After a 4-0 whitewash to England, the Pakistan Cricket Board have announced the 15-man squad for ICC Cricket World Cup to be played in England and Wales starting from 30th May 2019. Despite, Pakistan batting performed brilliantly, their bowling let them down and was one of the reasons why the 1992 World Champions lost the series badly.
CWC19: Here is how much prize money the 2019 World Cup winners will take home
The selectors have included Mohammad Aamir replacing Faheem Ashraf, experienced Wahab Riaz for Junaid Khan and Asif Ali for Abid Ali. In 2019, Pakistan has not had a great year so far in ODI cricket losing the series to South Africa 2-3, whitewashed by Australia 0-5. In the recently ODI series against England, Pakistan lost the series 0-4 with one match being washed out due to rain.
ICC announces star-studded commentators for CWC19
Pakistan must get their act together if they are to perform well in the upcoming World Cup 2019. In the first match, they take on West Indies on 31st May 2019 at Trent Bridge.
5 Cricketers playing their last ODI World Cup
Here we look at the 5 Pakistani players to watch out for in the squad
1. Fakhar Zaman
Fakhar Zaman is an explosive left-handed batsman who can change the course of game with his aggressive hitting. In the recently concluded ODI series against England, chasing down 374 runs to win, Zaman scored a sensational 138 and provided flying start to the team.
5 Players to watch out for in the Windies Squad
He made his ODI debut for Pakistan against South Africa during the 2017 Champions Trophy. Fakhar has played 36 matches (36 innings) and scored 1642 with the best score of 210* against Zimbabwe. After the double century against Zimbabwe, he has not been consistent enough with his batting.
In 2018, Fakhar scored 875 runs from 17 matches ( 17 innings) with 2 centuries and 6 half-centuries to his name.
So far in 2019, the explosive left-handed batsman has scored 367 runs from 10 matches ( 10 innings) with 1 century and 2 half-centuries.
If Pakistan is to do well in World Cup 2019, Fakhar Zaman needs to be consistent enough and provide flying starts along with Imam-ul- Haq.
2. Babar Azam
Babar Azam is one of the best solid technical batsmen in ODI cricket for Pakistan now. In the recently ODI Series against England, Azam scored 277 runs from 5 matches (4 innings) with 1 century and 2 half-centuries.
Coming at number 3, Azam can put the pressure on opposition bowlers, but need to work on the strike rate.
5 players to watch out for in the Bangladesh squad
Azam made his ODI debut for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in 2015. He has played 64 ( 62 innings) and scored 2739 runs with an average of 51.67.
In 2018, the talented batsman was in full flow with 509 runs from 18 matches ( 17 innings) with 1 century and 2 half-centuries.
Babar has been in brilliant form so far during 2019 with 472 runs from 10 matches (10 innings) with 1 century and 3 half-centuries.
Depending upon the situation of the match, he must work on working with his strike rate that Pakistan is lacking in ODI cricket.
3. Mohammad Hafeez
After Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez is the most experienced player in the Pakistani ODI setup. He made his ODI debut for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in 2003.
With Abid Ali not included in the 15-man squad, Hafeez could be used by the Pakistan team as a middle order or opener. The veteran Hafeez played 210 matches (208 innings) and scored 6361 runs with an average of 32.95.
5 Players to watch out for in the New Zealand Squad
In the recently concluded ODI series against England, Hafeez played scored a quick fire 59 runs. For the past few months, the veteran has not played in the ODI team due to injuries.
During the 2017 Champions Trophy, Hafeez played a key role scoring 148 runs from 5 matches ( 5 innings) with best knock of 57* in the finals against India.
Playing his last World Cup, if selected in the playing XI, Hafeez needs to deliver on a consistent basis and should focus on building the role of a hitter or anchor.
4. Hasan Ali
Hasan Ali is a top-quality pace bowler for Pakistan. In the recently concluded ODI series against England, he was expensive and took only 3 wickets in the 4 matches played in the series. He was not properly utilized by Pakistani captain Sarfaraz Ahmed.
Before this series, Hasan Ali was rested during the home series against Australia this year. He made his ODI debut for Pakistan against Ireland in 2016.
5 Players to watch out for in Team Australia
In bowling, Hasan Ali has played 49 matches (47 innings) and taken 80 wickets so far with an economy of 5.42 runs per over.
The medium pace bowler played a key role in Pakistani success during the Champions Trophy 2017 held in England. He was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 13 wickets from 5 matches ( 5 innings) with an economy of 4.29 runs per over.
In 2018, Hasan Ali took 19 wickets from 15 matches (14 innings) with an economy of 5.70 runs per over. He has not performed according to expectations during 2019 season so far.
If the conditions are helpful for the batsmen, then Hasan Ali role is to pick early wickets and also stop the run flow.
5. Shadab Khan
Shadab Khan is a young top quality-leg spinner who can create damage in the middle overs. He did not feature in the recently concluded ODI series due to illness. Yasir Shah and Imad Wasim could not create not an impact by restricting the run flow.
He made his ODI debut for Pakistan against West Indies in 2017. His ability to deceive the batsmen makes him a tough bowler to face. The leg spinner Shadab Khan has played 34 matches (33 innings) and taken 47 wickets with an economy of 4.80 runs per over.
CWC19: 5 players in the Sri Lankan squad to watch out for
In the Champions Trophy 2017, he took 4 wickets from 4 matches (4 innings) and played a key role in help Pakistan reach the finals.
In 2018, Shadab Khan was impressive with his bowling taking 23 wickets from 17 matches (16 innings) with an economy of 4.38 runs per over. He is a decent lower batsman who can score runs at vital times.
Pakistan fortunes depend upon how Shadab Khan bowls in the middle order during the World Cup 2019.