Pakistan's road to the final in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022

[MenInG]

So here are the matches which we will play

And once we get through the above stage

==

The eighth edition of the T20 World Cup is now around the corner and 16 top teams from across the world will once again battle it out for the glittering trophy that currently is in possession of hosts Australia.

The competition officially begins October 16 and a total of 45 matches are set to be played across 7 venues -- Adelaide, Brisbane, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

While the semis will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the Adelaide Oval, the final will be hosted by the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 13th.

THE 16 TEAMS:

Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Namibia, Scotland, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Ireland, UAE, Netherlands and Zimbabwe are officially the teams participating in this year's tournament Down Under.

THE FORMAT:

The event format will be group stage matches to determine 4 qualifier teams in Round 1, followed by the Super 12s (where 8 teams will be waiting for the 4 qualifiers) and then the knockouts (semis and final).

Beginning October 16, Round 1 of the T20 World Cup will commence which will see 8 teams competing for a place in the Super 12 phase of the tournament.

Teams in Round 1 (Qualifiers):

Group A - Namibia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates
Group B - Ireland, Scotland, West Indies and Zimbabwe

The top two teams in both Groups A and B will advance to the Super 12 phase where they will meet the other 8 already qualified teams.

The Super 12 phase begins on October 22 and comprises 2 Groups, each of which will have 6 teams - 4 teams which have already qualified plus two qualifiers each from Round 1.

SUPER 12 GROUPS:

Group 1 -Australia, England, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Group A Winner and Group B Runner-up
Group 2 - India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, Group B Winner and Group A Runner-up

Trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand will kick-start the Super 12 phase on October 22 at the Sydney Cricket Ground while the high-octane marquee clash - the India vs Pakistan match is set to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 23.

Teams in both Groups 1 and 2 will lock horns once each with the other 5 teams in their groups to try and finish in the top two.

The top 4 teams (2 from each group) of the Super 12 phase will then qualify for the semi-finals.

THE SEMI-FINALS:

The first semi-final will be played on November 9 in Sydney, while the second semi-final will be played on November 10 in Adelaide.

THE FINAL:

After a gap of two days the Final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 will be held at the iconic MCG on November 13.

 

[Rana]

After seeing NZ yesterday I feel both groups are equally tough

It depends on which sides (West Indies or Sri Lanka) come into our group

I don’t want Sri Lanka. West Indies are beatable

 

[Bewal Express]

I see an early exit. We have a middle order that would shame most Club teams. Our bowling is good but as always it will come down to Babar and Riz

 

[Rana]

I see an early exit. We have a middle order that would shame most Club teams. Our bowling is good but as always it will come down to Babar and Riz

Yes let’s throw the middle order under the bus

 

[alone1213]

It comes down to that pathetic middle order Pakistan has.
But realistically i only care about beating India
I would be very very happy if they beat India.

They won't win the world cup but they can surely beat that poor Indian team.

 

[Sunny_majoka]

Pakistan always has find a way to secure a place in semi final, this time also we will play semi final at least

 

[Babeikh]

Capable of reaching the semi finals for sure.....after that it comes down to peaking at the right time and individual performances can swing a game.

India game could go either way. Should comfortably beat Bangladesh, West Indies and (likely) Namibia. South Africa game is really the crucial one, especially if we lose to India.

 

[Bewal Express]

Yes let’s throw the middle order under the bus

What middle order? There isn't a middle order when the number 8 is better than the number 4,5 and 6.

 

[sweep_shot]

Pakistan should go to semi at least.

Pakistan are likely to face West Indies, Netherlands, India, Bangladesh, and South Africa. Pakistan should win at least 3 (if not 4 or even 5).

In semi, it can get a bit tricky if they face Australia.

 

[GreenKhan]

Pakistan have a good chance of making the semi finals .

India -
At this stage it’s a tough one to call. Both teams are getting to the stage now where you can say we are quite closely matched .

West Indies - winner of group A-
They have the edge over us in recent ICC events . So it’s a 50-50 especially as it’s not the subcontinent.

Runner up Group A-
Definitely won’t be SL so we should win either of the other 3 teams

South Africa
We have a very good record in ICC tournaments against them . Apart from the 2013 CT can’t remember the last time they beat us.

Bangladesh-
Pakistan are big favourites.

In T20s anything can happen, one destructive over a freak innings etc however Pakistan are capable of winning 4/5 or at worse case 3/5.
That should get us into the semis Inshallah.

 

[Justcrazy]

Pakistan will have to play out of skins to reach semi finals.

