What will it take for Pakistan to win the 2019 World Cup?

[Ifu Hussain]

Firstly the question that comes to mind is whether Pakistan can win the World Cup or not..... And the answer to this million dollar question is a big YES.... So what would it take to win the World Cup?
There are certain basic things which must be given a deep thought. These are:-
•Whether or not players like Hafeez and Shoaib Malik are to be considered for the World Cup.
•Whether or not Azhar Ali would be required at the top of the order.
•If Sharjeel is found to be innocent, whether or not he should be given a go at the top of the order at the cost of Azhar Ali.
•How to fit Harris Sohail in the middle order.
•Whether the all rounder slot should be filled by Imad Wasim or Faheem Ashraf.
Whether or not Umar Akmal needs to be given a go.
So guys take some time out of your busy schedule and post your views..... If u feel some more issues need to be addressed, then kindly post them as well.....

 

[backfootpunch]

They need a team like this:

Fakhar
Sharjeel/Farhan
Babar
Haris/Umar Amin
Sarfraz (c, wk)
Amir Yamin
Imad/Fahim
Shadab
Amir
Hasan Ali
Junaid

Kick out Hafeez, Azhar Ali and Shoaib Malik all wrong side of 30 and should retire on a high. Need to start testing out and nuturing new talent.

If this success gets to the management and chief selector's head then we will pick the same team while other teams rebuild and reinforce.

Ultimate goal should be to reclaim the WC. CT win should give the players the self belief for the end goal.

 

[FreakCricket]

I think this bheegi bili attitude of always chasing needs to go away, in the final we showed whose the "BAAAP" attitude needs to stick.
I like Hassan Ali's attitude, kinda like of Kohli's Fighters attitude!
Hassan Ali and Junaid khan's attitude is aggressive, Amir needs to be little more aggressive. He needs to be inside of batsman head.
Our team needs to be more Savage so they could unleash the BEAST FOR THE '19
Weaklinks like malik needs to go adios.
_____________________________

UNLEASH THE BEAST FOR THE '19

 

[MMHS]

Lots of luck indeed indeed, but that's true for every team - even best sides can have a bad day, which happens to be SF or Final - like WI suffered in 1983.

Apart from that, the team & most individuals has to peak at right time - if 2/3 top players raise their game & rest backs up, any team can punch well above their weight; but again this is true for every team.

Things that are at own hand are -

1. Bring down average age to below 29 level, preferably closer to 25. It's 11 matches in 38 days or so - and every tournament is tail heavy, that's you play KO matches at the end, not start. Every key player in current team will be 2 years older, so the clue should be clear where to chop if the average age is to pull down <29

2. A new ball partner for Amir. Not saying JK isn't going to work, but unless he reaches to 2012-13 level, PAK will need to replace him; because he doesn't bat at all & not everyday his other partners will knock 3/4 down by the time ball gets old.

3. A pace bowling all-rounder at 7, who either has to make the team as 4th pacer or no. 6 batsman on individual merit - don't like bits & pieces all rounders, which haven't won Poms or SAF much. Ideally, he should replace Imad.

4. A top class No. 4 - Haris, Amin or a new kid, don't know but this 1970s born MoHa/Malik model won't work.



So, in total it's about 4/5 (depending on fixing tribunal) spots to fix (either by new player or existing one has to improve)

1. Sharjeel (or open spot - Azhar/Shehzad doesn't give confidence)
2. Babar
3. Fakhar
4. Open spot
5. Sarfraz
6. Open spot (May be one of Mian/MoHa can sneak in - but that doesn't help average age. I'll pick Umar - provided he is a changed man)
7. Open spot (Yamin, Fahim has to improve bowling, or new face)
8. Shadab
9. Amir
10. Hasan
11. Open spot (2012-13 equivalent JK can work, otherwise new face)
-------------------------------------------

12. Back - up opener : open spot (Azhar can stay in squad, but problem is if picked in squad, he'll start, which isn't what is needed, because if he plays, he'll push one of my top 4 to No. 6)
13. Back up WK (Can't risk one WK for 9 confirmed matches, besides Sarfraz is Captain, might get banned sometimes for over rate - had Sarf not been Captain, I would have gone for a middle-order & build Sharjeel for part time keeper, he is decent 1st slip, so should be able to serve at desperate situations) : Umar Akmal - I make lots of fun, but truth is, he is still can be the MVP of this side, offers so much flexibility. Ideally, he should be that Open No. 6, if not No. 4. PAK can't leave hope or such a player just at 29-30, who can serve duel purpose (back up middle order)
14. Back up spinner - Imad
15. Back up pacer - presents JK is fine for back up. If he regresses, PAK will need a back up pacer. May be Sameen Gul, whose bowling style should fit new ball bowling in U.K.

