Pakistan in Cricket is always an exciting event. They either win brilliantly against any team or loose badly against any team as well. There are no half measures.
Pakistan team creates sensation, excitement and dramas. Cricketer earned good and bad names for Pakistan very regularly. They were winners last time in 1992 when the one and only World cup was last played in Australia and New Zealand.
On the basis of players, recent forms very few will dare to include Pakistan among the favorites .Pakistan team do not possess world class batsmen like Virat Kohli or AB de Villiers so they would have to rely on team spirit and collective effort to get good results in the World Cup. Individually there are few world class players, match winners who may drive the deep into the tournament. Team is badly hurt from suspension of their ace strike bowler Saeed Aajmal and restrictions imposed on bowling of Mohammad Hafiz. Omar Gul, Mohammed Ameer and Mohammad Asif are not in the side for different reasons .Yet they have a very talented bowling unit and a bunch of young talents who can prove too hot to handle. Their concern is quality and depth in batting and weakness in fielding. Otherwise Pakistan has no reason why they cannot go all the way to perform what Imran Khan’s cornered tigers did in 1992?
Pakistan has a history on World Cup Cricket. Other than West Indies Pakistan possessed the most versatile cricket talents in 1970s when West Indies dominated the cricket world. Majid Khan , Asif Iqbal, Zaheer Abbas , Javed Miandad, Wasim Raja , Sarfraz Newaz, Imran Khan , Abul Qadir made Pakistan a very competitive team. History could be so different had Pakistan did not lose the 1975 World Cup match marginally by 1 Wicket by West Indies in 1975. In every world Cup since then Pakistan were discussed among the favorites until they really won it in 1992 when they were rank outsiders and were in a very tight spot of getting knocked out from preliminary round. In the group stage they were on the verge of complete collapse against England till rain came to their rescue and point sharing. They were in danger of getting knocked out getting beaten by New Zealand.Youngster Inzamaul Haque emerged and batted like a raw genius in pulling ling back the team from almost ruins. From then on Imran’s Khan’s team never looked back and gathering momentum from match after matches won the trophy almost unnoticed.
Pakistan did not do all that bad in World Cup Cricket .Apart from winning the trophy in 1992 , they appeared in final in 1999 and reached semifinals four times .In 2015 they may be a very difficult team to beat under a very cool captain Misbah Ul Huq and penetrative bowling attack. Batting looks a bit thin .But who knows whether someone like Inzamam will not emerge.
Pakistan Squad :
Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Younis Khan, Mohammad Hafeez,Haris Sohail,Sarfraz Ahmed,Umar Akmal,Sohaib Maqsood,Shahid Afridi,Yasir Shah,Mohammad Irfan,Junaid Khan,Ehsan Adil,Sohail Khan
Wahab Riaz
Pakistan team of 15 in World Cup Squad Comprises of eight batsmen including Wicket Keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, 5 pacers and two front line leg spinners including boom boom Afridi.In recent times Pakistan team on the dead surfaces of UAE took stern tests of Australia .The bowlers and batsmen were in prolific form. Man Mountain Mohammad Irfan can be a X-Factor in the world cup .Junaid Khan and Wahab Riaz will form formidable pace bowling trio. In Sohail Khan and Erfan Adil Pakistan has quality reserve in pace bowling. Head Coach Legendary Waqar will definitely equip them well. Spin department has depleted following suspension of match winner Saeed Aajmal. But we must not forget Shahid Afridi in World Cup 2011 was the highest wicket taker. He will retire from ODI after world cup .One must not get surprised if he shines at his twilight with bat and ball for Pakistan .Pakistan has gambled with Young Leg Spinner Yasir Shah who in his limited international exposure has already impressed legendary Shane Warne. Pakistan perhaps possesses the most balanced bowling attack. It will be very difficult to score against them as most of the bowlers are wicket taking attacking bowlers .If Pakistani batsmen can consistently score 275 plus Pakistan has a strong chance of making the Semi Finals at least.
Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafiz are tried tested openers. Both can take apart any bowling attack if only they can survive the initial four five overs. Veteran Younis Khan is among the top batsmen at this moment and can play the sheet anchors role like Javed Miandad did in 1992. Who will bat at number four? Why not talented Umar Akmal? Heis very talented batsman but often does not do justice to his potential. If he bats at four linking Younis and Misbah at either end he will get more time to settle and have calming effect of seasoned campaigners on either side.Harris Sohail or Sohail Masqsood are talented young batsmen to be slotted at number six and boom boom Afridi at seven can add to the dynamism of the batting unit .Wahab Riaz , Junaid Khan , Yasir Shah and Mohammad Irfan can be in the playing eleven. Three pacers and two spinners will give depth and diversity .In this line up Umar Akmal can keep wickets. But better would be playing Sarfraz as Pakistan will need genuine wicket keeper to take full advantage of Afridi and Yasir Shah spin bowling. Catches behind the wicket and stumpings will matter significantly in close matches. Sarfraz is also a very useful late middle order batsman.
Many experts have not tagged Pakistan as favorites to win World Cup 2015.They were ranked outsiders in 1992 as well. They are at number 7 in ICC ODI ranking. They are in Pool B along with South Africa, India, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland and UAE. The first match on 15 February is a India Pakistan derby at Adelaide Oval. On New Years Eve when we were in Adelaide we found the match sold out. These two teams wherever in the world they play draw capacity crowd. The outcome of this very important match will set the tone of the world cup. It will be the last world cup for Younis Khan, Misbah and Afridi .Can the unpredictable Pakistan play 9 matches consistently to repeat what Imran Khan’s cornered tigers achieved in 1992? 
BDST: 1409 HRS, JAN 20, 2015
