This piece is being written as Pakistan chase the 298 target set by Sri Lanka in the final ODI at the National Stadium in Karachi. The openers are off to a flyer at 110-0 in 17 overs, with Abid Ali presenting a strong case for his inclusion in the ODI starting lineup once again.
With Pakistan leading the three-match ODI series 1-0, after the first match was rained off, the tour would now move to Lahore. The three match T20I series will begin at the Gaddafi Stadium tomorrow (Saturday).
In the tour’s preview, we discussed in this space that the ODI would be the toughest puzzle for the new management under Misbah-ul-Haq. With only two matches possible, there’s not much that they would’ve learnt about the pool of players at their disposal. Abid Ali and Usman Shinwari, however, have done no harm to their future prospects in the 50-over game.
Usman Shinwari starred in the first ODI
It’s a completely different matter in the T20s, of course, which is the current Pakistani squad’s comfort zone. They’ve been the number one ranked T20 side in the world for a couple of seasons now, and would be overwhelming favourites against Sri Lanka.
As Misbah said while announcing the T20 squad on Wednesday, all T20I series from here on over the next 12 months would be build up to next year’s World T20 in Australia. It’s crucial that Pakistan maintain their position at the top, and justify it with a title tilt Down Under next year.
T20I squad: Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain), Babar Azam (vice-captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Umar Akmal, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz
The T20I squad sees the return of the controversial duo Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad. Both of them are touted as players with abundance of talent and flair, but often the ability to translate it into consistency, especially in the longer formats.
Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq
Both Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal have been consistent performers in the Pakistan Super League as well. Faheem Ashraf is another player who is making a comeback in the T20s after being overlooked in the ODIs.
Iftikhar Ahmed has been included in the T20s as well, and his all-round abilities appear to be helping his case in both limited-overs formats. With a few consistent displays he can fill in the gap that Pakistan have had in the lower middle-order, especially in the ODIs.
Pakistan have a strong pool of T20 all-rounders like Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz and Iftikhar Ahmed. However, none of these has gone on to make his mark in the ODIs, largely because none of them is a genuine all-rounder.
First ODI washed out
Babar Azam with another century
The T20I squad sees the return of the controversial duo Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad
The previous management invested a lot in Faheem Ashraf, but he has thus far been the latest in a list of failures in the all-rounder category since the Abdul Razzaq-Shahid Afridi era. We hope for his and Pakistan’s sake that he can turn it around, especially since there isn’t exactly a large contingent of all-rounders surfacing in the domestic circuit.
A major reason behind Pakistan’s successes in the T20 format is precisely because they’ve produced a certain breed of all-rounders which work perfectly in the 20-over game, and that format alone.
opefully, the PSL, which has been the springboard for many members of the current squad, and indeed a major factor behind Pakistan’s T20 dominance, will help provide candidates with a sustainable future in the ODIs as well.
Right now, however, it’s all about the T20s, with Pakistan looking to dominate the format they’re most comfortable with.