If 16th player is allowed, it should be the 2nd all-rounder - may be MoHa, if ICC is happy with his action - but problem again is, if in squad, he'll find his way to starting XI - an idea I hate to visualize - MoHa in his 40s trying to master fast bowlers in UK, in June. I would like to pick one of Aga Salman, Talat, Saud Shakil or some new kid from U19 team (there is a U19 WC in 6 months' time - 14 months before 2019 WC, might find a top class kid to develop in a year, through that revised draft domestic system)

 

[PakLFC]

A few fast bowlers and solid middle order. Good openers will help as well, throw in a world class spinner and we have a great chance!

 

[Sarfarazian92]

Babar scoring meaningful centuries

 

[The Googly]

Every tournament winning side needs an element of luck.

 

[sali]

1. No more players getting caught in spot fixing or getting injured.
2. Return of Sharjeel Khan and perhaps Umer Akmal in good fit/form.
3. Need a fast bowling all rounder... Fahim is unproven and bowling is weak. Let's see how he does for next two years.
4. Replace Shoib Malik with a solid batsman. He will always be a 50/50 player and we need a reliable player in his slot. This is the slot that needs a player like Yosuf, Inzi, ......
5. Need a specialist spinner with good economy. Imad can't turn the ball and becomes too predictable. Shadab turns the ball but doesn't have variety like Afridi or Ajmal. He was clueless and kept flighting the ball at full length when Panday was hitting. He needed to vary the pace and length. May be he will develop in next two years.
6. Sarfraz captaincy without infighting

 

[Abdullah719]

1. No more players getting caught in spot fixing or getting injured.
2. Return of Sharjeel Khan and perhaps Umer Akmal in good fit/form.
3. Need a fast bowling all rounder... Fahim is unproven and bowling is weak. Let's see how he does for next two years.
4. Replace Shoib Malik with a solid batsman. He will always be a 50/50 player and we need a reliable player in his slot. This is the slot that needs a player like Yosuf, Inzi, ......
5. Need a specialist spinner with good economy. Imad can't turn the ball and becomes too predictable. Shadab turns the ball but doesn't have variety like Afridi or Ajmal. He was clueless and kept flighting the ball at full length when Panday was hitting. He needed to vary the pace and length. May be he will develop in next two years.
6. Sarfraz captaincy without infighting

You are literally using this example only to criticise Shadab? Did you see his variations in PSL?

Sarfraz and Shadab have after the PSL stated that Shadab was kept in the attack and persisted bowling similarly because they were trying to buy a quick wicket. In different circumstances, he would have bowled differently.

 

[Proactive_]

Mental toughness, that's all.

 

[kaifmazhar]

The usual Pakistani type of intense bowling supported by decent fielding if not extraordinary one. And to back up the effort of the bowlers some stable batting which can show some cavalier stuff if needed, something completely different from that 'Buzdil' self killing approach of Misbah's era.
This was exhibited recently only in the CT17 to some extent. For WC batting just need to tighten up a bit.
I think whenever Pak bowling is in full flow they don't ask too much from the batting just a little decent effort from the batsmen will do.

 

[backfootpunch]

1. No more players getting caught in spot fixing or getting injured.
2. Return of Sharjeel Khan and perhaps Umer Akmal in good fit/form.
3. Need a fast bowling all rounder... Fahim is unproven and bowling is weak. Let's see how he does for next two years.
4. Replace Shoib Malik with a solid batsman. He will always be a 50/50 player and we need a reliable player in his slot. This is the slot that needs a player like Yosuf, Inzi, ......
5. Need a specialist spinner with good economy. Imad can't turn the ball and becomes too predictable. Shadab turns the ball but doesn't have variety like Afridi or Ajmal. He was clueless and kept flighting the ball at full length when Panday was hitting. He needed to vary the pace and length. May be he will develop in next two years.
6. Sarfraz captaincy without infighting

You seem to forget how he beautifully set up Yuvi with his variation.

Bowled a googly first up which Yuvi fails to pick and Sarfraz collects, next ball pitches off stump which turns enough to get him out lbw. This is what happens when even a batsman like yuvi who eats spin bowlers alive can't pick the mystery spinners.

Shadab has a beautiful googly which many other batsmen have struggled to pick.

This taken from the Cricinfo Commentary for your reference:

12.5

Shadab Khan to Yuvraj Singh, no run, toldja he bowls a mean googly. Loops it up, the ball nice and tempting, bringing out the cover drive and leaving it behind

12.6

Shadab Khan to Yuvraj Singh, OUT, huge appeal for lbw, Shadab thinks it is pad first, and it's the sharp-turning leggie as well. Shadab is absolutely certain. He has convinced his captain to review. Replays show that it is pad first. Hits low as well. But Yuvi has a decent stride in. On-field call is not out. But it has to be changed! Ball-tracker shows it will hit middle of middle and the 18-year old has a strike all his own. Made his captain take DRS and then celebrates a vital wicket.

 

[Muhammad10]

Ignite the at the right moment, in shaa Allah.

 

[Justcrazy]

Sharjeel
Babaar
Fakhar
Haris
Sarfaraz
Open Spot ( Dynamic right handed batter )
Fahim
Shadab
Amir
Hassan
Open spot ( Good new ball bowler )

Meanwhile work on bowling of harris and fakhar so that they can bowl 3 - 4 overs in match situations to give captain more options.

