Jitters, goosebumps and the World Cup

With only a month left before the premier event of the game of cricket — the World Cup — starts, all the participating nations are weighing their chances of lifting the most prestigious trophy and the title of the World Champions that accompanies it. Pakistan have also announced the names of its best 15 men to adorn the green jersey. The training camp in Lahore is in full swing with eyes trained on the glittering trophy which their predecessors brought home only once in 1992, with Imran Khan leading the pack.

In a country where cricket is the most-followed game, even leaving behind the national game of hockey which surely is in a lot of doldrums at the moment, the players who are selected to represent a nation of 180 million cricket lovers will have a lot in their mind while walking onto the pitch with their first World Cup fixture against arch-rivals India, whom they have never beaten in a big event.

With the likes of Saeed Ajmal (banned from bowling due to illegal action) and Umar Gul (owing to fitness problems) left out, Pakistan will be entering the world stage arena with a relatively less experienced bowling attack; the only department that was and always has been the most consistent as compared to fielding and batting, which have time and again faltered.

The inclusion of Sohail Khan, considered to be the fastest bowler for Pakistan after Shoaib Akhtar and Muhammad Sami, was a surprise inclusion in the squad and he will have to prove his worth if he wants to pursue a full-time role in Pakistan’s bowling attack.

Meanwhile, captain Misbahul Haq has vowed to go all-out for his last campaign while leading the team. Shahid Afridi and Younus Khan, who are also playing their last World Cup, will also be thinking of playing their hearts out to make this last attempt of their redemption count.

However, the young stags of the team Ahmed Shehzad, Muhammad Hafeez, Sarfraz Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Haris Sohail will be thinking of sharing the responsibility with veteran batsmen to augment Pakistan’s chances, while Muhammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Wahab Riaz, Ehsan Adil and the unheralded leggy, Yasir Khan, will be filling in the shoes of more experienced bowlers.

The stage is set in Australia-New Zealand, the teams are ready to duck, hook and pull on the bouncy pitches and the Pakistani audience, well they are always ready to support their team no matter how they perform.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2015.