Ireland series win

Stunned by the 11^th ranked Ireland in the first of the three T20I series, Pakistan ensured there were no more surprises. Team Pakistan won the remaining two games pretty comfortably, clinching the series 2-1. They came under intense criticism when they lost the series opener by five wickets. A score of 182 was not as bad, but Pakistan’s much-vaunted bowling line failed to stop the Irish batsmen from reaching the target. With the ICC T20 World Cup only weeks away (starting from June 1), Pakistan’s first match performance against one of the minnows of the game triggered quite a lot of concern. However, winning the following two games — by seven wickets each — the Babar Azam men did manage to quell the storm of criticism.

Greenshirts have four more games to play, against England, before they start their quest for the World Cup being co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States. Pakistan, the only country that has yet to announce its squad for the World Cup, is still trying various combinations in batting and bowling so as to reach the right mix of players to take the field in the 20-team world contest. Choosing from the half a dozen pacers in contention, all having a class of their own, is not going to be an easy task. In the batting though, the selection should not be much of a trouble. While Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman are well-placed in the top order, and Iftikhar Ahmed in the late middle order followed by all-rounders Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim, putting young Azam Khan somewhere in the middle will add the much-needed flamboyance to Pakistan’s batting line-up.

Team Pakistan need to keep up the momentum, gained from the Ireland tour, in the upcoming four-match T20I series against England, so as to enter the world contest as a confident unit.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2024.

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