Work on power hitting of Amir , shadab and hassan .

 

[Varun]

Pakistan's general theme of winning anything is to get to a point in the tournament where they're almost knocked out, then begin their Himalayan climb to the summit from there.

AKA it is hardly an organic victory, neither 1992, 2009 or 2017.

 

[ammar_merry]

Pakistan's general theme of winning anything is to get to a point in the tournament where they're almost knocked out, then begin their Himalayan climb to the summit from there.

AKA it is hardly an organic victory, neither 1992, 2009 or 2017.

you are right.whereas in 99 and 2007t20 they actually looked threatening in the whole tournament, but lost in the finals.

 

[mueez14]

There should be only one between hafeez n malik...if malik has to play then bowl 10 overs also like hafeez does.. there should be no imad...neither good bat nor bowler... no azhar...can't play odi's...can't play spinners in odi's...no strike rotation or power hitting...very limited...there should be only one between babar n haris...both lack power hitting n week on short fast bowling... n find another fast bowler...junaid's pace is decreased alot...he used to bowl at 145...but now 135 to 138max...n that swing is also not there...

 

[msb314]

Need to have Babar and Haris Sohail in the middle order.

Would also like to give Fahim Ashraf a go over Imad Wasim.

 

[sali]

You seem to forget how he beautifully set up Yuvi with his variation.

Bowled a googly first up which Yuvi fails to pick and Sarfraz collects, next ball pitches off stump which turns enough to get him out lbw. This is what happens when even a batsman like yuvi who eats spin bowlers alive can't pick the mystery spinners.

Shadab has a beautiful googly which many other batsmen have struggled to pick.

This taken from the Cricinfo Commentary for your reference:

12.5

Shadab Khan to Yuvraj Singh, no run, toldja he bowls a mean googly. Loops it up, the ball nice and tempting, bringing out the cover drive and leaving it behind

12.6

Shadab Khan to Yuvraj Singh, OUT, huge appeal for lbw, Shadab thinks it is pad first, and it's the sharp-turning leggie as well. Shadab is absolutely certain. He has convinced his captain to review. Replays show that it is pad first. Hits low as well. But Yuvi has a decent stride in. On-field call is not out. But it has to be changed! Ball-tracker shows it will hit middle of middle and the 18-year old has a strike all his own. Made his captain take DRS and then celebrates a vital wicket.

Yes, agree that he is good and has a very good googly. But don't forget that he was totally unknown and teams will eventually work him out. All I said that his inexperience showed when Panday started to hit him. You will see almost all balls to Panday at the same pace and length. He tried googly but still got hit. In this situation, he needs to develop how to vary length, speed, flight, offer flippers,....a lot of variation is still missing.

 

[Abdulm123]

Sharjeel/Azhar/Shehzad (If Sharjeel is banned)
Fakhar
Azam
Sohail
Hafeez/Azhar
Open spot (Malik if he improves his performance)
Sarfraz
Imad/Nawaz/Fahim (There will be competition in this spot)
Shadab
Amir
Ali
Junaid


It might be to harsh to axe Hafeez cuz Pakistan would need some senior talent in the team and also he can be useful at his batting position like his performance against India in the final in the death overs to bring Pakistan to 338 when they were losing wickets and Malik needs to step up a bit more to be worthy of making the team or else the axe will hit him and Harris Sohail is a useful allrounder who has been ignored by selectors. Feel free to argue

 

[Rana]

Very very simple,

1. Scrape through to the Quarterfinals. One way or another Pakistan will 90% scrape it into the QFs. They will get beaten hard once. Lose a game they should have won once, and they will pull an upset against a team they were likely to lose to. That upset alongside the few easy games will push them through to the QFs

2. Bring that 100% concentration for the next 3 games. It's not impossible. If Pakistan can beat South Africa, England and India (all genuine contenders for the trophy) in a space of 4 games with a team that doesn't have the batting firepower to match theirs, then there is no reason as to why they cannot repeat this especially now that they have a strong base, and can only build on this team

 

[Abdulm123]

There is no quarters

 

[Abdulm123]

The format of the 2019 world cup is gonna be like the 1992 world cup format where all 10 teams play each other and then the top 4 teams on the table of all 10 teams qualify for the semis

 

[MMHS]

Very very simple,

1. Scrape through to the Quarterfinals. One way or another Pakistan will 90% scrape it into the QFs. They will get beaten hard once. Lose a game they should have won once, and they will pull an upset against a team they were likely to lose to. That upset alongside the few easy games will push them through to the QFs

2. Bring that 100% concentration for the next 3 games. It's not impossible. If Pakistan can beat South Africa, England and India (all genuine contenders for the trophy) in a space of 4 games with a team that doesn't have the batting firepower to match theirs, then there is no reason as to why they cannot repeat this especially now that they have a strong base, and can only build on this team

Won't be that simple - there is no group stage. 10 teams play each other, means 9 matches in 4 weeks or so, then SF, Final. And, the WC is likely to start late May or early June, means, half of the matches will be played under <10C temperature or around. More than anything else, teams must have to be extremely fit, strong & young to survive that.

