South Africa.

It's very hard to think that both Pak and Aus will continue this senseless form in the WC, SO, I'm willing to wager one of these teams is going to be part of an epic comeback story and win the whole thing, they both have done it in the past. That's how the universe works.

My bet is on Pakistan. England is more in tune to their playing style, and guys like Hasan and Fakhar have fond memories of that place, as well as the secret weapon Mohammad Amir who'd be looking for 3 in 3 finals.

 

[Hasan123]

Australia have Smith and Warner to come back. They are also trying out new players and they will be given time. Whilst we will stick with Hafeez,Malik,and Sarfraz. Limited players against pace.

I think Australia will do well at the WC. They never take bilaterals seriously so I wouldn't read too much into those series.

 

[Xoib]

sorry to burst your bibble Pakistan is not in the league of Aus interms of history the only teamnear to Aus in this regard is Windies. Paksistan is more in the league of SL, England India

 

[rhony]

England, India, NZ are 3 strong SF spots for me. There will be a fight between AUS and WI for the 4th.
Pak/SA/BD will lose out on SF spot by winning 4 or less games. SL will win one or two games. AFG will not win a single game.

 

[DRsohail]

Aus is coming back.they have strong system in place.

 

[Mansoor3120]

Definitely Australia
Pakistan are going backward with every odi

 

[Nikhil_cric]

England, India, NZ are 3 strong SF spots for me. There will be a fight between AUS and WI for the 4th.
Pak/SA/BD will lose out on SF spot by winning 4 or less games. SL will win one or two games. AFG will not win a single game.

Windies have improved no doubt but can they win 6,7 games against top sides consistently ? I'm not so sure of that. The only thing we can say with confidence is that England are outright favourites at this point and SL/BD/AFG won't make the semifinals for sure. Everything else is possible imo.

 

[rhony]

[MENTION=113824]Nikhil_cric[/MENTION] Aus, NZ, India have been strong tournament teams in the last decade. They are very well organized. England is simply the best ODI team in the world now. Bring Lewis, Russell and Narine and this WI team is very exploasive. They can blow hot and cold but have the capability to win 5 or 6 games.

 

[Hawkeye]

Drop Sarfraz, Malik, Imam (too slow), Imad.


We have a shot at winning.

 

[Canford Cliffs]

Australia is heading WI way and I dont see them being a force ever again. There are lots of sports in Australia which are more famous that cricket and youths are opting for them. As a result there is not good enough talent pool in shield cricket.

Cricket is the only sport that Pakistan is good at and every young kid aspires to become a cricketer. There will never be shortage of upcoming talents. Pak just need to sort out the administration side of their domestic cricket and they should be fine.

 

[Usman Chadda]

England, India, NZ are 3 strong SF spots for me. There will be a fight between AUS and WI for the 4th.
Pak/SA/BD will lose out on SF spot by winning 4 or less games. SL will win one or two games. AFG will not win a single game.

I don't see Windies beating Afghanistan even at the World Cup. They'll get smashed. Bangladesh have a better chance of reaching the semis than Windies IMO.

Fourth semi-final spot belongs to South Africa, unless Pakistan has an inspired run once again. I don't see Australia reaching the semis this time.

 

[battler]

None. India will win

 

[Nikhil_cric]

[MENTION=113824]Nikhil_cric[/MENTION] Aus, NZ, India have been strong tournament teams in the last decade. They are very well organized. England is simply the best ODI team in the world now. Bring Lewis, Russell and Narine and this WI team is very exploasive. They can blow hot and cold but have the capability to win 5 or 6 games.

I'm not suggesting that England will win it but I think they are guaranteed semifinalists at this point. Their 15 is almost certain - atleast the core players. They have consistently been good in bilaterals and that should ensure their dominance in the group stage. India have not sorted out their middle order or their combination yet. Still experimenting with players . Australia don't have a quality spinner and we have no idea how rusty Smith and Warner will be on their return. Enzed have key players injured and they don't have the bench strength to replace them imo. We don't even know what WICB will do so i won't comment on that but if they do select their best 15, some teams are definitely going to be in for a big shock.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

I don't see Windies beating Afghanistan even at the World Cup. They'll get smashed. Bangladesh have a better chance of reaching the semis than Windies IMO.

Fourth semi-final spot belongs to South Africa, unless Pakistan has an inspired run once again. I don't see Australia reaching the semis this time.

A full strength Windies XI should not be underestimated on flat tracks. Evin Lewis, Hetmyer, Shai Hope and they have bowlers in OShane/Alazarri/Gabriel/Roach and Bishoo is a decent spinner. Also Holder has improved a lot as an allrounder.

 

[Usman Chadda]

A full strength Windies XI should not be underestimated on flat tracks. Evin Lewis, Hetmyer, Shai Hope and they have bowlers in OShane/Alazarri/Gabriel/Roach and Bishoo is a decent spinner. Also Holder has improved a lot as an allrounder.

