The countdown for the Asia Cup 2023 is almost about to get over as the tournament kicks start with Pakistan taking on Nepal which will mark the beginning of the much-awaited tournament. This will be the 16th edition of the Asia Cup with the matches which will be played in the One Day International format. The Indian team is the most successful team in the history of the competition as the team has won the competition on seven occasions.
The Pakistan team who have won the tournament just twice will be looking to add to the tally by winning the 2023 edition of the Asia Cup. Pakistan will be the host of this year’s Asia Cup. The Pakistan team is currently the top-ranked ODI team at the moment which makes them one of the favorites to win the tournament this time around. With Pakistan kick-starting their Asia Cup 2023 campaign against Nepal let us now look at the probable playing XI for Pakistan;
Top Orders
There is no real concern for the Pakistan team when it comes to the opening pair as Fakhar Zaman as well as Imam-ul-Haq who have been a confident opening pair for the Pakistan national team for a long time now. Both the batters have contrasting batting behavior with Zaman being the aggressor while Iman majorly playing second fiddle. In addition to it, the number three spot is occupied by Babar Azam who has been a revelation when it comes to Pakistan batting.
Pakistan’s skipper has been the backbone of the batting lineup for quite some time now and has been doing the bulk of the scoring for the Pakistan team.
Middle Order
At number four, Mohammad Rizwan will slot in who will also be the wicketkeeper in the team. The wicketkeeper batter had certainly made his mark in the shortest format but has to prove his worth in the ODI format. The number five will be Iftikhar Ahmed who will be handy both with bat as well as ball in hand. Iftikhar has played some quality innings and has also impressed many with his range-hitting ability. The number six position will be Agha Salman who despite struggling with bat against spin has been prolific against pace. Salman can also chip in with valuable overs when required by the team.
Lower Order and Bowlers
The number seven on the list will be Shadab Khan who is arguably the best spinner that the Pakistan team has at this moment. The right-arm leg spinner has been the star performer for the Pakistan team with the ball in hand and has also improved a lot when it comes to his batting at later stages of the game. The number eight will be Usman Mir. Usman is another leg spinner who is rated very highly when it comes to spin bowling and also has the ability to bat down the order.
The number nine, ten, and eleven for the Pakistan team will be Shaheen Afridi along with Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf. The pace trio of Pakistan is currently among the best pacer bowlers that any team has currently. Shaheen and Naseem have also over the years shown their caliber with the bat as well. The likes of Shaheen and Naseem with the ball upfront have certainly been league apart and deadly.
Predicted Playing XI for Pakistan
Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Muhammad Rizwan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Usman Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf