The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made a significant revelation by introducing the 15-member squad for the eagerly awaited 2023 ODI World Cup in India on Friday. Babar Azam led by the team features a blend of seasoned players and emerging talents, although one prominent player is missing. Pakistan’s ODI World Cup preparation includes two warm-up matches against New Zealand on September 29 and Australia on October 3. Their official tournament opener is against the Netherlands on October 6 in Hyderabad.
Let us look at three Pakistan players to watch out for in the upcoming edition of the ODI World Cup:
#3. Babar Azam
After a below-par outing in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023, all eyes would be definitely on Babar Azam. Apart from his batting failure in the Asia Cup, Babar was also heavily criticized for his team selection as well as field captaincy. After the end of the Super Four stage, the Pakistan team were ranked in fourth spot with just one victory which came against Bangladesh on their home soil.
In the five matches that the 28-year-old played in the tournament, he went on to score 2015 runs at an average of 51.75. The stats would look great from distinct but out of the runs scored by him in the tournament, 151 runs were scored in one match that too against a relatively weaker Nepal side. Hence, the fortune of the Pakistan team in the World Cup will certainly be dependent on Babar’s run with the bat.
#2. Shaheen Shah Afridi
Another key element in the Pakistan team will be Shaheen Shah Afridi and his form with the ball in hand. Shaheen will be leading the bowling department of the Pakistan team. The 23-year-old pacer had a comparatively normal Asia Cup by his standards. The Pakistan lead speedster was exceptional with the new ball in all the games that he played.
It would be definitely interesting to see how Shaheen bowls with the new ball in the World Cup as well as it would be also interesting to see how he bowls with the old ball.
#1. Shadab Khan
One of the prominent reasons that was highlighted after Pakistan’s exit from the Asia Cup was their inability to pick wickets in the middle overs. Shadab being one of the premier spinners in the Pakistan squad failed immensely in picking up a wicket in the middle overs. In the five matches that the right-arm leg spinner played for the Pakistan team, he was able to pick up just six wickets at an average of 40.83.