Sadiq urges Pakistan to fix top order

KARACHI:

 Pakistan have made a promising start to building a strong combination for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in late 2027.

Under the leadership of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan have won back-to-back matches against Sri Lanka and England in the ODI tri-series being played on home soil.

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 37 runs before crushing England by 87 runs at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, strengthening their position in the three-team competition. The series is also providing an opportunity to assess players and develop a combination capable of adapting to the varied pitches and conditions expected in southern Africa.

Despite the encouraging results, Pakistan's batting remains a concern, particularly at the top of the order.

The opening pair of Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub have struggled to make a consistent impact, while Babar Azam has yet to convert promising starts into substantial scores during the series.

There have, however, been encouraging performances from the middle order. Salman Ali Agha scored a century against Sri Lanka, while Hasan Nawaz and young all-rounder Arafat Minhas impressed against England.

The 21-year-old Minhas produced a particularly outstanding performance, scoring 59 runs to help Pakistan cross the 300-run mark before dismantling England's batting with figures of 6-40 in a commanding victory.

Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi also acknowledged on Tuesday that some batsmen were short of form, highlighting an area the team management must address as it works towards a settled combination for the World Cup.

With time still available before the tournament, former Pakistan Test opener Sadiq Mohammad believes the selectors must prioritise technically sound batsmen who can adapt to the conditions expected in Africa.

“I think technically correct batsmen will be needed if Pakistan are to cope with the conditions in Africa,” Sadiq told The Express Tribune in an interview.

He recommended that Abdullah Shafique, Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat be considered for the World Cup plans, arguing that Pakistan would need technically proficient players to cope with challenging conditions.

“Shafiq, Farhan and Maaz also should be part of the World Cup plans as you will need such batsmen who are technically sound,” Sadiq said.

He also suggested that Fakhar and Saim return to domestic cricket to regain their confidence and develop the ability to play longer innings before being considered for the national side again.

“Saim has been a total failure with the bat where we need him most as opener and he has been given ample chances but did not perform,” Sadiq said.

Sadiq said Salman Ali Agha proved effective, pointing to his century against Sri Lanka. He also praised the team's decision to field five specialist bowlers.

“My suggestion to play Salman Ali Agha paid off with a century. Playing five bowlers also made a big difference,” Sadiq said.

He stressed that Pakistan needed to make changes at the top of the order and establish a dependable opening partnership well before the World Cup.

“It’s about time that Pakistan make some changes in top order and make sure that we have a solid opening pair,” he said.

Sadiq also backed Hasan Nawaz, suggesting that the young batsman could provide the middle order with the power-hitting ability required to finish innings strongly.

“Hasan can be an ideal batsman in the middle order. He can use long handle, the way Iftikhar Ahmed used to do,” Sadiq pointed out.

The former opener also called for Pakistan to develop greater depth in the all-round department, identifying Minhas as a promising option after his impressive performance against England. He suggested that off-spinner Sajid Khan could also be considered for an opportunity in ODI cricket.

“There is a need of a good all-rounder. Arafat has shown his guts both with the bat and ball and Sajid Khan could be another option as he can also prove to be handy if given chance in ODI cricket,” Sadiq said.

“He is a real fighter and should be tested,” he said, referring to Sajid.

Sadiq added that Pakistan needed to identify at least two more fast bowlers to strengthen their options alongside established pacers Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah.

“Pakistan also need two more pacers to be settled in the combination besides the regular bowlers Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah,” Sadiq said.