Taking on the world

Pakistan will still have to play out of their skins to have a shot at dethroning the defending champions, England.


Editorial September 17, 2012

As the fourth edition of the World Twenty20 kicks off in Hambantota, Sri Lanka today with the hosts and Zimbabwe locking horns, Pakistani fans will be hoping for the national team to produce a performance to match the one that it conjured up in the 2009 edition, when Younus Khan’s men surprised everyone to lift the trophy. Pakistan’s run-up to the event has seen them defeating Australia 2-1 in the recently held series in the UAE, which must have given the team management much heart. However, it is important to note that this was only the first such win in a Twenty20 series by the national team this year. To come out victorious in a global event will require a much improved show, especially with the bat, as mind-boggling batting collapses have become all too frequent in recent times. As Pakistan launch their campaign on September 23 against New Zealand, captain Mohammad Hafeez will need to lead from the front with the bat, to ensure that his team is able to post competitive totals throughout the event.

One aspect of the game that should not cause too much worry and will play a crucial role in the team’s progress is its bowling department. Saeed Ajmal — inexplicably not even considered worthy of a nomination for the International Cricket Council Cricketer of the Year Award — has shot up to the top of the Twenty20 bowlers’ ranking, while Shahid Afridi is also among the top 10.

The nature of this format of the game is such that it does require some level of luck to succeed. However, with the advent of numerous Twenty20 leagues the world over, and with players now having extensive experience of playing this format and adapting their styles to suit the game, the luck factor may not count for as much as it did in the earlier editions. Over the years, Pakistan have displayed a natural flair for Twenty20 cricket and although recent results may not reflect this entirely, it will be foolhardy for opponents to underestimate their chances. However, notwithstanding the immense talent at their disposal, Pakistan will still have to play out of their skins to have a shot at dethroning the defending champions, England.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2012.

COMMENTS (2)

dr aamir | 11 years ago | Reply

ya surely the pitches hv changed with the ball seaming quite a lot specially in the 2nd half of the innings..what i m worried abt is the fragility of our lower middle order specially umer akmal,razzaq and afridi..our fast bowling dept isnt as good as it used to be in the past..plus the fielders hv to catch what is offered to them..if we lose against new zealand,then bangladesh is going to be bcm an even more tuffer opposition for us..anyhow best wishes for our team

sensible | 11 years ago | Reply

pitches in srilanka have changed over the years now they are no more spin friendly. There is some movement for fast bowlers and bowl swings early on. Pak need to utilize the fast bowlers at their disposal. Go with arafat gul and tanvir, get rid of afridi and include razzaq, coz his medium pacers could be really effective.batting order should be Nazir, hafeez, nasir, kamran, malik, umer, razzaq, arafat, gul, tanvir, ajmal.

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