T20 World Cup 2022: Match 29 - Predicted Pakistan Playing XI vs Netherlands

Pakistan will take on Netherlands in their next encounter of the T20 World Cup 2022 and this is a must-win game for the men in Green. Having lost their first two games, Pakistan are currently at the fifth position in the points table and their performances has been nothing more than disappointing. The batting department has particularly been a talking point, especially with the middle-order lacking consistency.  

In the previous game against Zimbabwe, Pakistan started the game as clear favourites. However, the Babar Azam-led side kept losing wickets at regular wickets and ended up one run short to suffer a painful loss. They will now have to win all their remaining fixtures and hope that the other teams do them a bit of favour.  

Coming to their combination, Pakistan played six batters and five bowlers in the previous game while using Shadab Khan as the all-rounder. Asif Ali is expected to come back into the playing XI in place of youngster Haider Ali who hasn’t fired in the tournament.

Let us look at the predicted Pakistan playing XI for the game against the Netherlands: 

Openers – Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk)

Babar Azam has been struggling to find his best touch yet in the tournament and has been dismissed for single-digit scores twice now. The Pakistan skipper needs to step up for side considering the middle-order woes they have had. 

Mohammad Rizwan came into the tournament with a lot of promise, having piled up a lot of runs in the last two years in T20Is. However, the number one ranked T20I batter hasn't fulfilled the expectations so far. The wicketkeeper-batter has had scores of 4 and 14 so far and he needs to pull up his socks soon.  

Middle Order – Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali 

Shan Masood is among the few positives for Pakistan and he has been in good form with the bat. The left-hander scored an unbeaten half-century against India and followed it up with a 44-run knock against Zimbabwe in the previous game. He will be keen to hold onto the form and convert his good start into a big score. 

Iftikhar Ahmed scored a fantastic half-century against India and it looked like the move to back him despite his poor scores finally worked. However, he was dismissed for just five runs in the next game when the team needed him to stay. The 32-year-old will be looking to make up for the early dismissal in the previous outing.  

Asif Ali is one of the fearsome hitters of the cricket ball, however, his consistency has been a major issue. With an average of just over 15 in 55 T20Is, Ali definitely has to contribute a lot more and he is likely to get a nod after Haider Ali’s inclusion did not work out.  

All Rounders – Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz 

Shadab Khan is expected to play an important role at number six and he has the ability to hit some lusty blows down the order. The right-hander scored a 14-ball 17 to help Pakistan build a partnership against Zimbabwe and has been phenomenal with the ball so far in the tournament with three wickets already. 

Mohammad Nawaz has blown hot and cold so far in recent times despite that there aren't any doubts over his match-winning abilities. The left-hander has been handed the responsibility of finishing off the innings and twice he has ended up on the losing side in the tournament. He still brings a lot to the table with his all-round qualities. 

Bowlers – Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah 

Mohammad Wasim Jr came into the playing XI at the expense of a batter against Zimbabwe and it proved to be a wise move as he troubled the batters constantly and picked up a four-wicket haul to seal his position in the playing XI now.  

Shaheen Shah Afridi hasn’t picked up a wicket in the tournament yet and his return from injury hasn’t been fruitful. The left-arm seamer is world-class when it comes to swinging the new ball but he looked sluggish in the field which would be taken into note. Despite not being at his best, Afridi is expected to start the game given the quality he possesses.  

Haris Rauf has been spot-on in terms of lines and lengths so far and he gave away just 12 runs against Zimbabwe in his four overs which included a maiden. The right-arm quick has been clocking high speeds and he is a potent option in the bowling setup for Pakistan with the ability to change the game on its head.

Naseem Shah was slightly on the expensive against Zimbabwe but he is a genuine wicket-taking option. The youngster has got the raw pace to deliver in Australian conditions and he can set the tone with early dismissals. He will be looking to add more to his tally in the wicket's column.  

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