Predicting the Pakistan ODI Team That Starts the 2015 World Cup
With the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand now just four months away from kicking off, we take a look at how the Pakistan one-day team may look for their mouth-watering opening fixture against archrivals India at the Adelaide Oval on February 15.
And this is the XI we predict captain Misbah-ul-Haq will go with for this crucial day-night Group B contest in South Australia…
1. Ahmed Shehzad
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Right-handed batsman Ahmed Shehzad should just see off the challenge of the less experienced Sharjeel Khan to claim the opening spot alongside Mohammad Hafeez after an impressive year in this short form of the game.
And the 22-year-old Punjabi deserves his opportunity after scoring five ODI centuries in 48 matches since making his 50-over debut for his country back in April 2009.
2. Mohammad Hafeez
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The only question over the possible involvement of Mohammad Hafeez against India relates to where the No. 1-ranked ODI all-rounder in the world will bat at, with the under-rated off-spinner also set to provide useful support with the ball on a pitch that could turn.
And with this being such a vital encounter for both nations, the veteran of 149 one-day internationals for Pakistan across an 11-year period is more than likely to open the batting in this clash of the subcontinental heavyweights next February.
3. Asad Shafiq
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Following the surprise decision to drop Younis Khan for the upcoming ODI series with Australia, Pakistan must now decide on who will replace the veteran campaigner at No. 3 in their line-up going forward.
And despite having not featured in a 50-over contest for his country since last November, it would be a major surprise should Asad Shafiq—a 28-year-old right-handed batsman from Karachi—not get the nod.
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4. Misbah-Ul-Haq (Captain)
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Despite Misbah-ul-Haq having reached the grand old age of 40 earlier this year, the Pakistan captain remains as fit as a fiddle, with no question whatsoever of the Punjabi not occupying his usual spot in the middle order at the Adelaide Oval in February.
The ability of the right-handed batsman to alter gears depending on the match situation is likely to prove key to his country’s chances of getting off to a winning start in their Group B opener against India.
5. Umar Akmal (Wicketkeeper)
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It would not be a World Cup without at least one of the Akmal brothers on show, and this time the younger of the three siblings Umar is set to keep wicket for his country, while also providing crucial acceleration with the bat in the middle order.
And if the pocket-sized stumper can carry on the explosive form that he has shown with the bat since surprisingly being recalled to the line-up in place of older brother Kamran last year, then Pakistan could just cause a few surprises at the tournament.
6. Fawad Alam
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It is time for Fawad Alam to start repaying all the faith that Pakistan’s selectors have invested in him since handing the 28-year-old his ODI debut back in May 2007, and what better place to do that than on a global stage like the World Cup?
However, the Karachi-born batsman has shown enough glimpses in this form of the game in 2014 to suggest that he is about to improve on a record so far of just one ton in 32 one-day games for his country at next year’s competition.
7. Shahid Afridi
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You did not think that Pakistan would possibly go into a World Cup without the services of the talismanic Shahid Afridi did you, especially given the big-hitting batsman’s ability to occasionally win you a game virtually single-handedly?
And while Afridi may turn 35 during the actual tournament, the player is still currently ranked as the world’s seventh-best all-rounder in this short form of the game by the International Cricket Council.
8. Umar Gul
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If Misbah is crucial to Pakistan’s hopes Down Under with the bat, then so too is Umar Gul with the ball, as one would expect from a bowler who has captured 173 wickets in 124 ODIs during the course of the past 11 years.
And in particular, it is the 30-year-old’s almost unrivalled ability in the world game to keep producing bone-crunching yorkers right at the death of a one-day innings that makes the currently injured paceman a dangerous competitor.
9. Saeed Ajmal
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Despite the fact that Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was recently banned from bowling by the ICC due to an illegal action, the mystery tweaker is still confident of remedying the problem in time to feature at next year’s World Cup.
And you can understand just why his country is so keen to have the 36-year-old available to face India in February, with the player still rated as the world’s No. 1 one-day bowler by the ICC after going at only 4.13 runs per over during his 111 internationals to date.
10. Mohammad Irfan
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Giant left-armer Mohammad Irfan will enjoy bowling on the hard wickets of Australia, where his 7'1" frame is sure to produce plenty of bounce for opposing batsmen to have to contend with at next year’s World Cup.
And with a miserly economy rate of just 4.77 RPO during his 30 ODIs so far for his country, the Punjab-born paceman could be one of the surprise packages at the tournament.
11. Junaid Khan
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It is never easy predicting just which pacemen Pakistan may select from one game to the next, so choosing who may open the bowling for them in four months’ time is an even more precarious task.
However, promising seamer Junaid Khan should get the nod after an excellent year with the ball in one-day cricket, with the 24-year-old left-armer having now snared 75 wickets in 48 one-day internationals for his country since first appearing on the international scene in 2011.
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