 

[TeymurBlake]

It really depends on which team our of Pakistan's group acclimatises with the conditions and pitches.

Looking at how West Indies have been performing, they seem to be struggling, whereas India have had a good record there as of late. But this South Africa team looks pretty good, solid pace attack with good batters and fielding always being consistent.

The expectations on Pakistan being successful have suffered seriously decreases but to be fair, not many people were expecting them to be successful in the first place.

Babar-Rizwan and pace attack are the only positives for Pakistan and that is not enough.

 

[Suleiman]

You know when you eat too much of a certain dish at a dawat, and begin to feel a bit nauseous? That’s what these forced India-Pak games in every tournament feel like by ICC.

Let our paths cross naturally in semis and in finals. They keep forcing us into the same group since like 2012 tournament after tournament, that it takes out the hype somewhat in our clashes.

I understand back in 2012-2016 we were a weak LOI unit and ICC would lose their $$$ opportunity if we got knocked out early and no India-Pak match took place.

That isn’t the case anymore, so please stop pairing us together in every group for every tournament. Mix it up a bit.

 

[Sarwar89]

It will be a repeat of last year T20 World Cup, Pakistan will bring A game suddenly into World cup, specially beating India in front of 94000 people will do something to the morale of our team.

I can take it back to 1987 Eden Gardens 2nd ODI in front of 90000 people, Salim’s blitzkreig won us the match & suddenly Pakistan became unstoppable winning ODI series 5-1 ( should have been 5-0 as 1 tied match was given to India) then Away Test series in India and away test series in England.

In Calcutta Eden Gardens 1999, in front of 100,000 people, Pakistan won the test & literally were unstoppable afterwards winning tri series cup in India then asian test championship, sharjah cup then and reached all the way to world cup final 99.

1st game is the key, Babar beats india at MCG in front of gigantic crowd, adernaline will be so high that he will brush aside other sides.

In Semi final, it is about toss, that day, bit of luck
We manage to win Semi final, i think it will be hard to stop Pakistan winning 2nd World cup at MCG after 30 years span.

Stage is all set.

 

[ChTab]

Definitely Pakistan are in easier group. Pakistan would get murdered in the other group.

 

[ChTab]

You know when you eat too much of a certain dish at a dawat, and begin to feel a bit nauseous? That’s what these forced India-Pak games in every tournament feel like by ICC.

Let our paths cross naturally in semis and in finals. They keep forcing us into the same group since like 2012 tournament after tournament, that it takes out the hype somewhat in our clashes.

I understand back in 2012-2016 we were a weak LOI unit and ICC would lose their $$$ opportunity if we got knocked out early and no India-Pak match took place.

That isn’t the case anymore, so please stop pairing us together in every group for every tournament. Mix it up a bit.

If you're so confident that Pakistan is a good team in LOI's why are you so terrified facing them?

ICC should always keep us in the same group because we're still an average team by keeping both in same group will ensure atleast 1 game between each other.

 

[Suleiman]

If you're so confident that Pakistan is a good team in LOI's why are you so terrified facing them?

ICC should always keep us in the same group because we're still an average team by keeping both in same group will ensure atleast 1 game between each other.

It feels forced is my point, which it is. If anything, what I just said shows my full confidence in the team because I’m talking about facing them in the knockout stages.

Any Pak v India fan who needs to face India in group stages because they don’t know if their team is good enough to get into the KO stages is coming from a place of fear of their team not being good enough to get into the KO stages

 

[ChTab]

It feels forced is my point, which it is. If anything, what I just said shows my full confidence in the team because I’m talking about facing them in the knockout stages.

Any Pak v India fan who needs to face India in group stages because they don’t know if their team is good enough to get into the KO stages is coming from a place of fear of their team not being good enough to get into the KO stages

It's not fear I know for a fact that Pakistan is not a good team, an average team at best. Which was trashed by Eng B team at home.

 

[LegendAli]

It comes down to that pathetic middle order Pakistan has.
But realistically i only care about beating India
I would be very very happy if they beat India.

They won't win the world cup but they can surely beat that poor Indian team.

We just did it 11 months ago yaar 152-0, forget them now.

 

[hitthestump]

Pakistan will have to play out of skins to reach semi finals.

Specifically...Babar and Rizwan will need to play out of their skins and the bowlers will need to have zero off days.

Imo it's too much to ask in Australian conditions.

 

[jnaveen1980]

For Pakistan/SA/India it is a matter of 2 good days. They are through to next round.

