http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 announces 15-man squad for 2011 World Cup
Pakistan has unveiled a strong 15-member team for the coveted World Cup tournament set to start in the Indian subcontinent on the 19th of next month. As mostly is the case, the Pakistan Cricket Board once again courted
controversy as they announced the squad sans a captain; this was the second time in recent months that the Board announced a team without a captain.
Speculation was rife in the local media that the Board was keen on naming http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Misbah-ul-Haq-c1972 as the captain in the ODI format also, which means that the current captain Shahid Afridi would be under added pressure when the men in green
take on the New Zealanders in a six-match ODI series. The series is set to start with the first match in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wellington-c864 after the second Test match ends at the Basin Reserve tomorrow.
Keeping the captaincy conundrum aside, the team looks strong on paper with some explosive talent that has the ability to beat the best in the business. But at the same time, the squad is also known to blow hot and cold on any day
and lose from a seemingly winning position.
The opening slots have gone to Mohammad Hafeez and young Lahore opener Ahmed Shehzad. Hafeez has been in fine nick with the bat especially in the ODI formats. He would be expected to play a key role at the top of the innings; the
Faisalabad player is an important cog in the wheel now with his handy off-spin and athletic fielding.
Shehzad was selected after he nudged the selectors in time; the youngster blazed away to a quick-fire half century in the last T20 match against the Black Caps at Christchurch. He has only played 4 ODIs and the series against the
New Zealanders would be an ideal opportunity if he has to cement his place in the playing eleven.
The middle-order looks solid with the induction of seasoned campaigners Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq. Youngsters Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq would look to provide support to the two, who would be the linchpin of the batting line-up.
Umar Akmal is being hailed as one for the future; a tournament like the World Cup can catapult his career to no end. One hopes that he will be smart enough to apply his talent properly and set the grounds ablaze in one of the most-watched
sporting spectacles in the world.
Another player who can be destructive on his day is Kamran Akmal; the wicketkeeper-batsman is dynamite with the bat and can make a real difference in a match provided he is in form.
The bowling line-up has also some of the best talent in the world with the likes of Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz and Sohail Tanvir. All of the mentioned players have the ability to run through the best batting line-ups in
the world.
Sohail Tanvir, the seamer who impressed all and sundry with his guile and disconcerting pace, is making a comeback in the team after a long lay-off. The left-armer, who bowls of the wrong foot, was the best bowler in the opening
season of the Indian Premier League for the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rajasthan-c837 Royals.
His fitness would be under the microscope in the ODI series and Pakistan fans would be hoping that his knee withstands the rigours of his awkward bowling action.
Another bowler who would be extremely excited to make an appearance in the World Cup is left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, who has been performing wonderfully as the leading spinner in the team in recent months.
Squad: http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal (wk), Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Ahmed
Shehzad
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