With all due respect, they are a much better Test team than an ODI team. Don't let this one win against India fool you. I expect the Windies to be the worst performing team in the World Cup, and fully expect Afghanistan to beat them in a convincing manner and announce themselves.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

With all due respect, they are a much better Test team than an ODI team. Don't let this one win against India fool you. I expect the Windies to be the worst performing team in the World Cup, and fully expect Afghanistan to beat them in a convincing manner and announce themselves.

Afghanistan can beat a lot of teams or atleast run them close on helpful pitches as we saw in the Asia Cup. But on pitches where they may not get grip, the threat of rashid and mujeeb will be neutralised somewhat and the difference between them and quality batting sides will come to the fore. Not saying Windies can win anything substantial but they can cause a couple of upsets easily. Potential banana peel for any team.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Great thread Sully bro.

Both nations are among the greatest overall and more so in global tournaments. Bhaijaan has no doubt that BOTH will recover just time to give a great fight in the world cup 2019.

Bhaijaan's tournament favorites right now :-

1. India
2. England

Underdogs -
Pakistan, South Africa

 

[Ab Fan]

I think amidst all the hype between India and England, Pakistan will be the team that will win the World Cup.

The ever so unpredictable, the underdogs, the guys deliver when it matters.

My bet for WC final is Shaheen Shah Afridi to run through England in final with figures of 6-23 and England will probably be mauled at 123 with Buttler not out at 31*(42). In reply, Babar to seize Pakistan to chase by 8 wickets with a cool 56*(75).

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

If you speak about technically recovering, it's Australia.

Pakistan, then won't recover but, they'll surely punch about their weight as it's in Eng.

 

[hadi123]

Australia. Never write them off. I can't see Pakistan winning the World Cup unfortunately.

 

[bujhee kom]

I am old enough to know that WC = Aus will be ready.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Pakistan are little off balance with their team selection. They can’t afford to have too many bits and pieces in one lineup. Hafeez and Malik or Shadab and faheem. I will take imad too if he can concentrate more on his batting. Three bits n pieces is more than enough, need to have 5 proper batsman as the modern odi game is batsman heavy and scoring runs is the success mantra. Even if u restrict the opponent to less than 300, still need batsmen to score that target.

 

[Bilal7]

Pakistan is not in a "shambles" right now. Their bowling attack is in excellent shape and they also have four spots in the batting order all figured out. What they need to do is find a proper #6 batsman, get Haris Sohail back in and hope that everyone hits form at the right time. This, is a strong group of 12 players. Fill in the gaps with good players and you have a squad that is definitely capable of winning the WC:

1) Imam ul Haq
2) Fakhar Zaman
3) Babar Azam
4) Haris Sohail
5) Shoaib Malik
6) ?
7) Sarfaraz Ahmed
8) Shadab Khan
9) Hasan Ali
10) Mohammad Amir
11) Junaid Khan

12) Shaheen Shah Afridi
13) Faheem Ashraf
14) ?
15) ?
16) ?

 

[topspin]

^

This guy is as clueless as it gets. Should really stick to local sports in the North American Continent where he resides. Somehow he has Shaheen as his 12th man

A lesser bowler than Junaid Khan? Give me a break!

Even though it's early days he's our best prospect from all the young upcoming players we have. The only bowler we have in LOIs who has all the ingredients to be our next pace bowling great but you would rather pick a gun barrel straight, injury prone, no swing bowling of a trundler.

 

[Ab Fan]

Pakistan is not in a "shambles" right now. Their bowling attack is in excellent shape and they also have four spots in the batting order all figured out. What they need to do is find a proper #6 batsman, get Haris Sohail back in and hope that everyone hits form at the right time. This, is a strong group of 12 players. Fill in the gaps with good players and you have a squad that is definitely capable of winning the WC:

1) Imam ul Haq
2) Fakhar Zaman
3) Babar Azam
4) Haris Sohail
5) Shoaib Malik
6) ?
7) Sarfaraz Ahmed
8) Shadab Khan
9) Hasan Ali
10) Mohammad Amir
11) Junaid Khan

12) Shaheen Shah Afridi
13) Faheem Ashraf
14) ?
15) ?
16) ?

Get in Shaheen ahead of Amir or Junaid. He will win you WC 2019. The Wasim Akram of 1992 moment can be revived only by Shaheen. If you don't pick him, you are literally throwing WC from your hand.

The guy is handsome and has a superstar look with him. Will attract more audience as well.

 

[topspin]

Get in Shaheen ahead of Amir or Junaid. He will win you WC 2019. The Wasim Akram of 1992 moment can be revived only by Shaheen. If you don't pick him, you are literally throwing WC from your hand.

The guy is handsome and has a superstar look with him. Will attract more audience as well.

Precisely well said - some much needed common sense on this thread at last!

 

[Bilal7]

^

This guy is as clueless as it gets. Should really stick to local sports in the North American Continent where he resides. Somehow he has Shaheen as his 12th man

A lesser bowler than Junaid Khan? Give me a break!