 

[Abdulm123]

The players are trained to play in those conditions, they just did in the champions trophy they won

 

[mmkextreme_1]

The players are trained to play in those conditions, they just did in the champions trophy they won

South Africa are playing a series in England right now, also their home conditions are similar as well. Do you think they will win as well?

Pakistan is going to have to improve their batting if Sherjeel is back, then he needs to put the hard yards in and hopefully make a great opening combo with Fakhar Zaman (who also needs to improve on a few things, just can't rest on past victories). Azhar Ali needs to be kept around the squad as a backup opener.

The bowling is solid, need these guys performing and firing on all cylinders in 2019 as well. These 2 years should give them ample time to solidify as a bowling unit. Also, will allow captain and coach to see all operating together.

Pakistan team management needs to sit down with Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik, have a serious talk with them and decide whether they are going to play the World Cup or not. If so, then they need to improve as well, if they don't, need to have Haris Sohail ready and firing. If Hafeez plays the role of a finisher like he did in the final, that would be a huge plus point for Pakistan. Always thought he was better suited down the order.

 

[Tusker]

Firstly the question that comes to mind is whether Pakistan can win the World Cup or not..... And the answer to this million dollar question is a big YES.... So what would it take to win the World Cup?

An act of God .....

 

[austerlitz]

Pakistan is a dangerous team but can't win.Because without a stable batting line up you cant win a 50 overs WC.It has never happened in history.You will be inconsistent.Look at all the wc winning teams and you will get the gist.They either have ATG batsmen supported by good batsmen or a number of very good batsmen playing as a unit.Other thing you usually need is allrounders.(not mandatory)

75,79 - Richards.Lloyd.Kallicharan.Greenidge.Didn't need allrounder lol.Brute force in batting and bowling.
83 - Gavaskar,Amarnath,Patil,Vengsarkar,Dev.Lots of allrounders -Dev,amarnath,lal,binny.
87 - Border,Jones,Boon,Marsh .Moody and Steve waugh allrounders.
92 - Miandad,Inzamam,Ijaz,Malik . Allrounders - Imran and lesser extent wasim.
96 - DeSilva,Jayasuriya,Ranatunga . Kaluwitharane,desilva and jayasuriya acting allrounders.
99 - Waugh brothers,Bevan,Martyn,Ponting .Gilchrist,Moody allrounders.
03 - Hayden,bevan,martyn,ponting.Gilchrist,symonds allrounders.
07 - Add Clarke and hussey to batting.Watson to allrounder.
11 - Sehwag,tendulkar,Gambhir,Kohli.Dhoni and Yuvraj allrounders.
15 - Clarke,Smith,Maxwell,Warner,Finch.Faulkner and Watson allrounders.

So now tell me who are pakistan's core batsmen that can dominate any opposition attack and post 300 plus scores or more importantly chase them?Because if you can't chase and there are doubts about pakistan's ability in that regard in pressure matches then you are at the mercy of the toss.
Now where are pakistan's allrounders.And no shoaib mailk and hafeez are not options because you need a seaming allrounder in overseas conditions and a spinning allrounder in subcontinent conditions.India won 83 wc because of its swing/seam allrounders,92 imran seaming allrounder,96 jaya and de silva spinning allrounders, same for yuvraj in 2011 and same story throughout. So who is seaming allrounder in 2019 for pakistan?They need someone like razzaq as well as 2-3 good solid batsemn who can play in any situation.

Now you can bring up fakhar zaman,but i wouldn't get too excited.A trend i observe with pakistani young batsmen is when they first appear they take us by surprise because we have little to no preparation or knowledge against them,but once the surprise is over they fizzle out as their technical deficiencies are studied and exposed.Salman butt scored a century in eden when he first came,Kamran akmal was initially a big problem,Naseer jamshed scored 2 hundreds against us when we first played against him,now zaman.Lets see if he can prove an exception.

Pakistani bowling is always a threat.But to win wc2019 they need good core of batsmen and atleast 1 seaming allrounder.

 

[Mirpur express]

Fakhar
Azhar/sharjeel
Babar
Sohail
Malik / ?
Sarfraz
Shadab
Amir
Hassan
Raees
Shaheen Afridi ( if he stays away from Aqib kassai Javid)

 

[Rayyman]

I think we should go with a similar squad to now.

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Sahibzada Farhan
3. Babar Azam
4. Haris Sohail
5. Shoaib Malik
6. Sarfraz Ahmed*+
7. Imad Wasim
8. Faheem Ashraf
9. Hasan Ali
10. Mohammad Amir
11. Junaid Khan
-------------------------
Shadab Khan
Rumman Raees
Saud Shakeel
Mohammad Rizwan+
Sami Aslam

Actually, Shehzad doesn't make the team. He has been given too many chances and failed to learn how to find gaps or rotate the strike. Plus, he comes off as selfish. Sahibzada looks to me the next-best RHB opener in Pakistan. Azhar is too slow and Manzoor too old.

