ICC Champions Trophy Team Preview – PAKISTAN

With the Pakistani Players banned from the Indian Premier League, its training time for the Men in Green. After the selectors springing some surprises in the squad for the Champions Trophy, the team is going through some vigorous Practice sessions in the outskirts of Abbottabad. Cricmatez.com brings you the overall preview of Pakistan Cricket Team and their chances in the last edition of ICC Champions Trophy.

Pakistan’s History in the ICC Champions Trophy

ICC Champions Trophy Team Preview – PAKISTAN

Squad

Batsmen

• Misbah ul Haq (captain)
• Nasir Jamshed
• Imran Farhat
• Asad Shafiq
• Shoaib Malik
• Umar Amim

Wicket-Keepers

• Kamran Akmal

All-Rounders

• Mohammad Hafeez

Bowlers

• Mohammad Irfan
• Junaid Khan
• Wahab Riaz
• Eshan Adil
• Asad Ali
• Abdur Rahman
• Saeed Ajmal

Strengths

• Presence of Saeed Ajmal who has the tendency to control the run flow irrespective of the conditions.
• Since the arrival of Julien Fountain, Pakistan’s fielding has been impressive.
• Irfan and Junaid Khan with the new ball can be a threat to the opposition.

Weakness

• Without Shahid Afridi, the Squad looks unbalanced.
• Absence of Umar Gul will make a huge impact during the slog overs.
• The bowling is over reliable on Saeed Ajmal.
• Batting Department looks inexperienced.
• Most of the players are new to the conditions in England which may make them struggle in the initial phase of the tournament.

ICC Champions Trophy Team Preview – PAKISTAN

X-Factor

In the recent Past, Saeed Ajmal has been a big threat for the Batsmen around the World. Ajmal’s mystery is yet to be solved by the Batsmen. With an inexperienced attack, Ajmal’s 10 overs is crucial for Pakistan to restrict the opponents for a decent total.

Watch Out For

Over the last few years, Pakistan’s bowling was built around Umar Gul. With Gul not included in the Champions Trophy Squad, the onus is on the young pacers to make a mark in International Cricket. Pakistan’s new ball pair Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan were impressive in the recent series against India and South Africa. With the conditions in England suiting the fast bowlers, a lot is expected from this duo.

Possible Playing XI

Imran Farhat, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Misbah ul Haq (c), Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal (w.k), Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Saeed Ajmal.

Schedule

ICC Champions Trophy Warm-up Matches, 2013

Group Stages ( Group-B)