Even though it's early days he's our best prospect from all the young upcoming players we have. The only bowler we have in LOIs who has all the ingredients to be our next pace bowling great but you would rather pick a gun barrel straight, injury prone, no swing bowling of a trundler.

Yes, I will pick a bowler who has played 71 matches and averages below 28 with the ball over an 18 year old who has played just 4 matches thus far.

You really should take a break.

 

[topspin]

Yes, I will pick a bowler who has played 71 matches and averages below 28 with the ball over an 18 year old who has played just 4 matches thus far.

You really should take a break.

8 wickets in 20 overs against a one of the best batting sides in the world and I'm the one who should take a break?

Junaid was past after his injury in 2013. Even you know deep down, you screwed up here. A revised XI would be suffice and all will be forgotten...

 

[Bilal7]

Get in Shaheen ahead of Amir or Junaid. He will win you WC 2019. The Wasim Akram of 1992 moment can be revived only by Shaheen. If you don't pick him, you are literally throwing WC from your hand.

The guy is handsome and has a superstar look with him. Will attract more audience as well.

Lol.

Shaheen has played four matches thus far. No, he is not the new Wasim Akram and no, there is nothing to suggest he will win us the WC. He is going to have some poor matches going forward but the important thing is to keep him in the squad and let him gain some experience and exposure.

 

[topspin]

OMG what is wrong with this guy?

To repeat he wants a 130 kph trundling gun barrel straight bowler who can't swing it and is very much injury prone.

Great logic from our friend in Canada.

 

[Bilal7]

8 wickets in 20 overs against a one of the best batting sides in the world and I'm the one who should take a break?

Junaid was past after his injury in 2013. Even you know deep down, you screwed up here. A revised XI would be suffice and all will be forgotten...

Like I said, let your spasm die down and then get back to me. You're clearly a very excitable person so Shaheen's success over the last two matches is making your system go into overdrive.

Junaid was fantastic in the Champions Trophy and the one match he played in the Asia Cup but of course, all that did not happen two minutes ago so you don't remember.

 

[topspin]

Like I said, let your spasm die down and then get back to me. You're clearly a very excitable person so Shaheen's success over the last two matches is making your system go into overdrive.

Junaid was fantastic in the Champions Trophy and the one match he played in the Asia Cup but of course, all that did not happen two minutes ago so you don't remember.

Let your spasm over Junaid die down first. I've followed Shaheen before his international days. As I said everyone knows including yourself knows you screwed up here.

If you said Faheem I may have stayed quiet but as soon as you mentioned such mediocrity you got exposed big time.

Junaid was superb in the CT however you need to realise that past performance doesn't equate to future performance especially if they lack swing bowling skills, pace and are injury prone.

 

[Hawkeye]

Anyone who wants Junaid Khan in the team has lost it.

No idea about cricket.

Or bowling.

[MENTION=129948]Bilal7[/MENTION] bro time to let it go. Sometimes it's nice to accept that you were/are wrong. Junaid was decent in the start, esp with the old ball. But was finished in 2014.

Picking him is inviting the opposition to win, because you're one bowler short.
[MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION] too.

 

[topspin]

Anyone who wants Junaid Khan in the team has lost it.

No idea about cricket.

Or bowling.

[MENTION=129948]Bilal7[/MENTION] bro time to let it go. Sometimes it's nice to accept that you were/are wrong. Junaid was decent in the start, esp with the old ball. But was finished in 2014.

Picking him is inviting the opposition to win, because you're one bowler short.
[MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION] too.

Well said. Some more much needed common sense needed in this thread.

 

[Ab Fan]

Lol.

Shaheen has played four matches thus far. No, he is not the new Wasim Akram and no, there is nothing to suggest he will win us the WC. He is going to have some poor matches going forward but the important thing is to keep him in the squad and let him gain some experience and exposure.

It is unfortunate to see such an experienced poster who has had great share of debates and has manmoth cricketing knowledge fails to see a prospect like Shaheen Shah Afridi.

The guy has all the ingredients to be one of the great fast bowlers of all-time. He has height, pace, swings the ball both ways, gets awkward bounce and is smart, handsome and has that superstar look in him.

Guys like Amir who averages 31 with the bowl and not 28 are almost done as bowler and if Pakistan has to continue living in mediocrity, then go with him. You guys seriously should go past guys like Amir and Junaid.

 

[Mamoon]

Shaheen is a brilliant prospect. The only things that stand between him and a great career are (1)The Pakistani Curse and (2) injuries.

If he can avoid that, we are looking at a 600+ international wickets career.

 

[topspin]

"Before his international days", you mean tue days where Shaheen averaged over 30 in the handful of List 'A' matches that he played?

I thought "Junaid was finished in 2013" but apparently not because now "Junaid was superb in the CT". So my question to you is, why can't Junaid be superb in the WC next year too, given that he'll be bowling in the same country against the same opposition with more or less, the same teammates?

You need to go take a break now. Hopefully, after this rush of giddy excitement dies down you'll start thinking straight.



