Monday 27 May 2019

Going into Cricket World Cup

UGoing into World Cup:
Pakistan Cricket Team's performance in last 13 ODIs:
Won: 0
Lost: 11
No Result: 2
Only good news is that Pakistani top & middle order batsmen scored ten centuries in 17 ODIs played in 2019. Bad news is that they won only two matches out of 17 in past five months. And the reason is simple, our traditional strength, bowling is not delivering. In 17 ODIs in 2019, out of 150 wickets(less two washed out games), Pakistan only managed to take 76. So on average, bowlers are not getting more than five wickets a match. And even worst part is that spinners only got 26 wickets & fast bowlers managed 46 wickets.
Shaheen Shah Afridi 11
Usman Shinwari 10
Junaid Khan 6
Husnain 6
Hassan Ali 5
Wahab Riaz 3 (pllayed only one match)
Muhammad Amir 2
Faheem Ashraf 2
Muhammad Abbas 1
Usman Shinwari managed to get 10 wickets in 9 games againat SA & Australia & didn't make it in the side touring England, same is the case with Junaid.
There seems to be no real bite in spin department either.
Despite, Mickey's fitness regime, fielding hardly showed  any signs of improvement.
Body language of team lacked winning drive, as if they forgot the taste of win.
Captain looked helpless, though he finally made 97 hitting couple of sixes after 17 matches but his decision making has been below par & grip on team very loose.
Teams favorite for this world cup have to be in order of their ICC Rankings & recent performances. But my order of favorites starts with Englang  which have shown some invincibility about them. Australia would be second who look determined to defend the title. India is No3 for because its well balanced. SA & NZ are always knocking on the doors of world cup winners club. My favorite, for once would be England basing purely on their recent ODI cricket.
On purely cricketing terms i.e. batting, bowling, fielding & captaincy, this is one of the weaker Pakistan Team going in to World Cup. What to talk of big boys, they might struggle overcoming lesser sides like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies & Bangladesh.
But Pakistan Cricket has never been about experts' analysis or statistical reviews. Their viewership across the cricketing world is based on their guile, flare & uncertain ways. Plus its Ramadan. Who knows?

2 comments:

  1. According to the performance history of Pakistan cricket team in last few tournaments it seems impossible to win ICC World cup. But team Pakistan is full of surprises may be they will win another time.

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  2. Yes, bowling and fielding has been miserable.Bowlers forgot to bowl yorkers, spinners got no bite left, with no line and length, it's been too predictable over pitching or short pitching, no reverse swing either. On top of everything, captain looks completely helpless, with no strategy.

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