I don't think Hafeez should stay. One of Malik/Hafeez is fine and Malik is much better atm. There is nothing really that Hafeez does that anybody else can't do. Haris is a better batsman in all facets. People might say MoHa is good against left-handers, but Malik can do the job as off-spinner.

I'll play Faheem ahead of Shadab, unless it's a slow pitch like Cardiff or Lord's. I think he'll do well with the ball in England, plus he is a better hitter than Shadab too. Also, Khan has a tendency to get slogged for runs at this stage of his career. So if Faheem can perform 5th bowler role with Imad, that would be handy.

Rest of XI is settled, Shadab makes squad as extra spinner, plus, he is a great fielder as 12th man. Rizwan is the back-up keeper. In case of injury to Sarfraz. Rumman Raees is the back-up pacer. Sami Aslam is the back-up opener. Yes, he hasn't had a good record for Pakistan so far, but his U-19 record is great, and, he has done well recently in List A cricket at a good strike rate. And finally I picked Saud Shakeel as the backup middle-order batsman. I feel it is a better option to have a young guy instead of older players who have failed, i.e. Amin, Maqsood, etc.

This is obviously my current view, but there is subject to change.

 

[Abdulm123]

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Sahibzada Farhan
3. Babar Azam
4. Harris Sohail
5. Mohammad Hafeez
6. Shoaib Malik
7. Imad Wasim
8. Faheem Ashraf
9. Hasan Ali
10. Muhammud Amir
11. Rumman Raees
Reserves
Aamer Yamin
Shadab Khan
Junaid Khan
Azhar Ali/Sami Aslam

Shehzad is never going to make the team, Id even select Manzoor over him. A few questions come to mind is should we get Yamin or keep Ashraf? Should Azhar Ali stay or we should give Aslam a chance? Will Shadab make the squad and if he does, will he do good in England pitches? Muhammud Rizwan will back up Sarfraz. Does Hafeez deserve to be in the team? Will Pakistan maintain Champions Trophy form?

 

[babajee]

We are 3 changes away from being serious favourites for the world cup.

- Need a dynamic opening batsman to replace Azhar Ali/Ahmed Shehzad

Sahibzada Farhan??

- Need to have a pace bowling all rounder who can hit big batting at #6 or #7

Amir Yamin ? Fahim Ashraf? Hussain Talat?

- Need Haris Sohail to bat at #4

Fakhar
Farhan
Babar
Haris
Sarfraz
Malik/Hafeez
Yamin/Fahim/Talat/Imad
Shadab
Hasan
Amir
Rumman

 

[Bilal7]

1) Ensure that Babar, Fakhar, Malik, Sarfaraz, Imad, Faheem and the bowlers are all in top form and healthy.
2) Find an opening partner for Fakhar. Someone who isn't as aggressive but bats deep and has a knack of scoring centuries.
3) Find a classy #4 batsman, whether Haris, Amin, Akmal or somebody else. Needs to be able to bat at a fairly high SR to compliment Babar and keep the momentum going.
4) Determine the best position for Sarfaraz and bat him there for a consistent period of time.
5) Beat India in the group stages, because it's pretty obvious that the ICC will ensure that an Indo-Pak match takes place at the WC at least once.

 

[DRsohail]

Lots of luck indeed indeed, but that's true for every team - even best sides can have a bad day, which happens to be SF or Final - like WI suffered in 1983.

Apart from that, the team & most individuals has to peak at right time - if 2/3 top players raise their game & rest backs up, any team can punch well above their weight; but again this is true for every team.

Things that are at own hand are -

1. Bring down average age to below 29 level, preferably closer to 25. It's 11 matches in 38 days or so - and every tournament is tail heavy, that's you play KO matches at the end, not start. Every key player in current team will be 2 years older, so the clue should be clear where to chop if the average age is to pull down <29

2. A new ball partner for Amir. Not saying JK isn't going to work, but unless he reaches to 2012-13 level, PAK will need to replace him; because he doesn't bat at all & not everyday his other partners will knock 3/4 down by the time ball gets old.

3. A pace bowling all-rounder at 7, who either has to make the team as 4th pacer or no. 6 batsman on individual merit - don't like bits & pieces all rounders, which haven't won Poms or SAF much. Ideally, he should replace Imad.