Did no one ever teach you to not use 'handicap' as an insult?

You've been told to let it go and I would advise you for your sake to take their advice. 3 have vouched for SSA but none for JK. You know you lost the plot and resorted to personal remarks like "spasm" and "take your meds". Don't try to play saint here when I merely stood up for myself.

As for the insults you made it personal not me.

 

[Bilal7]

Anyone who wants Junaid Khan in the team has lost it.

No idea about cricket.

Or bowling.

[MENTION=129948]Bilal7[/MENTION] bro time to let it go. Sometimes it's nice to accept that you were/are wrong. Junaid was decent in the start, esp with the old ball. But was finished in 2014.

Picking him is inviting the opposition to win, because you're one bowler short.
[MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION] too.

Do you realize that Junaid averages 21 with the ball this year and 28 over the last two years? Did you forget that he was an important part of the team that won the CT?

 

[Bilal7]

If anything, Junaid has struggled against NZ and AUS. Against all other teams, he averages 21 with an economy rate of below 4.5 over the last two years.

But of course, he was finished in 2013 and Shaheen Shah Afridi is a more accomplished bowler because he had two great games.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Both will be ready. Australia in ICC WC will be a different beast and Pakistan in England is always an intimidating prospect. The best thing for these 2 teams is that there is no ATG team in ODI cricket presently, so even if they don't give flawless performance they have the tools to win the cup. I will have both of them way above India in terms of probability of winning.

 

[austerlitz]

I don't see Windies beating Afghanistan even at the World Cup. They'll get smashed. Bangladesh have a better chance of reaching the semis than Windies IMO.

Fourth semi-final spot belongs to South Africa, unless Pakistan has an inspired run once again. I don't see Australia reaching the semis this time.

Lewis
Narine
Hope
Hetmyer
Bravo
Samuels/Pollard
Russell
Holder
Gabriel
Thomas
Roach/Paul/Mccoy/Nurse

Doesnt seem like a team i would underestimate.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

If anything, Junaid has struggled against NZ and AUS. Against all other teams, he averages 21 with an economy rate of below 4.5 over the last two years.

But of course, he was finished in 2013 and Shaheen Shah Afridi is a more accomplished bowler because he had two great games.

His stats this year can be discounted since thats against Zimbabwe C and then Bangladesh.

 

[Bilal7]

It is unfortunate to see such an experienced poster who has had great share of debates and has manmoth cricketing knowledge fails to see a prospect like Shaheen Shah Afridi.

The guy has all the ingredients to be one of the great fast bowlers of all-time. He has height, pace, swings the ball both ways, gets awkward bounce and is smart, handsome and has that superstar look in him.

Guys like Amir who averages 31 with the bowl and not 28 are almost done as bowler and if Pakistan has to continue living in mediocrity, then go with him. You guys seriously should go past guys like Amir and Junaid.

He's a prospect who has only played four matches. To claim that he's going to win us the World Cup based on two matches is laughable.

Us guys will be quite happy to play the same bowling attack that won us the CT two years ago. Shaheen should only come in if he keeps his current performance up for the next several months.

You've been told to let it go and I would advise you for your sake to take their advice. 3 have vouched for SSA but none for JK. You know you lost the plot and resorted to personal remarks like "spasm" and "take your meds". Don't try to play saint here when I merely stood up for myself.

As for the insults you made it personal not me.

As it happens, I'm not a sheep. So no, I won't get on the bandwagon after four matches and as it stands, my bowling attack will be Amir, Hasan, Junaid and Shadab, with Shaheen and Fahim on the bench.

You are welcome to stop and "let it go", given it was you who initially had a problem over MY proposed WC squad. Stick to whining about how awful the team is, it suits you much better.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Lewis
Narine
Hope
Hetmyer
Bravo
Samuels/Pollard
Russell
Holder
Gabriel
Thomas
Roach/Paul/Mccoy/Nurse

Doesnt seem like a team i would underestimate.

All inconsistent players, besides Holder to a certain extent. What's with the fascination with this Windies team all of a sudden?

 

[Bilal7]

His stats this year can be discounted since thats against Zimbabwe C and then Bangladesh.

The narrative is that he was finished in 2013 so no, they cannot be discounted given those are the only matches he has played.

 

[Markhor]

We'd have a chance is our top six were any good. Our batting stats against non minnows are atrocious - not a single batsman who have played a minimum of 4 innings averages over 35 in ODIs in 2018.

If you go one by one in our top six - everyone has a weakness that can be exploited. Fakhar Zaman's weakness against legstump deliveries is being exposed, Imam-ul-Haq's stats are inflated from minnow bashing and has a limited range of shots and Babar Azam only averages 34@80 against the top 7 sides. Meanwhile, the three amigos Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez and Sarfraz Ahmed struggle against any decent pace attack.

We need to bring Haris Sohail back as he's the only batsman with two fifties this year against non minnows, and test out Saud Shakeel.

Bowling-wise I'm not as worried with the emergence of Shaheen Afridi but the decline of Hasan Ali is concerning and needs to sit out a few matches.

