Pakistan is one of the most popular cricketing nations in the world, and its fans are no exception. With the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 right around the corner, excitement is building in Pakistan for its chance to play in the biggest cricket tournament in the world. The team has been playing good cricket in the past few months and is looking forward to reaching the final this year.
To do so, however, they will need to overcome some tough competition. If you are a Pakistani cricketers fan, you’re probably wondering what it takes for Pakistan to make it to the final round of the tournament. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at Pakistan’s road to the final and explore some of the factors that will determine its fate in this tournament.
Pakistan Team Preview
Pakistan has picked the same 15-player team that competed in the recently concluded 2022 Asia Cup, where they finished as runners-up after losing the final to Sri Lanka by 23 runs. The inclusion of top pacer Shaheen Afridi, who is presently undergoing rehab for a knee injury he received during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in July, was the highlight of their team announcement. Before the T20 World Cup, which begins on October 16, the pacer is anticipated to be fully fit again. The management of the team will evaluate Shaheen’s match fitness during the two warm-up games.
Leg-spinner Usman Qadir has been withdrawn from the main squad, which has strengthened Pakistan’s batting lineup for the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup. Fakahar Zaman has been promoted from the 15-player squad’s list of T20 WC 2022 reserves by the Pakistan cricket team selectors. Qadir, who has yet to fully recover from an injury.
Pakistan is currently one of the most reliable teams; having won the championship in 2009 in the United Kingdom, advanced to the final in 2007; and participated in the semifinals in 2010, 2012, and 2021.
The Pakistani team for the 2022 T20 World Cup
Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman; Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain; Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah; Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood.
Stand by squad – Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir
Star pacer’s comeback
Pakistan’s pace attack has long been supported by Shaheen Shah Afridi. In his absence, Pakistan’s offence at the Asia Cup was driven by players like Haris Rauf and the young pace sensation Naseem Shah. However, the return of Afridi would undoubtedly give them a significant boost and make their speed attack one of the best, particularly on Australian pitches.
Afridi finished the 2021 tournament with seven wickets in six games, placing him among Pakistan’s top three wicket-takers.
New emerging bowler
Naseem shah is the emerging talent of Pakistan. He is a right-arm fast bowler. Naseem has developed into a strong player in white-ball. Up to August 2022, he had never participated in a white-ball international match; but with Shaheen Afridi’s absence, he has flourished and proven himself as a rising star.
The T20 World Cup is approaching; making it sometimes easy to forget that the guy leading Pakistan’s renowned fast-bowling lineup is only 19 years old. For the T20 World Cup, Pakistan has strengthened their batting lineup with more experienced players.
The veteran left-hander Fakhar Zaman is included in the team to give more depth to their batting lineup. At the Asia Cup, Zaman only scored 96 runs in six innings; but the 32-year-old did smash a magnificent half-century against Hong Kong in a preliminary group game.
He gives the Asian team another middle-order option and has 71 T20I caps to his name for Pakistan.
Strong middle-order players
Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Nawaz are added to the middle-order players. Going into the T20 World Cup 2022 with the same strategy used for the Asia Cup; the selectors have placed their trust in the middle order.
To make a comeback and show the selectors they were right; all three players have also been picked to the T20I squad for the England series. This will allow them to do so before showcasing their skills in the New Zealand tri-series.
Conclusion
The Pakistani team has been playing good cricket in the past few months and is looking forward to reaching the final this year. To do so, they have to give tough competition to the other teams. We hope this guide has helped give you some insight into what makes these players so great! Stay tuned for more exciting updates from the Pakistani team as they fight their way through the competition.
