Over the past five years, Pakistan’s evolution in limited-overs cricket and especially in ODIs has seen its fair share of peaks and troughs.
From the embarrassment of losing an ODI series against Bangladesh in 2015 to reaching the high of winning the Champions Trophy in 2017, the Men in Green’s resurgence in the shorter formats of the game has been commendable to say the least.
Towards the end of the former skipper Misbahul Haq’s tenure and Azhar Ali’s stint as the ODI captain of the national side, the team found itself in an unwanted situation with lack of young and exciting talent coming through the ranks, while they also lacked the ability to play in accordance with the requirements of modern day cricket.
But that has changed since wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed took over the reins from Azhar in February 2017.
Under Sarfraz, the only poor result that Pakistan produced was a 5-0 whitewash in New Zealand against the home side earlier this year.
Apart from that, the Men in Green registered series wins against West Indies, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe but the most important victory came in 2017 when the team beat India to bag the ICC Champions Trophy for the first-time ever.
What is admirable about this Pakistan side is that it closely follows the mould of successful limited-overs teams in the world.
The current relies on young talent, adequate number of experienced players and a coaching staff which has appropriately applied the correct philosophy both on and off the field.
With Fakhar Zaman and Imamul Haq performing well at the top of the order, Pakistan have come a long way in resolving their perennial opening woes.
The consistent batting displays of Babar Azam has provided a much-needed stability to the middle-order and has also filled the void left by the departure of Misbahul Haq and Younus Khan to some extent.
Veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik has been in a great form since making another comeback in the ODI side in 2015. He provides finishing touches with clean and brisk hitting lower down the order, and now he will have all-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Asif Ali to support him and ensure Pakistan’s batting efforts bear fruit.
Pakistan are also well-equipped in the bowling department which is in line with their rich bowling history.
The fast-bowling armoury has a nice blend of pace and swing with Hasan Ali leading the pack along with Mohammad Amir and Usman Khan Shinwari.
Ali’s swing and seam combined with changes of pace and aided by a clever head on his shoulders has quickly rocketed him towards becoming one of the best bowlers in the limited-overs cricket.
Amir has been inconsistent with the ball since his return to international cricket but his experience can come in handy during pressure situations, while Shinwari has also shown positive progress since being inducted into the side.
Pakistan can also call upon the services of experienced Junaid Khan and young Shaheen Shah Afridi in case the usual prospects fail to deliver.
In the spin bowling department, leg-spinner Shadab Khan will be the key to Pakistan’s success as a lot will rely on how he performs with the ball — especially during the crucial middle overs phase.
He has been one of the greatest finds for Pakistan in the past year or so in every aspects of the game which makes him such a valuable asset for the side.
The kind of form and team combination that Pakistan currently possesses, they might prove to be an unstoppable force at the Asia Cup
Asia Cup