 

[rhony]

All inconsistent players, besides Holder to a certain extent. What's with the fascination with this Windies team all of a sudden?

I think people realized that this WI team is very dynamic. The tracks will be flat in the WC and this WI team is definitely a dark horse. There are shades of the SL team in 1996. A team packed with impact batsmen and a decent bowling unit. Again, they need Lewis, Russell and Narine to be that dark horse. This to me looks like a very open WC and the format allows teams to come back after bad starts as Pak did in 92 and will reward consistency.

SA and Pak for some reason have a few pieces missing at this point. Things could change in the next 6 months.

 

[Bilal7]

We'd have a chance is our top six were any good. Our batting stats against non minnows are atrocious - not a single batsman who have played a minimum of 4 innings averages over 35 in ODIs in 2018.

If you go one by one in our top six - everyone has a weakness that can be exploited. Fakhar Zaman's weakness against legstump deliveries is being exposed, Imam-ul-Haq's stats are inflated from minnow bashing and has a limited range of shots and Babar Azam only averages 34@80 against the top 7 sides. Meanwhile, the three amigos Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez and Sarfraz Ahmed struggle against any decent pace attack.

We need to bring Haris Sohail back as he's the only batsman with two fifties this year against non minnows, and test out Saud Shakeel.

Bowling-wise I'm not as worried with the emergence of Shaheen Afridi but the decline of Hasan Ali is concerning and needs to sit out a few matches.

Haris in for Hafeez will make this a better batting lineup. More importantly, we need a proper #6 batsman.

 

[rhony]

He's a prospect who has only played four matches. To claim that he's going to win us the World Cup based on two matches is laughable.

Us guys will be quite happy to play the same bowling attack that won us the CT two years ago. Shaheen should only come in if he keeps his current performance up for the next several months.



As it happens, I'm not a sheep. So no, I won't get on the bandwagon after four matches and as it stands, my bowling attack will be Amir, Hasan, Junaid and Shadab, with Shaheen and Fahim on the bench.

You are welcome to stop and "let it go", given it was you who initially had a problem over MY proposed WC squad. Stick to whining about how awful the team is, it suits you much better.

Yes it's only 4 games but the way he has taken to international cricket is amazing. His dismissal of Latham today proves my point. Kid's got great skills and he is not afraid to execute.

 

[topspin]

He's a prospect who has only played four matches. To claim that he's going to win us the World Cup based on two matches is laughable.

Us guys will be quite happy to play the same bowling attack that won us the CT two years ago. Shaheen should only come in if he keeps his current performance up for the next several months.



As it happens, I'm not a sheep. So no, I won't get on the bandwagon after four matches and as it stands, my bowling attack will be Amir, Hasan, Junaid and Shadab, with Shaheen and Fahim on the bench.

You are welcome to stop and "let it go", given it was you who initially had a problem over MY proposed WC squad. Stick to whining about how awful the team is, it suits you much better.

If you're going to select Junaid over Shaheen, you're going to open yourself up for ridicule. If it wasn't me it would have been someone else. To back this up I'll quote from another respected poster:

"Anyone who wants Junaid Khan in the team has lost it.

No idea about cricket.

Or bowling"

You argument is SSA has only played 4 games and shouldn't be an automatic starter however whether you like it or not he is currently our best LOI pacer and has a higher ceiling than Amir, Hasan Ali, Junaid, Shinwari, Rumman and etc because he has more bowling skills, steep bounce (far taller than the other short bowlers) and pace (145+) to take wickets out of the equation.

Reason why I'm excited about him is because he is our best prospect since Mohammad Asif and Amir (when he was 17) - so I don't rate players highly so early in their careers until I'm entirely convinced they have ticked all the boxes which he has for me. Yes he can improve for e.g. develop a lethal short ball but if he can stay injury free and not let success gets to his head I'm convinced he will become a superstar.

I didn't mention you to put you down but it left a lot of us gobsmacked. Also if you're going to post Junaid's average this year, please don't be so disingenuous about it. You know he's played just 5 ODIs all against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh except the one game against NZ in the last match where he was mediocre. You have a lot to learn about the game.

 

[topspin]

All inconsistent players, besides Holder to a certain extent. What's with the fascination with this Windies team all of a sudden?

You've obviously not heard of Hetmeyer?

 

[austerlitz]

All inconsistent players, besides Holder to a certain extent. What's with the fascination with this Windies team all of a sudden?

Fine.Underestimate them,dont be surprised if they give pak a knockout blow in 19WC.In hetmyer and hope they have 2 batsmen who can single handedly win a match,even ruling out other beasts like russell.In pak batting there is not a single guy of whom the same can be said.I rate the WI side as approx equal of pak,and capable of beating anyone on their day.

 

[Usman Chadda]

I think people realized that this WI team is very dynamic. The tracks will be flat in the WC and this WI team is definitely a dark horse. There are shades of the SL team in 1996. A team packed with impact batsmen and a decent bowling unit. Again, they need Lewis, Russell and Narine to be that dark horse. This to me looks like a very open WC and the format allows teams to come back after bad starts as Pak did in 92 and will reward consistency.

