Zooming in: Analysis of Pakistan’s T20 WC squad
Pakistan had a slow start to their Asia Cup tournament after a disappointing loss to arch-rivals India in the opening fixture. But the Men in Green managed to seal their spot in the final in a thrilling manner, before succumbing to Sri Lanka in the finale.
The Pakistani bowlers, especially the young Naseem Shah, lit up the tournament with his sensational bowling. The return of fast bowling sensation Shaheen Afridi will only bolster the attack for an already imperious fast bowling department. The Men in Green are one of the dark horses for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia as they boast of a potent attack, capable of beating anyone on their day.
SWOT Analysis of Pakistan for T20 World Cup
Strength-
Pakistan’s biggest strength over the years has been their potent bowling attack and it is the case with the current side as well. The fast-bowling department is a threat to any batter in the world, along with some very skillful spinners taking care of things in the middle overs. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan create the spine of a strong batting unit as well.
Weakness-
While Babar Azan and Mohammad Rizwan are two of the world’s most adept run scorers in the format, the team lacks quality in the middle order. They do have some proven big hitters in their ranks but are plagued with inconsistency and often fail to deliver at the most crucial stages of the match.
Opportunity-
Pakistan last won the tournament back in 2009 under their mercurial leader Shahid Afridi. But since that triumph, they have not had any major success, apart from the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017. The upcoming tournament poses a great opportunity for Pakistani players to stake their claim at the summit of the cricketing fraternity.
Threat-
The Men in Green are grouped with arch-rivals India in the upcoming ICC mega event, with both sides colliding in a blockbuster clash at the iconic MCG. The group also consists of a dangerous South African side who are buoyed by their recent triumph in England. There is a chance that they will square off against defending champions Australia in the latter stages of the tournament and will hope to settle the score from the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final encounter.
