Pakistan is one of the best teams in T20 International Cricket. The side has a fine record in the format as it has won 117 matches which is the most by any team. If we talk about the T20 International rankings, Pakistan stands at number three in the format. The top batsmen of the T20I format in the ICC rankings Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam are from Pakistan.
The bowling rankings of the T20I format have the name Shaheen Shah Afridi at the third position. All these facts demonstrate the caliber and position of Pakistan in the shortest format. Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2022 is one of the favorite sides to win the tournament without any shadow of a doubt. It is all set to give tough time to the best teams in the T20 International circuit.
Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2021
In the last T20 World Cup, the performance of Pakistan did shock the world. Before the World Cup, England and New Zealand refused to visit Pakistan for the series. This made Pakistan deprived of match practice before the mega event. When Pakistan’s squad was announced, it was looking tremendously weak on paper. However, the changes made before the tournament improved the shape of the squad.
The highlight of the Pakistan Cricket Team’s shining performance in the T20 World Cup 2021 was the victory against India. Pakistan walked out to Dubai International Stadium in its opening game against India having the stains of losing 12 games on the trot in the World Cups. Another victory was on the cards for India as Pakistan did not have any major preparation before the World Cup. However, the way Shaheens have performed in the game was praised by the cricket historians.
Pakistan completely demolished India in the first game after winning by 10 wickets against the arch-rivals. In the next game, Pakistan destroyed the strong New Zealand side and did not let them stand a chance in the game. Pakistan defeated New Zealand convincingly by 5 wickets at Sharjah.
Pakistan won a total of 4 games in the group stage out of 5 matches. It topped the group and qualified for the semi-final. It was difficult for Australia to stop the momentum of Pakistan in the knock-out game. Pakistan dominated 80% of the match against Sri Lanka. In a series of unexpected events, Australia made an unbelievable comeback and eliminated Pakistan from the T20 World Cup. Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2022 will like to take revenge against Australia on its home soil.
What Squad To Expect: Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2022
Pakistan Cricket Team does not forget how close it was to the winning trophy in 2021. This time the men in green will try to rectify their past mistakes to gain momentum and charge in Australia. This time Pakistan will play in T20 World Cup 2022 having the match practice at home.
Pakistan is scheduled to face England from September 15 to October 5 with Lahore and Karachi hosting the matches. The series could serve as a perfect opportunity for both sides to set up their squads before the T20 World Cup 2022. Do you want to find out the percentage of chances Pakistan stands in the upcoming T20 World Cup? If yes, then you could go to the best online cricket sportsbook sites in the UK to know the odds.
Top Order
The top order of Pakistan looks composed as it consists of the top two T20I batsmen, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. Fakhar Zaman appears to be a strong candidate for the number three position. The form of Zaman is a concern as he performs tremendously well in some matches but lacks consistency in the longer run. If we talk about Rizwan and Babar, there is no question about their positions on the side. Rizwan and Babar have put up a century stand in the T20 Internationals six times.
It also holds the record for the highest opening stand (197 against South Africa at Centurion). It is a known fact that there is room for improvement in everything. While Rizwan and Babar bat splendidly well, the modern-era demands batting at a fast pace. On the Australian pitches, Pakistan will like a little change in their approach that could escalate Pakistan’s chances in T20 World Cup 2022.
Middle Order
Pakistan has faced quite a number of challenges while forming its middle-order in the T20 International Cricket. Most Pakistani batters follow a hit-miss approach in the middle order. The secrets of the fragile Pakistani middle-order do not expose in disguise a phenomenal middle-order. Pakistan has the services of Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed in the middle order. All batsmen carry the ability to smash the ball all around the park. They can bat with a spectacular strike rate of 200-plus.
The downside of these players is that they are not reliable. If the top order does not fire, the aggressive gameplay of the middle-order can misfire the Pakistan batting side plans as the situation demands the stabilization of the innings. Haider Ali, Sohaib Maqsood and Mohammad Haris are other candidates to play in the middle-order position. There is less time remaining from the T20 World Cup 2022. This is why Pakistan needs to test its players as early as possible to make a fine combination.
Lower Order
The lower order of the Pakistan Cricket Team is not explosive as compared to the other top international sides. Pakistan’s lower order has the services of Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Wasim and Hasan Ali.
These batsmen are not natural hard-hitting batsmen. There is no denying the fact these players can hit the ball hard but the point is that they are not specialized in the hard-hitting department. Pakistan needs to find a lower order matching the modern-era stands which could escalate their chances in T20 World Cup 2021.
