T20 is the flavour of the season. With the T20 World Cup scheduled for the end of the season, the shortest format is what on every team’s mind as they prepare their journey for the biennial event to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. But before that the fireworks will begin in the United Arab Emirates on September 9 as the Asia Cup returns to T20 format to help teams with their preparations for the World Cup. The eight team event promises much, but eventually the focus will be on the big guns – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Here is a look at how Pakistan is shaping up.
First impression
For starters, this is a new-look Pakistan team. Ever since Mike Hesson took over as the head coach of the limited-overs team, there has been a sea of change, with the former Kiwi coach looking to build a strong team for the T20 World Cup. Having been out of depth in the format for a while, among the first major decisions that Hesson has taken is to not include Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, two batsmen whose approach in the middle isn’t in tune with the times. Having coached in Pakistan Super League, Hesson has used the tournament to pick batsmen who will bring intent to the team, which will be led by Salman Agha, who is more in the mould of Rizwan and Azam as he strikes at 118.04. Agha aside, in Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Saim Ayub, and Mohammad Haris, Pakistan have batsmen who are capable of providing fireworks. The bowling with all the variety is capable of causing enough damage, but in short this is a Pakistan team that is short on charisma and unlikely to give sleepless nights to stronger oppositions.
Keep an eye on
Saim Ayub: Some of the left-hander’s shots will definitely remind you of Saeed Anwar, in particular the flick and cover-drive. The 23-year-old came out of nowhere to emerge as a bright batting prospect. While consistency has eluded him, Hesson has put faith in him in the hope that he would be able to provide rapid starts like he did in PSL. Has already formed a strong combo at the top with Sahibzada Farhan can be a surprise package.
Sufiyan Muqeem
Having been heavily reliant on their pace packs, Pakistan also has variety in the spin department, which will definitely come handy in spin-friendly conditions. The left-arm wirst-spinner is relatively new and his familiarity of the conditions in UAE (plays for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) makes him an exciting option. With enough variations up his sleeve, the 25-year-old has been thrust into the top level in the hope he would eventually live up to the promise. Alongside Abrar Ahmed, the mystery spinner Sufiyan could form a lethal combo in the middle-overs.