4. A top class No. 4 - Haris, Amin or a new kid, don't know but this 1970s born MoHa/Malik model won't work.



So, in total it's about 4/5 (depending on fixing tribunal) spots to fix (either by new player or existing one has to improve)

1. Sharjeel (or open spot - Azhar/Shehzad doesn't give confidence)
2. Babar
3. Fakhar
4. Open spot
5. Sarfraz
6. Open spot (May be one of Mian/MoHa can sneak in - but that doesn't help average age. I'll pick Umar - provided he is a changed man)
7. Open spot (Yamin, Fahim has to improve bowling, or new face)
8. Shadab
9. Amir
10. Hasan
11. Open spot (2012-13 equivalent JK can work, otherwise new face)
-------------------------------------------

12. Back - up opener : open spot (Azhar can stay in squad, but problem is if picked in squad, he'll start, which isn't what is needed, because if he plays, he'll push one of my top 4 to No. 6)
13. Back up WK (Can't risk one WK for 9 confirmed matches, besides Sarfraz is Captain, might get banned sometimes for over rate - had Sarf not been Captain, I would have gone for a middle-order & build Sharjeel for part time keeper, he is decent 1st slip, so should be able to serve at desperate situations) : Umar Akmal - I make lots of fun, but truth is, he is still can be the MVP of this side, offers so much flexibility. Ideally, he should be that Open No. 6, if not No. 4. PAK can't leave hope or such a player just at 29-30, who can serve duel purpose (back up middle order)
14. Back up spinner - Imad
15. Back up pacer - presents JK is fine for back up. If he regresses, PAK will need a back up pacer. May be Sameen Gul, whose bowling style should fit new ball bowling in U.K.

If 16th player is allowed, it should be the 2nd all-rounder - may be MoHa, if ICC is happy with his action - but problem again is, if in squad, he'll find his way to starting XI - an idea I hate to visualize - MoHa in his 40s trying to master fast bowlers in UK, in June. I would like to pick one of Aga Salman, Talat, Saud Shakil or some new kid from U19 team (there is a U19 WC in 6 months' time - 14 months before 2019 WC, might find a top class kid to develop in a year, through that revised draft domestic system&#55357;&#56397

like ur whole thinking process..i just hope that hafeez fails badly against south africa and nz plus eng and he gets reported so he will be out..at 4 we can bring in haris who will be valuable with left arm spin as well..opening spot can be taken by anyone..shahzad is goin to be dropped soon mark my words,just wait a good psl for sahibzada or any other youngster...ur 3rd pacer for me will be rumman if shaheen afridi doesnt rise .. aamir amin or faheem will fill ur pace all rounder spot,,,.the only problem that isee will be wicket keepr bat ......micky is going to cover all those parts u mentioned and malik will play 2019 world cup ...,i can see potential in this usman khan guy as well ..
so i think that we will be having peroblems in term of pace all rounder ans wicket keeper...

 

[R0H1T]

Isn't this the first time that all teams will be in a single group? The top 4 making it to the SF, if so then Pak will need lots of luck to move past the group stage. Aus & Ind should it make it, the rest 2 is a roulette basically.

 

[Abdullah]

Fakhar
Haris
Babar
Sarfaraz
Malik
Yamin/Talat/fahim
Imad
Shadab/talat/fahim/yamin
Hasan
Amir
Raees

Other squad players hafeez azhar sohail

 

[mystical man]

Pray that you do not meet India in the quarters, semis or finals...

 

[Nikhil_cric]

The format that is used for this World Cup has only been used once before - in 1992 when Pakistan won the World Cup. History might just repeat itself.

 

[ads101]

Pakistan is on the way up in ODIs (even if they're on the way down in Tests), you can see that with the newer talent coming through it's definitely more LOI suited than tests. And who can really blame them, more money in limited overs these days and they play far more limited overs cricket these days especially U19.

The pace attack looks good. The batsmen look decent as well, Shehzad, Hafeez look like the only potential issues at the moment. And the spinner slot and allrounder spot are a bit uncertain, but we do have good talents like Imad, Fahim and Shadab. A lot less wrong with our side compared to the run up of other world cups I can remember.

I think we should be favourites to get to the semi finals. I'll be pretty disappointed if we don't get at least that. But am pretty confident we have a good shot at winning it.

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

The 2 qualifiers out of 4, for knock outs would be,

India
Australia.

Remaining two slots between,

SA, Pak, Eng, NZ.

If Pakistan has to reach the top 4, they have to think out of the box.

1.No way can they have Malik, Hafeez and Azhar in the same playing 11.

2. Sarfraz should bat in top 5, or at 8.

3. One pace AR should be ready to play.

4.No principal of one aggressive and one defensive opener, both should be aggressive, where one is capable of playing long innings.

5.You need 5 bowlers+ AR

6.Good left and Right combo.

7.Good combo of players who play spin really well, and who play pace really well. There will be very few players who play both really well. Eg. Harris.

8.Four out and out Fast bowlers.

Best 11 would be.


Batting:

1.Sahibzada(Good against Pace and spin, RH)

2.Fakhar(Good against spin, LH)

3.Babar(Good against Pace, Accumulator who has to play 50 overs(Not be selfish though), RH)

4.Haris(Good against Pace and Spin, LH)

5.Sarfraz(Good against spin, RH)

6.Malik(RH, 6th bowler, 2nd spinner)

7.Imad(Defensive bowler to dry the runs even if he doesn't take wickets, Decent AR, LH)

8.Shaheen AFRIDI(AR, LFM)

9.Amir(Who can bat a bit, LFM)

10.Hassan(Who can bat a bit, RFM)

11.Rumman(should be groomed to hit a few, LFM)


Bowling:

Amir, Shaheen, Hassan and Rumman to bowl 10 overs each.