 

[Maher96]

Need to play the tournament on a strong foot. Groups are equal, all team have the chance to qualify. Top 4 should be England, Australia, India and Pakistan.

Winning vs South Africa will be more important than vs India I feel.

The rest of the group are well within are reach, need to bring A game in all of the games.

 

[Ozeirk]

Pakistan has had great teams in the past go into the world Cup and still failed. The unpredictability and underdog tag has always suited Pakistan. The fact is they may qualify for the semis but to win the world Cup they have to be exceptional.

I believe Shan Masood and fakhar Zaman can be the unknown that can given them the edge.

The current performers teams will do a lot of home work on. India will come prepared for Babar, Rizwan and Rauf.

 

[Kriketer]

Just want to beat India in front of a packed MCG crowd. That repeat of 152/0 will sure be a plesant and memorable viewing. India won't forget such a loss, teams are equally matched so should be a cracker of a game. Though it is getting a little repetitive and regular clashes between the two sides is losing its charm.

For the rest of the tournament it all depends if Fakhar Zaman is there. His presence and form will determine if we ll make it to the semi and final because he's the only capable middle/early order player out of our existing toothless middle order to change the game on its head.

 

[shamaan]

They will make the Semi Final.

 

[Bilal7]

Pakistan have a good chance of making the semi finals .

India -
At this stage it’s a tough one to call. Both teams are getting to the stage now where you can say we are quite closely matched .

West Indies - winner of group A-
They have the edge over us in recent ICC events . So it’s a 50-50 especially as it’s not the subcontinent.

Runner up Group A-
Definitely won’t be SL so we should win either of the other 3 teams

South Africa
We have a very good record in ICC tournaments against them . Apart from the 2013 CT can’t remember the last time they beat us.

Bangladesh-
Pakistan are big favourites.

In T20s anything can happen, one destructive over a freak innings etc however Pakistan are capable of winning 4/5 or at worse case 3/5.
That should get us into the semis Inshallah.

Pretty much, yes. The games against West Indies and South Africa are the most crucial. Win those and we are in the semis. I'm glad the India game is first up so that the players can get that out of their system early when a win or loss doesn't matter too much.

West Indies would have to pull an upset to beat us, which they are capable of but most probably, we should be able to win given out bowling attack, InshAllah.

South Africa is going to be a tough one since they are a very balanced team and they play really well in Australia. On paper, I see a higher probability of beating India instead of South Africa but like you said, a couple of overs can change the game in this format.

If we do get to the semis, I fancy our chances against both New Zealand and England. Australia will be cause the entire nation to have collective PTSD however so maybe try and avoid them?

 

[Bilal7]

Just want to beat India in front of a packed MCG crowd. That repeat of 152/0 will sure be a plesant and memorable viewing. India won't forget such a loss, teams are equally matched so should be a cracker of a game. Though it is getting a little repetitive and regular clashes between the two sides is losing its charm.

For the rest of the tournament it all depends if Fakhar Zaman is there. His presence and form will determine if we ll make it to the semi and final because he's the only capable middle/early order player out of our existing toothless middle order to change the game on its head.

Fakhar is in the reserves and won't be coming in unless someone injures Khushdil Shah.

 

[MenInG]

Babar Azam:

"He has recovered well and we are confident that he will be at his best come the India game," captain Babar Azam told AFP.

"We have a very good fast bowling attack which Shaheen leads."

"Our team has done well, so I am optimistic about our chances in the World Cup

"Apart from the positives, we had some concerns and I think our middle-order needs to step up"

"We have tested our bench strength by sending different combinations in batting and bowling. We are working on our fielding too."

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

So the itienary and the venues are published. Last year for the WC there was a hue and cry for the 30min travel by luxury bus from Dubai to sharjah saying it was 'big 3' and india has fixed it , the usual etc etc, just because India didnt have to endure the supreme discomfort ofthe 30 min bus trip. this time India is clocking more in airpoints with our matches sacttered all over
did'nt see the usual regulars jumping onthe big 3 train for this WC...why?

 

[MenInG]

Ramiz Raja speaking in an interview

"Pressure is in every game. Pakistan team was not given much importance in the last World Cup, but we won five matches. We have to give credit to this team, this team does not disappoint. Their achievements are very high. When the winning graph is seventy-five percent, it means you are making less mistakes. Consistency in performance every day is not easy, it is a tough game"

 

[Amjid Javed]

Pakistan are going home after the group stages, there is no route to the final.