SA and Pak for some reason have a few pieces missing at this point. Things could change in the next 6 months.

Nah, I think the fact that Windies had two good games against India in India has skewed the opinion a wee bit. This same set of players have been getting smashed left, right and centre and have shown absolutely zero evidence that they can achieve anything more than one or two upsets at the World Cup. They are all inconsistent and volatile players, who seldom have good games as a team. As a test team they have potential, with Gabriel and Roach forming a decent attack in helpful conditions.

Their struggles are evident by how they struggled to get through the WC Qualifiers recently. I would love to be proven wrong since they play with quite a bit of flair, but have seen enough of this Windies side to not take them seriously.

 

[Ab Fan]

[MENTION=147270]the_outsider[/MENTION], I told na that Pakistan will eventually make a comeback in this series and can win both the ODIs and eventually win the series. This is Pakistan for you.

Remember the T20 tri-series against Aus and Zim. They got humiliated in first T20 vs Australia when Pakistan suffered a collapse at very low score but look how they made a comeback and won tri-series.

Remember CT, got humiliated by India in league match and then made a phenomenal comeback,putting SA, England and India into dust.

There is a reason why our Bhaijaan, [MENTION=65183]freelance_cricketer[/MENTION] consider Pakistan as the greatest cricket nation ever.

I predict Pakistan to get humiliated in WC 2019 by England in a league match but they will eventually make a comeback and won the tournament, and Sarfaraz will eventually reclaim the feat only Imran achieved.

 

[rhony]

[MENTION=147270]the_outsider[/MENTION], I told na that Pakistan will eventually make a comeback in this series and can win both the ODIs and eventually win the series. This is Pakistan for you.

Remember the T20 tri-series against Aus and Zim. They got humiliated in first T20 vs Australia when Pakistan suffered a collapse at very low score but look how they made a comeback and won tri-series.

Remember CT, got humiliated by India in league match and then made a phenomenal comeback,putting SA, England and India into dust.

There is a reason why our Bhaijaan, [MENTION=65183]freelance_cricketer[/MENTION] consider Pakistan as the greatest cricket nation ever.

I predict Pakistan to get humiliated in WC 2019 by England in a league match but they will eventually make a comeback and won the tournament, and Sarfaraz will eventually reclaim the feat only Imran achieved.

Pakistan can always surprise. They can destroy you if their bowling clicks. I know a lot of PPers talk about Pak batting but bowling is the key. They are capable of restricting teams to less than 230 and when they do, they win more often than not because their batting can chase that down. The accumulators in the team are designed for those scores. There could be a one off like CT final where they do both extremely well but their USP has always been bowling teams out for subpar scores in their wins.

 

[rhony]

Nah, I think the fact that Windies had two good games against India in India has skewed the opinion a wee bit. This same set of players have been getting smashed left, right and centre and have shown absolutely zero evidence that they can achieve anything more than one or two upsets at the World Cup. They are all inconsistent and volatile players, who seldom have good games as a team. As a test team they have potential, with Gabriel and Roach forming a decent attack in helpful conditions.

Their struggles are evident by how they struggled to get through the WC Qualifiers recently. I would love to be proven wrong since they play with quite a bit of flair, but have seen enough of this Windies side to not take them seriously.

They can win against AFG, SL, BD comfortably. They are capable of winning against Pak, SA. That leaves them riding their luck against at least one of the remaining 4 - Eng, India, NZ and AUS. I believe you need to win 5 definitely or 6 to make it easier to semis without NRR coming into the picture.

 

[Suleiman]

Pakistan is not in a "shambles" right now. Their bowling attack is in excellent shape and they also have four spots in the batting order all figured out. What they need to do is find a proper #6 batsman, get Haris Sohail back in and hope that everyone hits form at the right time. This, is a strong group of 12 players. Fill in the gaps with good players and you have a squad that is definitely capable of winning the WC:

1) Imam ul Haq
2) Fakhar Zaman
3) Babar Azam
4) Haris Sohail
5) Shoaib Malik
6) ?
7) Sarfaraz Ahmed
8) Shadab Khan
9) Hasan Ali
10) Mohammad Amir
11) Junaid Khan

12) Shaheen Shah Afridi
13) Faheem Ashraf
14) ?
15) ?
16) ?

Billu I am the biggest supporter of Pakistan cricket in this forum and I even I know that no wins against top teams since CT17= shambles. 9 for 9 in 2018, today we will break it and kickstart our rise to greatness.

If there is one thing you can’t take away from this team is that these guys fight tooth and nail for country in tournaments so happen to peak at the right times

Shaheen Shah Afridi is the face of Pakistan cricket right now.

All aboard the SS Afridi

 

[Usman Chadda]

They can win against AFG, SL, BD comfortably. They are capable of winning against Pak, SA. That leaves them riding their luck against at least one of the remaining 4 - Eng, India, NZ and AUS. I believe you need to win 5 definitely or 6 to make it easier to semis without NRR coming into the picture.

