T20 World Cup: Ahead of India clash, 5 Pakistan players to watch out for

Babar Azam is all set to lead the Pakistan cricket team in the ongoing ICC men’s T20 World Cup. They open their campaign against India on October 24, Sunday, in Dubai. While India has the upper hand in World Cup contests over the years, this time around, Pakistan will be seeking to change the equation and get at least a win under its belt against India.

The 2009 winners, apart from having veterans of the game Shoaib Malik and Sarfaraz Ahmed, will be having a pool of young talents who will be hungry to show that they mean business and carve out a name for themselves.

Here are five Pakistan players to watch out for in the tournament:

Babar Azam

The right-handed batsman needs no introduction. Often compared to Virat Kohli, the Pakistan batsman, has often, broken the Indian cricket team captain’s several records easily. After being named Pakistan’s white-ball captain in 2019, Azam grew rapidly and is considered among the best.

In 61 T20Is, he has scored 2204 runs, highest being 122. He also has an average of 46.89 and a solid strike rate of 130.65. In the game’s shortest format, he has a single hundred to his name and scored 20 half-centuries.

Shaheen Afridi

On his Quaid-e-Azam trophy debut, the 6 feet 6 inches tall bowler returned with figures of 8/39, quickly forcing the critics to take notice of him.

After shining in the Pakistan Super League, Shaheen Afridi was picked in the national T20I squad and from there it was no turning back for him. So far, he has taken 32 wickets in 30 T20Is matches with a best of 3/20. Despite his economy rate (8.17) being on a higher side, the young bowler is expected to be a force to reckon with the tournament.

Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik has been Pakistan’s go-to man for many years now. His late addition to the team will not only add experience but will also boost the team’s morale.

In the 116 T20Is that he has played, he has scored 2335 runs, highest being 75. He also has a healthy average of 31.13 and a strike rate of 124.20. He had 8 half-centuries under his belt.

Apart from batting, he also can add firepower to the bowling unit. He had taken 28 wickets, his best being 2/7 and has a good economy rate of 7.08.

Fakhar Zaman

The left-handed batsman has been a nightmare for the Indian cricket team. He took apart the bowling unit in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final. However, in the recent past, he has been kind of in and out.

With no lack of elegance and style in his play, Zaman would like to make the most of the opportunity in the world cup. In the 53 matches that he has played, he scored 1021 runs, highest being 91. He also has a strike rate of 136.31.

Mohammad Hafeez

Mohammad Hafeez made his debut in 2003 and has been Pakistan’s one of many brilliant all-rounders. He also provides Babar Azam with an opening option other than a bowling option. His experience with the white-ball will be adding to the team’s experience.

With a total of 113 appearances, he has scored 2429 runs, including 14 half-centuries and a highest of 99 not out. As a spinner, he has taken 60 T20I wickets with a best of 4/10 and an economy rate of 6.54.