 

[Bilal7]

So the itienary and the venues are published. Last year for the WC there was a hue and cry for the 30min travel by luxury bus from Dubai to sharjah saying it was 'big 3' and india has fixed it , the usual etc etc, just because India didnt have to endure the supreme discomfort ofthe 30 min bus trip. this time India is clocking more in airpoints with our matches sacttered all over
did'nt see the usual regulars jumping onthe big 3 train for this WC...why?

Good. The more discomfort the Indian team is subjected to before October 23rd, the better. That's going to be a big weekend for me with this match and UFC 280 taking place so I really don't want to see India win.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

So the itienary and the venues are published. Last year for the WC there was a hue and cry for the 30min travel by luxury bus from Dubai to sharjah saying it was 'big 3' and india has fixed it , the usual etc etc, just because India didnt have to endure the supreme discomfort ofthe 30 min bus trip. this time India is clocking more in airpoints with our matches sacttered all over
did'nt see the usual regulars jumping onthe big 3 train for this WC...why?

Yeah. You must forgive expert Pakistani analysts in their media for tgos temporary amnesia. I'm sure intellectuals like Waqar Younis and Mohammad Hafeez will point out conspiracies when we host the 50 over tournament next year especially if the outcome somehow doesn't favour Pakistan .

 

[GLORY OF '92]

Playing with 1.25 batsmen no route unfortunately

 

[Shafi]

Wrong thread heading. This would be the correct heading " Pakistan's road to the 2nd round in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022"

 

[jnaveen1980]

2 flawed sides India/Pakistan. that encounter will determine who gets through. On paper SA should crush both sides in these conditions. But SA finds a way to collapse.

 

[Kianig89]

The format is designed such that a consistent team will win the tourney and Pakistan very much lacks in that way, even if we make it to Semis more or less it will be against Eng or Aus and with this squad its almost impossible to beat any of Ashes Rivals so there is no road to glory:billyd

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan squad will leave Christchurch for Brisbane on October 15 to participate in the World Cup

The squad will arrive in Melbourne on October 20 after playing two warm-up matches in Brisbane

Pakistan will play its first match in the tournament on October 23 against India in Melbourne

Shaheen Shah Afridi and Fakhar Zaman will also join the national squad in Brisbane on the evening of October 15.

Dr. Javed will join the national squad as the second physio along with these two players

Team mentor Matthew Hayden will also join the national squad tomorrow night

Team Dr Najeeb Soomro will fly from Christchurch to his home in Melbourne

He will join the national squad in Melbourne before the match against India

Meanwhile, local Dr. Shamail will perform duties with the national cricket team

 

[Bilal7]

Our lineup should be set for the World Cup:

1) Babar
2) Rizwan
3) Fakhar
4) Nawaz
5) Haider
6) Iftikhar
7) Shadab
8) Asif/Wasim/Qadir/Hasnain
9) Rauf
10) Naseem
11) Shaheen

The only question is over the #8 spot. An extra six-hitter? A fourth pacer? And if so, which one? Or do we go with Qadir on the huge Australian grounds?

 

[Sarwar89]

Our lineup should be set for the World Cup:

1) Babar
2) Rizwan
3) Fakhar
4) Nawaz
5) Haider
6) Iftikhar
7) Shadab
8) Asif/Wasim/Qadir/Hasnain
9) Rauf
10) Naseem
11) Shaheen

The only question is over the #8 spot. An extra six-hitter? A fourth pacer? And if so, which one? Or do we go with Qadir on the huge Australian grounds?

We still need to keep Asif in playing 11.
X factor matters a lot in short version.

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

Yeah. You must forgive expert Pakistani analysts in their media for tgos temporary amnesia. I'm sure intellectuals like Waqar Younis and Mohammad Hafeez will point out conspiracies when we host the 50 over tournament next year especially if the outcome somehow doesn't favour Pakistan .

Yep. very convenient to hang all your shortcomings on the 'Big 3 ' coat hanger.
imagine if india had the schedule that a certain other nation has , in the WTC schedule for 2022....the internet servers would be groaning with the net traffic about the conspiracy theories.
And you can bet, what ever the schedule next year for 50 ov WC, Big 3 / BCCI/ india will be the reason for the virus, beached whales, global warming, why do kids go to bed hungry,, solar eclipse , why my team aint winning , etc

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

Yeah. You must forgive expert Pakistani analysts in their media for tgos temporary amnesia. I'm sure intellectuals like Waqar Younis and Mohammad Hafeez will point out conspiracies when we host the 50 over tournament next year especially if the outcome somehow doesn't favour Pakistan .

