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World Twenty20 Profile - Pakistan

Jun.02, 2009 in t20 News

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Pakistan have always had something of a lawless air about them (think beatings with cricket bats, drug scandals and the board’s suing of the ICC), but Younus Khan has instilled an authority that was missing under his predecessor Shoaib Malik. As a senior player with the ability to lead from the front, he enjoys the respect of his players but will need to create further unity if Pakistan are to challenge for the title again.

Coach
Former Pakistan captain Intikhab Alam is in his third stint as team coach, having previously guided them to the 1992 World Cup. From the evidence thus far the team have benefitted from a homegrown coach, who enjoys greater respect from the players, fans and media, after Geoff Lawson’s bumpy tenure was cut short in October last year.

Strengths
Balance throughout the side ensures very few weak points. Two solid openers in Ahmed Shehzad and Salman Butt, with the latter’s experience key to guiding his young partner, and a middle order where Shahid Afridi’s explosive hitting is balanced out by the measured approach of Misbah-ul-Haq. In the bowling Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul are two of the best limited-overs bowlers you could ask for, while the rise of Saeed Ajmal has provided stingey offspin that can anchor the attack.

Indeed it’s in the spin department where Pakistan are strongest, with Ajmal backed up by Afridi’s legspin and Shoaib Malik’s under-rated and unassuming offspin. Afridi provides the strike threat, Malik has a tendency to get through his overs cheaply without the opposition noticing and Ajmal has burst onto the international scene at the age of 31 as a leading limited-overs spinner. Only India can match such an impressive stock of tweakers.

Weaknesses
A distinct lack of game time, particularly in English-style conditions, makes them a real wild card for this tournament. There is a feeling that they could be on the rise again having pushed an admittedly weakened Australia close in a one-day series and beaten them in a Twenty20, but it’s difficult to say when they’ve only played 16 ODIs against top-eight opposition since the beginning of 2008 (Australia have played 35). A new generation are coming through but have not been able to test themselves regularly enough, and missing out on the IPL this year is a massive blow.

Also, with only two frontline seamers in Sohail and Gul there is a reliance on spin which may not be suitable in England. Spinners played a large role in the IPL this year but that was on tired, end-of-season pitches. If Pakistan arrive to find a greentop and suddenly need to draft in an extra seamer then their options will be extremely limited.

Kingpin
Never mind the hit-and-miss antics of Shahid Afridi, because as with any slogger he only comes off once every five matches. Instead it’s Misbah who Pakistan will look to, because the steady right-hander has the ability to play according to the situation and adapt to varying conditions. Having come within a couple of metres of guiding Pakistan to the trophy in 2007, he’ll be even more determined to grab a winner’s medal this time round.

Likely Flop
If they’re going to bring in a third seamer, Yasir Arafat is the most experienced option - Iftikhar Anjum (one T20 international) and raw 17-year-old Mohammad Aamer being the only other options. But in four Twenty20 internationals Arafat has taken two wickets at an average of 53 and conceded runs at almost eight to the over, so opposition batsmen will surely look to target him.

Back in 2007
Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik provided the runs and Umar Gul was the tournament’s best bowler with 13 wickets at 11.92, and a miserly economy rate of 5.6 runs per over, as Pakistan stunned everyone by making it to the final. After Shoaib Akhtar had been sent home for assaulting Mohammad Asif with a cricket bat few gave Pakistan any hope, yet had Misbah’s attempted lift over short fine leg in the final over of the tournament travelled two metres further then they would have celebrated a well-deserved title.

Having summarily disposed of Scotland, Malik’s team threw away a winning position to tie with India in the other group match and duly lost the bowl-out three-nil. Unfazed, they swept aside Sri Lanka, Australia and Bangladesh in the Super Eights with surprising ease to set up a semi-final with New Zealand in Cape Town. That, too, was no hastle as Umar Gul’s 3 for 15 restricted the Kiwis to 143 for 8 and Imran Nazir’s 59 set up a six-wicket win. When Afridi was out first ball in the final, leaving Pakistan 77 for 6 in pursuit of 158 for victory, all seemed to be lost. Yet thanks to Misbah they entered the final over needing a manageable 13 runs to win. When he clubbed Joginder Sharma’s second ball over back over his head for six, just six more were needed from four deliveries. But then the hero became the villain as his unnecessary scoop was caught by Sreesanth at short fine leg. Pakistan were all out for 152 and India were the champions.

Last Five T20I Results*
May 2009: Pakistan beat Australia by 7 wickets in Dubai
October 2008: Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 5 wickets in Canada
October 2008: Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 7 wickets in Canada
October 2008: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 3 wickets in Canada
October 2008: Pakistan beat Canada by 35 runs in Canada

Skippers’ Say
“India and South Africa are good and capable of winning the cup alongside Pakistan but the West Indies can spring a few surprises. In T20 cricket or for that matter in any other form of the game it is how you play on a particular day and how consistent you can be in your performances. Our players are well versed in T20 cricket and that is why I am confident that if we play to our full ability and as a team we can definitely win the cup but we have to be on our feet all the time.” - Captain Khan says even the Windies could scoop the trophy.

Prediction
The benefits of their good showing in 2007 will be felt when they find themselves in the weaker Super Eight group with Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka (or West Indies) due to the seeding system. From there you feel they’re good for a place in the semi-final, but that would be against either India, South Africa or Australia so the journey will probably end there.

And Now You Know
Pakistan will win the tournament because they have been programmed to do so by a hypnotist. As Cricket365 revealed last week, qualified hypnotherapist Maqbool Babri has been putting the players into a trance in order to prepare them for the challenge ahead.

“I am happy to report that each one of them went into a fabulous and deep hypnotic trance,” Babri said last week. “They have now been programmed to bring the trophy home. They feel that their great tensions, worries and even body stiffness is now gone. It is a happy and confident bunch of raw talent and they will create some great records and performances.”

Squad
Younus Khan (capt), Fawad Alam, Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Mohammad Aamer, Iftikhar Anjum, Misbah-ul-Haq, Saeed Ajmal, Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi, Shahzaib Hasan, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul.

Probable Starting XI
1. Ahmed Shehzad 2. Salman Butt 3. Younus Khan 4. Misbah-ul-Haq 5. Shoaib Malik 6. Shahid Afridi 7. Kamran Akmal (wkt) 8. Yasir Arafat 9. Umar Gul 10. Sohail Tanvir 11. Saeed Ajmal

Grouped With
Hosts England and underdogs the Netherlands in Group B

Group Fixtures
v England at The Oval, Sunday 7 June @ 16:30 GMT
v Netherlands at Lord’s, Tuesday 9 June @ 12:30 GMT

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