Fast Bowlers
Pakistan’s bowling line-up consists of world-class fast bowlers without any shadow of a doubt. The left-arm sensation Shaheen Afridi rose through the ranks to become one of the best fast bowlers of this generation. Afridi swings the ball both ways in the initial overs and has a knack for taking wickets in the opening overs. He has troubled the likes of Lokesh Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Aaron Finch who are considered the fine set of batsmen of the powerplay overs.
Front-Line
According to ESPN, Shaheen Afridi has taken 47 wickets in 40 T20 International with a bowling average of 24.31. He is the front-line fast bowler of Pakistan’s bowling up. Do you want to find out which fast bowler has the highest number of chances of topping the highest-wicket taker list in the upcoming T20 World Cup? If yes, then you could go to the best online cricket sportsbook sites in the UK to know the odds.
Haris Rauf made his name in the cricketing world after producing the enthralling spell of fast bowling against India in the T20 World Cup 2021. Rauf bowled extremely tight line and length against the batting marvel Virat Kohli and did not allow him to settle his feet on the crease. He ended with the phenomenal bowling figures of 1/25 against the arch-rivals India.
Following the scintillating show against India, Haris demolished the batting line-up of New Zealand after taking four wickets in the group-stage game. The splendid performance of Haris earned him a man-of-the-match record against New Zealand. Haris Rauf took eight wickets in the campaign with a great bowling average of 21.00.
Weak Link
The weak link in the fast bowling department of Pakistan is the absence of a reliable third fast bowler. The performance and form of Hasan Ali have made Pakistan Cricket Team selectors anxious before the T20 World Cup. Hasan took only 5 wickets in the T20 World Cup 2021 and has a bowling average of 41.40 in the tournament.
Pakistan has tried Mohammad Wasim in the T20 international cricket as the right-arm fast bowler is capable of taking wickets with blistering pace. He can also provide support in the batting department with his hard-hitting abilities. Another option in the bowling department is Faheem Ashraf. Faheem has taken 35 wickets for Pakistan in T20 Internationals with a bowling average of 25.80. He can also be a considerable choice in the Pakistan T20 World Cup 2022 roster.
Spin Bowlers
Pakistan has a history of having fine spinners on its roster for the T20 World Cup. The men in green have the services of Shadab Khan whose form has improved significantly in recent times. Shadab Khan was one of the best bowlers of Pakistan in the World Cup as he took 9 wickets with a bowling average of 15.33. Furthermore, Khan is capable of bowling the quality leg-spin, flipper, slider and googly to trouble the best batsmen of the circuit. He will be the front-line spin bowler of Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022.
Mohammad Nawaz is another favorite candidate for making the list of squad members that will fly to Australia for the T20 World Cup 2022. Nawaz has played 30 T20 Internationals for Pakistan and took 25 wickets in the format. He is famous for bowling tight spells in the powerplay overs that produce wickets. Sarfraz Ahmad utilized him splendidly well in the Pakistan Super League.
The case of Imad Wasim is tremendously interesting. Imad was dropped from the Pakistan T20 International side after the selector Wasim mentioned that Imad’s performance was not up to the mark. Furthermore, his bad fitness contributed to his exclusion from the side, according to the chief selector.
In the T20 World Cup 2021, Wasim took only 4 wickets in the tournament but bowled with a spectacular economy rate of 5.70. Imad can make a comeback in the side as the batting pitches of Australia can demand a left-arm spinner from Pakistan who can bowl tight line and length to stop the flow of runs.
The Classic Option
Usman Qadir is likely to find his name on the roster for T20 World Cup 2022. Furthemore, Qadir is a classic leg-spinner like his father Abdul Qadir who was a legendary spinner of his time.
Usman has experience playing domestic cricket in Australia which makes his T20 World Cup 2022 inclusion case strong. Qadir has phenomenal T20 International stats for Pakistan. He has taken 24 wickets with a splendid bowling average of 16.41.
Conclusion
T20 World Cup 2022 is all set to initiate from October 16 in Australia. The first game of Pakistan is scheduled for October 23 when the arch-rivals will face each other at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. This is the first time Australia is hosting a T20 World Cup.
Overall, the Pakistan team has a knack for performing well in the T20 World Cups. Pakistan will look to rectify the issues in its playing eleven before the World Cup. The top order at the moment looks set while the middle order requires attention before the World Cup.
If the likes of Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah become consistent, Pakistan stands a fine chance of winning the T20 World Cup on Australian soil. The bowling line-up of the Pakistan team is anticipated to trouble the best teams in the world. Pakistan should correct their combinations in significant Pakistan vs England fixtures to prepare themselves best for the T20 World Cup 2021. The best online cricket sportsbook sites in India will guide you about the odds of Pakistan in the upcoming tournament.
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