Not to forget the illuminating beam of wisdom when Rambo Raja said that Aus were playing 'soft' against india as they were angling for big IPL contracts.
The same explosion of knowledge was missing when Aus played in pak recently...no comment on how friendly they were? ...how convenient is that...

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan squad will leave Christchurch for Brisbane on October 15 to participate in the World Cup

The squad will arrive in Melbourne on October 20 after playing two warm-up matches in Brisbane

Pakistan will play its first match in the tournament on October 23 against India in Melbourne

Shaheen Shah Afridi and Fakhar Zaman will also join the national squad in Brisbane on the evening of October 15.

Dr. Javed will join the national squad as the second physio along with these two players

Team mentor Matthew Hayden will also join the national squad tomorrow night

Team Dr Najeeb Soomro will fly from Christchurch to his home in Melbourne

He will join the national squad in Melbourne before the match against India

Meanwhile, local Dr. Shamail will perform duties with the national cricket team

Pakistan squad has arrived in Brisbane.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan squad has arrived in Brisbane.

Courtesy of the PCB:

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[Markhor]

The stats for T20s in Australia are interesting to read. David Hussey outlined the intricacies of each venue for cricinfo and it seems the template is reversed from last year's World Cup.

In UAE it was simple, win toss and bowl first. In Australia however, teams are generally better off batting first. That's slightly concerning given Babar-Rizwan aren't great at assessing the tempo of their innings batting first.

More promising for Pakistan though is boundary hitting isn't as imperative in Australia as elsewhere - CricViz reports Australia actually has the 2nd lowest boundary % in the world. On those big grounds, running hard between wickets is crucial and that's something Babar-Rizwan do well.

Also encouraging is the requirement for genuine pace in Australia. We've got one of the quickest attacks in the world. Whether our batsmen can play genuine pace and short bowling on bouncy wickets though...

CricViz's preview however didn't explain why wristspin is superior to fingerspin in Australia. In Hussey's venues preview with cricinfo - fingerspin outperforms wristspin in 5 out of the 6 World Cup grounds in economy rate. However if Shadab gets injured, we've no backup wristspinner which is concerning.

Overall, Pakistan can perform well if they adapt their tactics to the idiosyncracies of each ground. However Babar and Saqlain's inate caution has already cost us crunch games, and our historic struggles in Australia (92 WC and 96/97 CU Series aside) means I'll be surprised if we reach the final.

 

[Champ_Pal]

Both India and Pakistan are lucky to be in easier group. The other group is the group of death. ENg/Aus/NZ/AFG is a super tough one.

 

[MenInG]

In his column for PCB, Shan Masood reflects on what it means for him to be featuring in his first-ever World Cup, provides insights about the team’s batting and bowling combinations and shares the wanderings of the ‘breakfast club’ in New Zealand.

The World Cup journey is finally starting after what has probably been one of the longest build-ups to an ICC event for us. Before hopping into Australia from New Zealand’s South Island, we have already played 12 games – of which we have won seven – in less than a month and have two warm-ups to go before our tournament opener against India at the mighty MCG on 23 October.

We have experienced a historical series against England – which, unfortunately, we could not close out in terms of the result – but the three-nation series in New Zealand provided us with the ideal preparation in the conditions that we are expected to encounter in Australia. We now have an ideal picture of what is required to bring the coveted trophy home.

As a group, we have been together since the start of the home series against England and if we make the final, it will be around two months of being together. The tri-series in Christchurch could not have come at a better time as we enjoyed each other’s company by going out together as a group and it helped us to switch off from cricket duties when off the field.

Some of us managed to form the breakfast club, which set out to have breakfast at different cafes around the beautiful city of Christchurch. The boys always want to go out for the food, especially our skipper, Babar Azam, is fond of exploring new things. That is how he switches off. My responsibility was to identify spots with good food. The most memorable breakfast we had was on our first day in Christchurch. It was too cold because of a surprise snowfall a night before, but we still went out for the breakfast, shivering on our way to the café, and enjoyed a lot.

Things like these are important as it builds camaraderie amongst the group. Our conversations ranged from cricket to different parts of each other’s lives. We also regularly went out for evening meals, odd shopping sprees - we came unprepared in terms of the cold, and every member of the travelling contingent had to buy some warm clothes.

Spending time together is an important aspect of the game. It adds to the team chemistry on the field and infuses a healthy team culture that makes one to go an extra yard for his teammate. Everyone is dealing with things professionally and personally and having the support of each other is extremely important.

