Pakistan opts to change their line-up against Zimbabwe – ICC World Cup match preview
Distraught by its ignominious 110 defeat against New Zealand, Pakistan has resorted to make certain changes in the playing 11 as well as in team strategy in a bid to stage a comeback in the tournament. The match against New Zealand was a lesson-learning
game for the Men in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Green-c60723, who stumbled badly due to some deadly fault lines in the structure and function of the team. Carrying the burden of unabated criticism and cherishing the hope to shine again, the team is now going to meet Zimbabwe at the same Pallekele
stadium but with some changes.
Shoaib Akhtar’s shoddy performance against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 has led him to be replaced with Wahab Riaz. In the last match, Akhtar cost 70 runs and took just one wicket. His fragile bowling was eaten up by the Kiwi batsmen like hot cakes and he was hit for runs
repeatedly. He gave 28 runs in a deadly over that had several sizzling sixes. Starting off as the world’s faster pacer, Akhtar soon faded away into a run giving machine during his career, partially due to his inconsistency and mostly for his involvement in
nefarious practices like doping and gambling.
Wahab is an ideal substitute for Akhtar. The 25-year-old left-arm medium-fast pacer has earned himself a name in a short period of time. Starting in 2008, he demonstrated extra-ordinary capabilities and soon turned out to be a good replacement for Akhtar,
Muhammad Amir and Muhammad Asif when needed. The skipper, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482, wants him to lead the pace attack in today’s game and make a difference.
The other expected change in the team will be Umar Akmal, who is possibly injured. Umar is a good middle-order batsman and stands as a top scorer for Pakistan in this tournament. After breaking his finger during net practice, he thinks that he is rendered
unfit to play in this game. Umar just happens to be Kamran Akmal’s brother. Kamran is the wicket-keeper that may have single handedly cost Pakistan the match against the Kiwis. Some analysts consider Umar’s injury as an excuse to ensure Kamran’s presence in
the squad because the team management was considering replacing the embattled keeper. The only other wicket-keeper in the team at this point is Umar, who is supposedly injured. As usual the drama with the Pakistan team never ends.
Umar is likely to be replaced with Asad Shafiq, a yet untested young talent. Though Asad is no real replacement for Umar, the team has no other option at this crucial time.
There is likely to be no change in the opening batting pair of Ahmad Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez, despite the fact that the pair has failed in every match so far. Many voices were raised in criticizing the openers and demanding their replacement but the
team management has not bothered to shuffle the line-up in that respect. However, the one-down position has been given to Asad instead of Kamran. The rest of the order will remain the same.
The wicketkeeper will also be the same person who let-go some highly significant catches behind the stumps that engineered Pakistan’s defeat to the Kiwis. Almost every Pakistan fan called for Kamran to be tossed for his pathetic performance and demanded
that the team management oust but it seems the team has no other alternative.
This is going to be an interesting game as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 will be elevated to the top position along with New Zealand in the
point table.
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