The one thing that stood out for me in Pakistan's chase of 374 yesterday was that Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed's belief that his team was capable of scoring 350 in an ODI was in fact true!


No one expected Pakistan to chase down 374, but no one expected Pakistan to get to within 12 runs of that target either.

It was a spirited chase, which left the Pakistani fans stunned, and I am sure built a lot of confidence and self belief within the team.

How consistently can Pakistan churn out such totals in ODIs is uncertain but with a top 4 averaging above 48, chances are that at least one of them will get a 100 in an ODI leading Pakistan to a 300+ target.

However, Fakhar will be the difference between a total of 310 and 350. He is the only one who can push Pakistan towards such a score.

Yesterday's game may have answered a lot of questions for some people, but it sure brought up a number of questions for Pakistan's selectors.

1. How do Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik fit in this XI?

2. Who will make way for Asif Ali in Pakistan's World Cup Squad?

3. How long will Faheem Ashraf be persisted with?

4. Who is the back-up spinner if Shadab Khan does not get fit in time?

5. Who is Pakistan's finisher?

These are just some of the tough questions that need answering.

Hafeez & Malik
This is going to be really tough. There is no way that both of them will play in the same XI for Pakistan. Not unless Pakistan plans to drop both Haris Sohail and Asif Ali.

After what Asif Ali did yesterday, Pakistan need him. How they fit him in the squad and the XI is the next question, but for now I feel that both Hafeez and Malik need to be told what the management is thinking.

Communication is key!

Dropping Haris for one of them is also unfair in my view, considering he averages 48 in ODIs! But with Imam and Babar also in the team, Pakistan can't afford another batsman with a strike rate in the 80s.

Hafeez will be a better option in my opinion.

Asif Ali
Unfortunately, it may be Abid Ali who will have to make way for Asif in Pakistan's 15-man World Cup squad. There is no question that Asif is required, but there are a whole lot of questions regarding Pakistan's XI, team balance, et al when it comes to fitting Asif in the playing XI.

In a situation like yesterday, he is ideal. On a day when Pakistan's top 4 have piled on the runs and have batted for two thirds of the innings, it is perfect to send in someone like Asif Ali.

But what happens on days when Pakistan is 50-4? That is my only concern and I feel Asif Ali is best suited to number 7. Or at 6 if Sarfraz is to follow him at 7.

Both Sarfraz and Asif in the top 6 is too thin a batting line up in my view.

I guess Pakistan will need to rely more on Hafeez and Haris to fulfill the 5th bowler role.

Faheem Ashraf
He needs to be dumped right away. An ODI bowling average of 35 and batting average of 12 does not make an allrounder. He can't take wickets, he can't score runs, he can't finish games.

Basically he is useless.

Drop him. Bring Mohammad Aamir back!

Shadab Khan
There is a lot of uncertainty around his availability for the World Cup and I think a decision needs to be taken as to who will come into the squad if he remains unavailable.

Yasir Shah obviously is not the answer.

But then if we are looking to fit in Asif Ali into Pakistan's XI and have Hafeez and Haris share the 5th bowler duties, Pakistan will not require another spinner in place of Shadab.

Now questions arise if Shadab actually becomes fit for the World Cup.

Pakistan's Finisher
Let us face it, if India were chasing this total last night then a Dhoni or a Pandya or a Jadeja would have finished the game off for them. It is pretty much what they do day in day out.

For Pakistan - Sarfraz, Imad, and Faheem all failed to fulfill this role.

I feel, Imad is the one who will get Pakistan over the line more often than not, but Faheem is a total disaster.

This is probably also why Pakistan need someone like Hafeez to play around number 6.

I know I had very different thoughts around the time Pakistan's World Cup squad was being announced, but then I wouldn't be a true Pakistan fan if I wasn't a little bit fickle!

This is how I see the WC squad shaping up in the next 10 days:

Faheem will make way for Mohammad Aamir. If Shadab remains unfit, then Asif Ali will be included in his place. If Shadab is available then Asif will replace Abid Ali.

Keep watching this space, as thoughts may change again by Wednesday!

England have been on an imperious march to the World Cup since their failure in the competition four years ago in Australia and New Zealand.

The Three Lions were humiliated, failing to reach the knockout stage of the tournament. Eoin Morgan’s men played a brand of tepid cricket that put them well behind their rivals at the top of the sport. Their failure proved to be a watershed moment for England in one-day cricket and inspired a revolution in their style, which has made them the front runners for the World Cup.

Over the last three years, Morgan’s men won nine bilateral series in a row before their surge was ended against the West Indies in a draw in the Caribbean. In their run, they defeated Australia home and away, New Zealand and Sri Lanka on the road, along with a narrow 2-1 victory over India last summer. The Three Lions are a machine in the 50-over format, boasting the best batting unit in the world, while Adil Rashid has developed into one of the leading spin bowlers in the world.

England have few weaknesses, although the most glaring of them were exposed in their series against the West Indies. Their batsmen have been on song for 90 percent of the time since the last World Cup, but they have still displayed a propensity to stage dramatic collapses. Their defeat to Pakistan in the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy was a case and point, while further meltdowns against Sri Lanka last year and the West Indies in the final match of the series.

England’s ability to mount huge totals has been their biggest strength since the last World Cup. It results from their aggressive style of play that has seen them break the world record for the highest ODI total twice, coming within 19 runs of being the first team to post 500 last year against Australia. However, the same attitude can also result in rare failures. It only takes one of those days to halt their charge at the World Cup.

Although Joe Root does not boast the same striking ability as the rest of his team-mates in the line-up, he could be the Three Lions’ most important player in the tournament. He plays the anchor role to perfection, allowing the rest of the unit to tee off around him.  Root displayed that ability with back-to-back centuries against India in 2018, and it’s the reason why backing him to lead the way at the tournament with the most runs would be one of the best betting tips available, especially in familiar conditions in England.

Mark Wood's double-strike gives England an opening#WIvENG https://t.co/VDBuNIYUog pic.twitter.com/R4V8lJdJOs

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 27, 2019

The Three Lions have also been exposed at times in their bowling ranks. Without James Anderson and Stuart Broad in the 50-over game, England lack a world-class seam option. Chris Woakes has had his moments, although, on other occasions, he has been cannon fodder. In the Caribbean, Chris Gayle took him to task with ease and there are other openers that are also capable.


Mark Wood proved his worth in the ODI series against the Windies. He could be England’s ace card in the World Cup, highlighted by his match-winning spell of 4-60 to stop Gayle and company chasing down 418 in the fourth ODI. Wood has the raw pace to trouble the leading batsmen in world cricket. Paired with Rashid, it provides Morgan with a dangerous one-two punch to turn a match on its head. It will still take a complete effort from England to clinch their first World Cup crown, but they have star men that can put blemishes on their few weaknesses heading into the tournament.

Questions about the relevance – or otherwise – of the 50-over game refuse to go away, with the T20 format so popular globally and the ECB’s new 100-ball concept that will shorten the game yet further.

Root Ready to Blossom

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