World Cup is a time when results and momentum matter. As a side who strives to win the World Cup, our focus and talk has been about how to keep improving all three facets of our game. Even after defeating New Zealand in the tri-series final on Friday, we discussed the areas of improvement from that game. We are constantly looking at the bigger picture and this is a sign of a team that wants to keep growing.

This will be my first-ever World Cup and it is the kind of stuff that dreams are made of. To be able to participate and help your country compete and win at the word stage is what every cricketer dreams about. I have been very fortunate to get a good taste of T20I cricket leading up to this mega event.

As of now, I am not satisfied with my performances. I would like to contribute more and make more of an impact. My focus has and will solely be on playing the role required and learning from the mistakes I have made. There is no substitute to playing time and playing international cricket as it provides you with the most accurate feedback. My aim is to grow as a day-by-day and contribute to the team and the result.

Over these 12 games, the most important thing I feel has been fielding the consistent combination that we feel will help us compete at the World Cup on all fronts. Each team has their own unique blueprint and, though, there are demands of modern day cricket, you have to mix it with your own strengths to come up with your own unique blueprint.

Our openers – Babar Azam and Mohammad Riznwan – have been the backbone of our team and are amongst the top three players in the world. The rest of the batting order revolves around them. There will be times where they get out early and someone will have to step up and do their job but then there will be times when they will set platform for us we will have to get going.

This is, after all, a team sport and you play for each other, you complement each other and cover for each other. That is what make a good team.

Our batting order will continue to revolve around each other; be it Babar and Rizwan batting from start to finish; Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan coming up the order and winning us games; Asif Ali showing his hard-hitting abilities; or the significant contributions of Haider Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed, as in the final.

Our bowling unit has grown in stature on this tour. Haris Rauf has taken the baton from Shaheen Afridi as a spearhead while he has been away, and boy what an exciting prospect will it be when we pair them together along with Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Mohammad Hasnain.

The most heartening thing was how we bowled in the last five overs in the last two matches as it those crucial phases that you want to win. The spin twins, Shadab and Nawaz, even in these conditions kept a lid on the opposition’s scoring rate and picked important wickets. They have also been extraordinary with the bat of late and are the type of all-rounders that every side desires to have.

The real part of the journey, however, begins now, and we are aware that teams are judged upon how they go about at World Cups. Although challenging, this event provides us an opportunity to win another World Cup for our nation.

We want to bring smiles on the faces of our brothers and sisters affected by the great devastation caused by the floods. I hope and pray that they come out of these tough and trying times soon and want to assure them that we think of them and pray for them no matter wherever in the world we go.

Before I sign off, I want to thank the ever-loving fans of Pakistan cricket and every Pakistani for their unconditional support. You support is vital for us and it keeps us going. We look forward to your never-dying love and support this tournament.

Pakistan Zindabad!

 

[MuqaddarKaSikandar]

In his column for PCB, Shan Masood reflects on what it means for him to be featuring in his first-ever World Cup, provides insights about the team’s batting and bowling combinations and shares the wanderings of the ‘breakfast club’ in New Zealand.

The World Cup journey is finally starting after what has probably been one of the longest build-ups to an ICC event for us. Before hopping into Australia from New Zealand’s South Island, we have already played 12 games – of which we have won seven – in less than a month and have two warm-ups to go before our tournament opener against India at the mighty MCG on 23 October.

We have experienced a historical series against England – which, unfortunately, we could not close out in terms of the result – but the three-nation series in New Zealand provided us with the ideal preparation in the conditions that we are expected to encounter in Australia. We now have an ideal picture of what is required to bring the coveted trophy home.

As a group, we have been together since the start of the home series against England and if we make the final, it will be around two months of being together. The tri-series in Christchurch could not have come at a better time as we enjoyed each other’s company by going out together as a group and it helped us to switch off from cricket duties when off the field.

Some of us managed to form the breakfast club, which set out to have breakfast at different cafes around the beautiful city of Christchurch. The boys always want to go out for the food, especially our skipper, Babar Azam, is fond of exploring new things. That is how he switches off. My responsibility was to identify spots with good food. The most memorable breakfast we had was on our first day in Christchurch. It was too cold because of a surprise snowfall a night before, but we still went out for the breakfast, shivering on our way to the café, and enjoyed a lot.

Things like these are important as it builds camaraderie amongst the group. Our conversations ranged from cricket to different parts of each other’s lives. We also regularly went out for evening meals, odd shopping sprees - we came unprepared in terms of the cold, and every member of the travelling contingent had to buy some warm clothes.

Spending time together is an important aspect of the game. It adds to the team chemistry on the field and infuses a healthy team culture that makes one to go an extra yard for his teammate. Everyone is dealing with things professionally and personally and having the support of each other is extremely important.

World Cup is a time when results and momentum matter. As a side who strives to win the World Cup, our focus and talk has been about how to keep improving all three facets of our game. Even after defeating New Zealand in the tri-series final on Friday, we discussed the areas of improvement from that game. We are constantly looking at the bigger picture and this is a sign of a team that wants to keep growing.

This will be my first-ever World Cup and it is the kind of stuff that dreams are made of. To be able to participate and help your country compete and win at the word stage is what every cricketer dreams about. I have been very fortunate to get a good taste of T20I cricket leading up to this mega event.

As of now, I am not satisfied with my performances. I would like to contribute more and make more of an impact. My focus has and will solely be on playing the role required and learning from the mistakes I have made. There is no substitute to playing time and playing international cricket as it provides you with the most accurate feedback. My aim is to grow as a day-by-day and contribute to the team and the result.

Over these 12 games, the most important thing I feel has been fielding the consistent combination that we feel will help us compete at the World Cup on all fronts. Each team has their own unique blueprint and, though, there are demands of modern day cricket, you have to mix it with your own strengths to come up with your own unique blueprint.

Our openers – Babar Azam and Mohammad Riznwan – have been the backbone of our team and are amongst the top three players in the world. The rest of the batting order revolves around them. There will be times where they get out early and someone will have to step up and do their job but then there will be times when they will set platform for us we will have to get going.

This is, after all, a team sport and you play for each other, you complement each other and cover for each other. That is what make a good team.

Our batting order will continue to revolve around each other; be it Babar and Rizwan batting from start to finish; Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan coming up the order and winning us games; Asif Ali showing his hard-hitting abilities; or the significant contributions of Haider Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed, as in the final.

Our bowling unit has grown in stature on this tour. Haris Rauf has taken the baton from Shaheen Afridi as a spearhead while he has been away, and boy what an exciting prospect will it be when we pair them together along with Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Mohammad Hasnain.

The most heartening thing was how we bowled in the last five overs in the last two matches as it those crucial phases that you want to win. The spin twins, Shadab and Nawaz, even in these conditions kept a lid on the opposition’s scoring rate and picked important wickets. They have also been extraordinary with the bat of late and are the type of all-rounders that every side desires to have.

The real part of the journey, however, begins now, and we are aware that teams are judged upon how they go about at World Cups. Although challenging, this event provides us an opportunity to win another World Cup for our nation.

We want to bring smiles on the faces of our brothers and sisters affected by the great devastation caused by the floods. I hope and pray that they come out of these tough and trying times soon and want to assure them that we think of them and pray for them no matter wherever in the world we go.

Before I sign off, I want to thank the ever-loving fans of Pakistan cricket and every Pakistani for their unconditional support. You support is vital for us and it keeps us going. We look forward to your never-dying love and support this tournament.

Pakistan Zindabad!

I have a feeling that Shan will come good. He will show more intent and improve his SR.

 

[MenInG]

Pictures and videos of practice - courtesy of the PCB



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PAKISTAN HOLDS IMPRESSIVE RECORD IN THE MEN’S T20 WORLD CUP AS THEY LOOK FOR SUCCESS IN AUSTRALIA


The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is well underway, with the next stage of the event starting tomorrow, where Pakistan will enter the competition.

Last year’s beaten semi-finalists have an outstanding record in the Men’s T20 World Cup and find themselves right among the favourites again this time around in Australia.

And ahead of their Super 12 opener against rivals India on Sunday – we look at the Pakistan team in focus.

2022 Prospects

Pakistan have been drawn in Group 2 of the Super 12s, alongside India, South Africa, Bangladesh. They have also been joined by the Netherlands from the First Round and the final team will be decided today.

In order to back up last year’s efforts, where they suffered defeat to eventual winners Australia in the semi-final, they will need to finish in the top two of their group.

They come into the tournament in form though, winning four of their five matches in the tri-series with New Zealand and Bangladesh and although they ultimately suffered a 4-3 defeat in the seven-match T20 series with England, there were plenty of performances in there to please head coach Saqlain Mushtaq.

There is no doubt that Pakistan will be among the front runners and will be expecting to advance past the Super 12s and into the semi-finals once again – although clashes with South Africa and India will be tough.