Bangladesh beat them in a convincing manner in West Indies and Afghanistan beat them the last time they faced off (IIRC). They can cause an upset or two, but I don't see them making it to the semis. Maybe in 2023.

 

[rhony]

Bangladesh beat them in a convincing manner in West Indies and Afghanistan beat them the last time they faced off (IIRC). They can cause an upset or two, but I don't see them making it to the semis. Maybe in 2023.

I guess they are going to play BD next in BD. That could confirm a few theories.

 

[bujhee kom]

Shaheen is a brilliant prospect. The only things that stand between him and a great career are (1)The Pakistani Curse and (2) injuries.

If he can avoid that, we are looking at a 600+ international wickets career.

Earlier you were so pessimistic.

 

[Napa]

Get in Shaheen ahead of Amir or Junaid. He will win you WC 2019. The Wasim Akram of 1992 moment can be revived only by Shaheen. If you don't pick him, you are literally throwing WC from your hand.

The guy is handsome and has a superstar look with him. Will attract more audience as well.

Just this year Shaheen got smacked for 62 runs in his 10 overs by... wait for it... the India U19 team.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...19s-semi-final-icc-under-19-world-cup-2017-18

And now you are expecting him to win you the WC next year?

 

[Ab Fan]

Just this year Shaheen got smacked for 62 runs in his 10 overs by... wait for it... the India U19 team.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...19s-semi-final-icc-under-19-world-cup-2017-18

And now you are expecting him to win you the WC next year?

Well, India U19 are not participating in World Cup.

 

[TeymurBlake]

With Smith and Warner returning for Australia by the time of the world cup, I would say they have a better chance at winning or performing much better at the World Cup 2019. We have Hafeez and Malik in our middle order.

 

[DRsohail]

Just this year Shaheen got smacked for 62 runs in his 10 overs by... wait for it... the India U19 team.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...19s-semi-final-icc-under-19-world-cup-2017-18

And now you are expecting him to win you the WC next year?

He can but cricket is a team game.Anwar Ali won us u19 Wc so going by your logic he should have won us or Rohit got out to him so he would not win WC for India?

 

[babajee]

Just this year Shaheen got smacked for 62 runs in his 10 overs by... wait for it... the India U19 team.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...19s-semi-final-icc-under-19-world-cup-2017-18

And now you are expecting him to win you the WC next year?

Bumrah got smacked for like 68 runs in his 9 overs in the CT final against Pakistan.

And you think he's the best bowler in the world?

See how stupid this logic is.

 

[Ab Fan]

Just this year Shaheen got smacked for 62 runs in his 10 overs by... wait for it... the India U19 team.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...19s-semi-final-icc-under-19-world-cup-2017-18

And now you are expecting him to win you the WC next year?

On a more serious note, you won't see me hyping any random player of any country any now or then. I am massively impressed by SS Afridi and of course although my point of SS winning WC was obviously over the top as it clearly looked, I believe he has all ingredients which a great fast bowler needs to have. Last time, I made a thread on how Butter is a great potential and needs to be brought in test arena and not get wasted.

You see the result, in 75-80 days time from being nowhere to be mentioned in test squad, he is now the vice captain of England test team and a couple of knowledgeable English posters are rooting for him to become the captain as well.

I think SS Afridi won't be the waste and this is first time I am putting my bet on a Pak player.

 

[BDfanforever]

Only Eng is outright favorite. With all due respect to AFG, i dont see a semi spot for them.

Between rest anyone can make the semis. For BD, hopefully Litton and Soumya finds forms during WC.

 

[Napa]

Bumrah got smacked for like 68 runs in his 9 overs in the CT final against Pakistan.

And you think he's the best bowler in the world?

See how stupid this logic is.

I don't think you guys quite understand that a U19 team is significantly weaker than the national team.

He can but cricket is a team game.Anwar Ali won us u19 Wc so going by your logic he should have won us or Rohit got out to him so he would not win WC for India?

No, your logic is faulty. I did not say that a victorious U19 team can be expected to win the WC. I said that if you can't perform against a U19 team, you are unlikely to perform against national teams.

 

[Napa]

On a more serious note, you won't see me hyping any random player of any country any now or then. I am massively impressed by SS Afridi and of course although my point of SS winning WC was obviously over the top as it clearly looked, I believe he has all ingredients which a great fast bowler needs to have.

I think SS Afridi won't be the waste and this is first time I am putting my bet on a Pak player.

Fair enough, you could well be correct. I have followed Afridi as closely as you have.

 

[babajee]

I don't think you guys quite understand that a U19 team is significantly weaker than the national team.

No, your logic is faulty. I did not say that a victorious U19 team can be expected to win the WC. I said that if you can't perform against a U19 team, you are unlikely to perform against national teams.

He had a bad day vs India but so what? Was really good throughout the rest of the tournament.