Imad and Malik for remaining 10.

New ball to be bowled by Amir and Shaheen

Old ball by Hassan and Rumman.

Four players out of 11 in the squad, would be

Azhar, Hafeez, Shadab, Junaid.

 

[cr7great]

australia
pakistan
england
s.a/ nz
these will go to next round

 

[ExpressPacer]

The format that is used for this World Cup has only been used once before - in 1992 when Pakistan won the World Cup. History might just repeat itself.

Why was it discontinued after that?

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Why was it discontinued after that?

I have no clue bro. They had more teams in the 1996 World Cup - 12. If they used that format we would've needed more than 60 games for the World Cup. This is the lowest number of teams we've had in a World Cup since 1992 itself so i guess they wanted to go back to this.

 

[another drop catch]

The 2 qualifiers out of 4, for knock outs would be,

India
Australia.

Remaining two slots between,

SA, Pak, Eng, NZ.

If Pakistan has to reach the top 4, they have to think out of the box.

1.No way can they have Malik, Hafeez and Azhar in the same playing 11.

2. Sarfraz should bat in top 5, or at 8.

3. One pace AR should be ready to play.

4.No principal of one aggressive and one defensive opener, both should be aggressive, where one is capable of playing long innings.

5.You need 5 bowlers+ AR

6.Good left and Right combo.

7.Good combo of players who play spin really well, and who play pace really well. There will be very few players who play both really well. Eg. Harris.

8.Four out and out Fast bowlers.

Best 11 would be.


Batting:

1.Sahibzada(Good against Pace and spin, RH)

2.Fakhar(Good against spin, LH)

3.Babar(Good against Pace, Accumulator who has to play 50 overs(Not be selfish though), RH)

4.Haris(Good against Pace and Spin, LH)

5.Sarfraz(Good against spin, RH)

6.Malik(RH, 6th bowler, 2nd spinner)

7.Imad(Defensive bowler to dry the runs even if he doesn't take wickets, Decent AR, LH)

8.Shaheen AFRIDI(AR, LFM)

9.Amir(Who can bat a bit, LFM)

10.Hassan(Who can bat a bit, RFM)

11.Rumman(should be groomed to hit a few, LFM)


Bowling:

Amir, Shaheen, Hassan and Rumman to bowl 10 overs each.

Imad and Malik for remaining 10.

New ball to be bowled by Amir and Shaheen

Old ball by Hassan and Rumman.

Four players out of 11 in the squad, would be

Azhar, Hafeez, Shadab, Junaid.

shaheen shah afridi at 8 would be disaster

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

Pakistan is a dangerous team but can't win.Because without a stable batting line up you cant win a 50 overs WC.It has never happened in history.You will be inconsistent.Look at all the wc winning teams and you will get the gist.They either have ATG batsmen supported by good batsmen or a number of very good batsmen playing as a unit.Other thing you usually need is allrounders.(not mandatory)

75,79 - Richards.Lloyd.Kallicharan.Greenidge.Didn't need allrounder lol.Brute force in batting and bowling.
83 - Gavaskar,Amarnath,Patil,Vengsarkar,Dev.Lots of allrounders -Dev,amarnath,lal,binny.
87 - Border,Jones,Boon,Marsh .Moody and Steve waugh allrounders.
92 - Miandad,Inzamam,Ijaz,Malik . Allrounders - Imran and lesser extent wasim.
96 - DeSilva,Jayasuriya,Ranatunga . Kaluwitharane,desilva and jayasuriya acting allrounders.
99 - Waugh brothers,Bevan,Martyn,Ponting .Gilchrist,Moody allrounders.
03 - Hayden,bevan,martyn,ponting.Gilchrist,symonds allrounders.
07 - Add Clarke and hussey to batting.Watson to allrounder.
11 - Sehwag,tendulkar,Gambhir,Kohli.Dhoni and Yuvraj allrounders.
15 - Clarke,Smith,Maxwell,Warner,Finch.Faulkner and Watson allrounders.

So now tell me who are pakistan's core batsmen that can dominate any opposition attack and post 300 plus scores or more importantly chase them?Because if you can't chase and there are doubts about pakistan's ability in that regard in pressure matches then you are at the mercy of the toss.
Now where are pakistan's allrounders.And no shoaib mailk and hafeez are not options because you need a seaming allrounder in overseas conditions and a spinning allrounder in subcontinent conditions.India won 83 wc because of its swing/seam allrounders,92 imran seaming allrounder,96 jaya and de silva spinning allrounders, same for yuvraj in 2011 and same story throughout. So who is seaming allrounder in 2019 for pakistan?They need someone like razzaq as well as 2-3 good solid batsemn who can play in any situation.

