Pakistan name youngest squad at this summer’s ICC Cricket World Cup
Pakistan has announced a 15-man ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 squad with an average age of 27 years and 4 months. Surprisingly, a line-up which leaves out 27-year-old, 145kph-paceman Mohammad Amir, a hitherto consistent inclusion in all international teams Test, ODI and T20; but now includes teenager Mohammad Hasnain.
Apparently the Pakistani selectors are intent on letting loose their high-speed pair of 19-year-old attack bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain on world cricket’s greatest stage.
The truth of the matter is while Mohammad Aamir is undoubtedly experienced, 128 matches and 234 wickets for Pakistan in all forms of the game, he is quite simply out of form. However, while Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq announced the squad confirming Amir’s omission from the Green Shirts’ world cup squad, in more or less the same breath he added that the player was to be included in the squad for their pre-tournament series against England. He went on to say that Hasnain has also been preferred over Usman Khan Shinwari as well as Amir, due to his ability to conjure up lightning deliveries of 150kph and counting.
Most, older cricket-watchers can relate quite easily to the wicket taking potential of a player bowling 93.2 miles an hour, and the rest for the Men in Green. All they have to do is cast their minds back to the damage inflicted by another Pakistani quick, the Rawalpindi Express, Shoaib Akhtar bowling at those speeds as well as breaking the 100mph barrier in the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup, co-hosted by South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Pakistan squad published for ICC Cricket World Cup 2019:
Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-Ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Shoaib Malik, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Hassan Ali, Abid Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Sohail.
Also worthy of note is the fact that touch-and-go inclusion, senior batsman Mohammad Hafeez has also made the team as he recovers from a thumb injury. Hafeez has 208 ODI matches under his belt, a batting average of 32.99 and a highest score of 140 not out.
“Doctors have advised him [Hafeez] not to bowl or bat now but when his rehab is over he will be back in action in two weeks time,” Inzamam explained to press.
Following the announcement, Inzamam went on to make a number of overall comments to media on the selected squad:
“We are hopeful and confident that Pakistan will give a good account of itself in the World Cup,” he began.
.
“This is more or less the side we have been playing since the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. I have absolute trust that this side has grown further in experience and stature since 2017. Supported by the flare, skill, talent, and killing-instinct, this side has the capability and potential to rise to the occasion and produce strong performances,” Inzamam concluded.
Pakistan squad current stats:
Specialist-Batsmen: Sarfaraz Ahmed (Captain – Wicketkeeper-batsman, 101 ODIs Batting average 32.91 Highest Score 105), Fakhar Zaman (Opening left-hand batsman, 31 ODIs Batting average 53.40 Highest Score 210 not out), Abid Ali (Opening left-hand batsman, 102 ODIs Batting average 38.28 Highest Score 231 not out), Imam-Ul-Haq Zaman (Top-order left-hand batsman, 24 ODIs Batting average 54.90 Highest Score 124) , Babar Azam (Right-hand batsman, 59 ODIs Batting average 51.29 Highest Score 125 not out), Haris Sohail (Middle-order right-hand batsman, 31 ODIs Batting average 48.11 Highest Score 130).
All-rounders: Shadab Khan (Right-hand batsman, 34 ODIs Batting average 29.40 Highest Score 54: Right-arm legbreak 47 wickets Best bowling figures 4 for 28), Shoaib Malik (Right-hand batsman, 282 ODIs Batting average 35.12 Highest Score 143: Right-arm offbreak 156 wickets Best bowling figures 4 for 19), Faheem Ashraf (Left-hand batsman, 20 ODIs Batting average 13.27 Highest Score 28: Right-arm medium 19 wickets Best bowling figures 5 for 22), Mohammad Hafeez (Right-hand batsman, 208 ODIs Batting average 32.99 Highest Score 28: Right-arm medium 137 wickets Best bowling figures 4 for 41), Imad Wasim (Left-hand batsman, 41 ODIs Batting average 47.40 Highest Score 63: Slow left-arm medium 33 wickets Best bowling figures 5 for 14).
Specialist-Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi (Left-arm medium 10 ODIs 19 wickets Best bowling figures 4 for 38), Hassan Ali (Right-arm medium-fast 44 ODIs 77 wickets Best bowling figures 5 for 34), Junaid Khan (Left-arm fast 74 ODIs 108 wickets Best bowling figures 4 for 12), Mohammad Hasnain (Right-arm fast 3 ODIs 2 wickets Best bowling figures 2 for 52).
A shining set of statistics indeed as the Pakistan departed for England on April 23rd and has now played several practice matches against English county sides.
Thus far, the tourists have beaten Kent and Northamptonshire in one-day matches by 100 runs and 8 wickets on 27th and 29th of April 2019 respectively, and beaten Leicestershire in a T20 match on 1st of May by 58 runs
On paper, this is an exceptionally good squad with quality batting depth that rolls right through the crop of high performance all-rounders that Pakistan happen to be blessed with at the moment. Given the bowling line-up is also fizzing with young talent, there is a sense of anticipation in Pakistan cricket circles that the squad could do extremely well at the forthcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England Wales.
Expat Sport’s Mac McTiernan performs a statistically illuminated rolling review of the quality that emerges from Pakistan’s recently announced 15-man World Cup squad.
