- I believe that batting is the stronger arm of Pakistan especially on flat decks in England; Indian commentator Harsha Bogle.
- I don’t think that Pakistan will make up to the semi-final, enumerates Harsha.
- Pakistan has an unending supply of fast bowlers, he reveals.
We always tend to talk about Pakistan
In My11Circle Harsha Bogle says that this is the time we are looking at the team that all of us love to talk about. We are looking at Pakistan. If you are my generation or if you are like most Indians anyway we always tend to talk up Pakistan a lot more than the rest of the world does.
Looking at the scoreboard
“So I’m going to look at the numbers which are very very stark for Pakistan and then start to look at a more qualitative aspect of thy game. Their numbers ever for their staunchest fans are looking terrible”, Mr. Bogle comments while looking at the track record of Pakistan’s team.
He views that since the Champions Trophy wins and it was a fabulous win for Pakistan but since then they only won 9 matches out of 32 against the teams that have qualified for the World Cup. If one goes back to 2015 and looks at their records against key opponents whether it is Australia or England, India, New Zealand. Even Bangladesh they have 0-4 points and that record is looking terrible.
“A further look at all these numbers as well as 0-5 against New Zealand, O-5 against Australia there has been a 0-4 against England. They lost 10 of their last 11 games. One of those was a no result game and you started to look at all scores and say: “Is this Pakistan? Is this the team that we talk about the great rival we talk about?”, he said.
Optimistic of Pakistan’s Team
Telling about the positive aspects of Pakistani team he says to have a look at those numbers when Pakistan got no chance of qualifying. But in recent times there have been some green shoots emerging for Pakistan. Bogle believes that this is the direct outcome of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
He first saw signs of that in Champions Trophy and the fact that Pakistan won that Champion’s Trophy in England is the significant indicator that in big tournaments Pakistan has the players to rise to the occasion and he thinks for the first time they have got a really good top three.
Talking about Pakistan’s squad
“Imam-ul-Haq in One Day Internationals made an average score of 60.3 in 28 innings. The other day against England he scored a hundred and fifty-one opening the batting. The top three players are Imam-ul-Haq Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam and there is a quality in these top three”, says Harsha.
He recalls the series against Zimbabwe and tells that everybody was scoring runs and everybody was having a party but these three are miraculously exceptional. I have talked about the numbers all along but they have got 300 plus fairly consistent innings as well which is a good sign, he said.
While commenting about Sarfraz he says that in Sarfraz, I have got a really solid keeper, batsman. He is a good captain. He probably comes at 5 or 6. If the openers give a good start. He calls Asif Ali as a fair some finisher. He said that it is a big tournament we need to experience there of someone like Muhammad Hafeez Shoaib Malik again the off-spin of the two.
Coming to the number seven and 8 with Emad Wasim and Shadab Khan he says, “Thankfully Shadab is back because if Shadab was not there then they were supposed to go for Hema Ashraf who was not delivering much for them. The arrival of Shadab Khan gives them a brilliant fielder as well. I think he will be the key player for the team if they have got to appear in this tournament”.
The country has an unending supply of fast bowlers
He viewed that looking at Pakistan we will find out an unending supply of fast bowlers. Shaheen Afridi is an outstanding fast bowler. The biggest concern for them is the two key players for the squad. Muhammad Amir has just been called back. Hassan Ali looks such a good bowler, fantastic fast bowlers. Look at the matches he played and then you will find his going for 70 or 80.
The numbers of Hassan Ali in the last couple of years have dropped off alarmingly. Pick a match at random and you will find him going for the 70s, going for 80s. Following Amir, Hassan Ali, and Afridi who is in the backup?
It is Wahab Riaz. Wahab Riaz, although, is unwell in the domestic cricket but he is too much talk about ones spell in the shaded box and back in 2015, Bogle further reveals about the bowling capabilities of Pakistani squad. Harsha Bogle thinks that batting is now the stronger arm for Pakistan especially on those flat decks in England.
Will Pakistan make up to the semi-final?
“Will they make the semifinal? I think they will surprise themselves if they make up to the semi-final. It will surely make a very good work up because Pakistan has a miraculous team and really don’t know quite what do expect. But if Pakistan is one that roller coaster, it will just make the world cup far more interesting”- he further said.
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