Babar Azam and Co are eager to kickstart their World Cup campaign with a dominant win over the Netherlands. The Men in Green take on the Men in Orange on 6th October at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. All eyes will be on skipper Babar Azam and ace speedster Shaheen Afridi in PAK vs NED World Cup clash.
Pakistan Playing XI: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
“I think our bowling attack is the best in the world. If we score runs, our bowlers can defend it. We have an idea of our team, and our 11 players are ready. When the toss happens, the playing XI will be revealed,” said Mickey Arthur.
While the top order and the pace department are set, the middle order setup and the spinners continue to be a headache for Pakistan. But it shouldn’t be that big of a challenge for the Asian side given they take on minnows Netherlands who were humiliated by the Karnataka side in preparation matches.
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Fakhar Zaman and Imam ul Haq will open the proceedings for the Men in Green. The duo have not been in form off late but will be keen to get some crucial runs under the belt. Babar Azam comes next followed by Salman Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan.
While the top order of Fakhar, Imam, and Babar is set, it is the shaky middle order that can be a bit of a problem. Iftikhar and Salman are inconsistent while vice-captain and all-rounder Shadab is in poor form.
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“Our batting does not just revolve around Babar and Rizwan. We have many talented batsmen, including Imam, Saud Shakeel, and Fakhar Zaman are also quality batsmen. Shadab is the best all-round player. I hope he will be in form from tomorrow. I have no worries about Shadab; he will return to his form soon,” added Arthur.
The pace setup looks set with Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali. Mohammed Nawaz slots in with Shadab as the spinner duo. Youngster Nassem Shah will be a big loss to the Men in Green.
Pakistan Squad for World Cup 2023: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim
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