Now you can bring up fakhar zaman,but i wouldn't get too excited.A trend i observe with pakistani young batsmen is when they first appear they take us by surprise because we have little to no preparation or knowledge against them,but once the surprise is over they fizzle out as their technical deficiencies are studied and exposed.Salman butt scored a century in eden when he first came,Kamran akmal was initially a big problem,Naseer jamshed scored 2 hundreds against us when we first played against him,now zaman.Lets see if he can prove an exception.

Pakistani bowling is always a threat.But to win wc2019 they need good core of batsmen and atleast 1 seaming allrounder.

Batsmen win you games.
Bowlers win you tournaments.

This theory was proven in CT'17. Saffers had a mad batting lineup, so did Australia and England. None of them made the finals. ENG were knocked out in the semis. IND had a very good batting lineup as well but it wasn't tested till the Final. Their bowlers were performing nicely as well. That SL match was just an anomaly. The teams with the best and the 2nd best bowling lineups made the final.

But its true that we have a few batting slots up for grabs. An attacking opener is required to partner Fakhar, ideally Sharjeel would be perfect if not for............. anyways, who knows, Sahibzada Farhan might be suitable for this role. If Malik is consistent with his performances then I'd back Malik to play the World Cup. If we're not able to develop a really good Right-arm offspinner then we might have to take Hafeez with us which I personally wouldn't risk.

Ideally the XI should be something like:

Fakhar
Sharjeel/Any aggressive opener/Azhar (if no aggressive opener found)
Babar
Haris
Sarfraz
Malik/Hafeez (both of them can't be in the XI, I'd prefer Malik as he's the better batsman)
Imad/Fast bowling all-rounder(Hasan Mohsin maybe, who knows)
Hasan Ali
Amir
Rumman/Shadab (depending on pitch and conditions)
Junaid/140+ Kph pacer

 

[ExpressPacer]

I have no clue bro. They had more teams in the 1996 World Cup - 12. If they used that format we would've needed more than 60 games for the World Cup. This is the lowest number of teams we've had in a World Cup since 1992 itself so i guess they wanted to go back to this.

I see. I'm actually a fan of including more teams for the WC, even if it means having more matches. It's always been this way and should stay this way. The associates always make the competition more interesting and tougher.

 

[Abdulm123]

Top 4 makes it to semis, #1 team of the table plays #4 team and #2 team plays #3 team

 

[austerlitz]

Batsmen win you games.
Bowlers win you tournaments.

This theory was proven in CT'17. Saffers had a mad batting lineup, so did Australia and England. None of them made the finals. ENG were knocked out in the semis. IND had a very good batting lineup as well but it wasn't tested till the Final. Their bowlers were performing nicely as well. That SL match was just an anomaly. The teams with the best and the 2nd best bowling lineups made the final.

But its true that we have a few batting slots up for grabs. An attacking opener is required to partner Fakhar, ideally Sharjeel would be perfect if not for............. anyways, who knows, Sahibzada Farhan might be suitable for this role. If Malik is consistent with his performances then I'd back Malik to play the World Cup. If we're not able to develop a really good Right-arm offspinner then we might have to take Hafeez with us which I personally wouldn't risk.

Ideally the XI should be something like:

Fakhar
Sharjeel/Any aggressive opener/Azhar (if no aggressive opener found)
Babar
Haris
Sarfraz
Malik/Hafeez (both of them can't be in the XI, I'd prefer Malik as he's the better batsman)
Imad/Fast bowling all-rounder(Hasan Mohsin maybe, who knows)
Hasan Ali
Amir
Rumman/Shadab (depending on pitch and conditions)
Junaid/140+ Kph pacer

Not ODI tournaments.To win ODI tournaments u need batsmen,i showed that with history of world cups.If pakistan can win the wc with this batting line up it'll be the first time such a thing has happened that a team wins wc with no ATG batsmen and no batsmen who are considered top 10 in the world.
Don't compare CT with WC.Intensity is totally different.Teams start building up their squads one year before WC.There are no surprises,all opponents are studied,no rookies are taken.Even west indies won a CT,they would never ever win a WC.

Bowlers win u test matches.
Pakistan is a dangerous team that in ODIs can beat any side in the world.But their batsmen lack the consistency to win the cup for them,unless 2-3 guys come up in the next year with regular hundreds/big knocks and maybe a seaming allrounder.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

I see. I'm actually a fan of including more teams for the WC, even if it means having more matches. It's always been this way and should stay this way. The associates always make the competition more interesting and tougher.

At this stage, there's no point including more teams i think. Test and ODI cricket will always be around 8-10 teams. No more no less. There simply is no interest in these formats outside of traditional cricketing nations. As it is some countries are struggling to retain interest in these formats. Only T20's should be expanded imo. Anyway if you remember the 2003 World Cup, there were so many meaningless matches with 14 teams in 2 groups that the group stages were quite boring. On the other hand, with this format, you can see the top teams play each other atleast once and you won't see top teams smashing minnows or minnows fighting it out with each other. That actually reduces the quality of World Cups and honestly there's no point trying to mimic football world cups in my opinion.