And he has just taken 2 consecutive 4fers vs New Zealand, but no, he is unlikely to perform against national teams

 

[topspin]

Bumrah got smacked for like 68 runs in his 9 overs in the CT final against Pakistan.

And you think he's the best bowler in the world?

See how stupid this logic is.

Well said that's more like it.

Nonsensical and idiotic of the highest order to bring up Shaheen's U19 matches. If he was to play that game again today, more often than not he would rip apart that those U19 school kids.

 

[DRsohail]

I don't think you guys quite understand that a U19 team is significantly weaker than the national team.



No, your logic is faulty. I did not say that a victorious U19 team can be expected to win the WC. I said that if you can't perform against a U19 team, you are unlikely to perform against national teams.

lolz have you checked highest wicket taker of u19 WC?come with better logic.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Well said that's more like it.

Nonsensical and idiotic of the highest order to bring up Shaheen's U19 matches. If he was to play that game again today, more often than not he would rip apart that those U19 school kids.

He had a bad day vs India but so what? Was really good throughout the rest of the tournament.

And he has just taken 2 consecutive 4fers vs New Zealand, but no, he is unlikely to perform against national teams

I think you both missed the point [MENTION=142162]Napa[/MENTION] is trying to make about U19 bowlers not having the ability to develop further into their careers. According to him, there's no way Shaheen Afridi could have become a better bowler by playing international cricket.

He has every reason to since the Indian captain right now (and his team's best batsman) dominated the U19WC he played in 2008, by scoring the most runs in the tournament. Oh wait...

 

[Napa]

He had a bad day vs India but so what? Was really good throughout the rest of the tournament.

And he has just taken 2 consecutive 4fers vs New Zealand, but no, he is unlikely to perform against national teams

It wasn't as if did much against India's national team in the Asia Cup, but maybe the conditions in England will suit him better.

 

[BDfanforever]

SSA is a good find for Pakistan. He has a clean bowling action and decent pace. Then again even M Irfan was also a good find initially then faded away.

 

[Napa]

I think you both missed the point [MENTION=142162]Napa[/MENTION] is trying to make about U19 bowlers not having the ability to develop further into their careers. According to him, there's no way Shaheen Afridi could have become a better bowler by playing international cricket.

He has every reason to since the Indian captain right now (and his team's best batsman) dominated the U19WC he played in 2008, by scoring the most runs in the tournament. Oh wait...

No doubt U19 players will get better with time, but if you read my post it said "Just this year". From getting smacked by U19 batsmen in 2018 to winning the WC is 2019 would require a massive improvement.

Anyway, I don't get your point. Kohli did well in U19, Afridi did not do well in U19.

 

[topspin]

I think you both missed the point [MENTION=142162]Napa[/MENTION] is trying to make about U19 bowlers not having the ability to develop further into their careers. According to him, there's no way Shaheen Afridi could have become a better bowler by playing international cricket.

He has every reason to since the Indian captain right now (and his team's best batsman) dominated the U19WC he played in 2008, by scoring the most runs in the tournament. Oh wait...

Except the the highest run scorer was some nobody called Tanmay Srivastava. He's a failed cricketer now which shows how irrelevant the tournament is after a while.

I totally get where he is coming from and may have sounded reasonable if he was to make the statement right after the U19 WC final but to bring it up now? Shaheen isn't the same bowler he was then, he's better coached at international level and has kept up with the learning curve so far from his little exposure to international cricket.

 

[MMHS]

I am not sure why the word "Recover" is related to AUS? They were never in slump to be honest. Yes, I agree they are ranked 6th now, but that just indicates that they performed poor in bilateral series.

I wrote it in their game thread last night - including Smith & Warner (they'll be back & back with a bang), 6, may be 7 spots are fixed and solid enough; they are rotating squad for the rest 4-5 spots. And, it's not that they don't have options, rather they have too many options, which makes it look like Aussies are struggling to find a combination.

Considering WC in ENG, as of now this is probably AUS's 16 men squad

1. Warner
2. Finch
3. Lynn
4. Smith*
5. Head
6. Mitch
7. Carey/Wade+ (One will make the squad, Ben Mcdermott is back-up WK)
8. Cummins
9. Strac
10. Zampa
11. Hazlewood
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Short, Maxwell, Stoinis, Tye, Ben Mcdermott (back-up WK as well)

If this squad needs to "recover" in a WC in UK, where they are assured of 9 games to make SF, I am sure there has to be at least 6 better squad than this in contemporary world.

 

[topspin]

SSA is a good find for Pakistan. He has a clean bowling action and decent pace. Then again even M Irfan was also a good find initially then faded away.

Irfan was a different bowler. He operated in one mode and that was banging the ball half way down the track. It was inevitably going to be predictable and plus he was injury prone + had fitness issues.

 

[Chokli]

Pakistan usually raises their game in one off matches...

I'll go with the usual slow start and then slowly getting victories, gaining traction and peaking at the right time.

Will probably finish 3rd or 4th and go on to win the cup.