T20 World Cup history

Pakistan’s Men’s T20 World Cup history is nothing short of outstanding, reaching the semi-finals in five of the seven editions.

They reached the final of the inaugural competition in South Africa in 2007, losing by just five runs to India after Gautam Gambhir’s 75 inspired the Indian side to victory.

Two years later, they were the side lifting the trophy, with Shahid Afridi’s unbeaten 54 and Abdul Razzaq’s three for 20 seeing Pakistan to an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka at Lord’s.

Despite their excellent record, that is the last time Pakistan reached the final, suffering back-to-back semi-final defeats in 2010 and 2012 against Australia and Sri Lanka respectively.

The 2014 World Cup saw Pakistan miss out on the semi-finals for the first time, and in 2016 they again missed out, meaning a long five year wait until last year’s tournament in the UAE and Oman – in which they reached their first semi-final in nine years, but despite Mohammad Rizwan’s 67 and Shadab Khan’s four for 26, they endured yet another semi-final defeat at the hands of Australia.

Best Batters

There are no prizes for guessing Pakistan’s best batter, as he is also the world’s best batter, with Rizwan sitting on top of the ICC MRF Tyres Men’s T20I Player Rankings.

Averaging a phenomenal 52.34, Rizwan has one hundred and 22 fifties from just 62 innings, with a recent 69 in the win over Bangladesh last week showcasing his form heading into the T20 World Cup.

That bodes well for the Super 12s, with Pakistan facing Bangladesh, while against their other key opponents in the Super 12s, India and South Africa, Rizwan averages an outrageous 96.5 and 62.16 respectively.

Rizwan has formed what is surely the best opening batting pairing in world cricket with Babar Azam, who himself sits third in the current MRF Tyres T20I Player Rankings.

Pakistan’s captain averages 43.66, slightly less than Rizwan, but he has racked up two hundreds and 29 fifties and like Rizwan, comes into the World Cup in excellent form, scoring 55 in that victory over Bangladesh, while also scoring his second T20 international hundred against England, scoring 110 as Rizwan hit 88 not out in a ten-wicket victory.

Best Bowlers

Pakistan may have two of the best batters on the planet, but they are not short of outstanding bowling as New Zealand and Bangladesh recently found out.

Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan are two to really keep an eye on, but there is plenty of bowling in the Pakistan line-up, with Mohammad Wasim and Mohammad Nawaz in particular on top form in recent weeks and Shaheen Shah Afridi coming back from injury for this tournament.

Haris is a man who will strike fear into top order batters around the globe though, averaging just 23.03 and taking 64 wickets in his 50 matches, but he is joined by Pakistan’s extraordinary young all-rounder Shadab.

Just 24, Shadab has already been a major part of the Pakistan team with both bat and ball for a number of years, taking 87 wickets at an average of 22.29 since his debut five years ago and he is once again going to be a key member of the side, with his leg breaks proving incredibly effective.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan's matches

 

[MenInG]

Praise from Nasser:

Players to watch out for:

With the ball, it's Shaheen. I was lucky enough to be commentating when he bowled that spell against India in Dubai last year and I just love his skill and the way he plays the game with a massive smile on his face and his celebrations. He is a super cricketer - new ball, old ball, it doesn't matter.

With him, Babar, and Rizwan, if Pakistan can get their middle-order hitting going - Fakhar Zaman should help with that and I would bat him at No 3 - they have got a real chance in this tournament.

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/n...-michael-atherton-make-tournament-predictions

 

[Bilal7]

Beat India or South Africa or ideally, both and we are in the semis. InshaAllah.

 

[MenInG]

Gautham Gambhir:

"When you talk about the T20 World Cup. I feel Pakistan has the best bowling attack, especially when you talk about pace bowling. Pakistan is the only team with three bowlers who can bowl at the speed of 140 plus. Comparing it with other teams, Australia has one bowler who can bowl at 140 plus while England has Mark Wood who can bowl at 150 plus. But if you talk about the Pakistan pace attack, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, all can bowl at a good speed. Thus their fast bowling is their biggest strength"

"On the other hand, their biggest weakness is they do not have a middle order. India can expose their batting with short bowling. Once Babar gets out, they will be in big trouble and then there are huge boundaries in Australia, it will not be easy for Pakistan batters to clear them"

 

[Kianig89]

Except Saqlain & Moyo, from BBC to Star to local channel knows Pakistan dont have a middle order yet we didnt addressed this issue would be quite an achievement progressing through