Pakistan will head to England for Cricket World Cup 2019 looking to emulate their success in the Champions Trophy in the same country two years ago and regain the crown they last won in 1992. Everyone associated will know that the last time the tournament was held in England, in 1999, they made the final so there is something about competitions in England that bring out the best in them it appears.
Profile
Captain: Sarfaraz Ahmed
Previous Best: Winners (1992)
Key Players: Babar Azam & Shadab Khan
Best Odds: 22/1 Betfair
Fixtures
May 31: vs West Indies at Trent Bridge
June 3: vs England at Trent Bridge
June 7: vs Sri Lanka at Bristol
June 12: vs Australia at Taunton
June 16: vs India at Old Trafford
June 23: vs South Africa at Lord’s
June 26: vs New Zealand at Edgbaston
June 29: vs Afghanistan at Headingley
July 5: vs Bangladesh at Lord’s
Squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (c/wk), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Hasnain
Team Guide
If there is a side in world cricket who would fit the tag mercurial perfectly it is Pakistan. Nobody really knows what they are going to deliver. I don’t think they do so how anyone else does is a whole new thing. One thing they will have to do in this tournament is bat consistently well because it is that consistency which will win the day here. If they can continue the form they have shown in England recently with the bat this could yet be another exciting few weeks for the men in green.
The concerns suddenly, amazingly based on their history as a side, comes with the ball and whether they have the skills required to restrict teams on what are expected to be decent wickets throughout the competition. If they do then they are genuine contenders rather than dark horses but until such time as they do they can only be labelled the latter.
Betting
Babar Azam remains the standout player in this Pakistan side. I wouldn’t say he is the only good player in this line up but he is the one who can put a series of scores together and ultimately that is what we are looking for here. He warmed up for the tournament strongly with a good run in the series against England and finally looks set to be competitive away from Asia. I have this between Babar and Fakhar Zaman but I like the more reliable number three in terms of their top scorer overall.
I’m not convinced Pakistan are going to go as well as perhaps they are expected to in this tournament. I think a lot of the anticipation around them is based on the past. I would be worried by what I saw from them with the ball in the series against England and if they are unable to get the ball reversing in this competition they are going to be cannon fodder. They might well win the odd game or two with the bat but more than 4.5 wins looks beyond them to me.
Tips
WON – Back B.Azam Top Pakistan Tournament Batsman for a 3/10 stake at 3.00 with Betway
Back him here:
Back Under 4.5 group wins for a 4/10 stake at 1.73 with Boylesports
Back it here:
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