'It is the team with the stronger bowling attack that will succeed' - Wasim Akram believes Pakistan’s ‘strong’ bowling attack makes them potential contenders for ODI World Cup

Former legendary pacer Wasim Akram expressed that Pakistan’s fierce pace bowling attack makes them one of the ‘favourites’ for the 2023 ODI World Cup. In addition to this, he stated that teams with strong bowling unit will have an upper hand in the Indian conditions for the marquee event.

The Men in Green have produced some of the best pacers in recent times who have flourished into being the most lethal attackers in world cricket. With the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah, Pakistan boast an impressive depth in terms of pace bowling options. Speaking in an interview, Akram lavished praise on the pace bowling unit led by Shaheen and opined that the ‘stronger’ bowling attack will prevail in the World Cup.

"Our captain is a great player and we have one of the best fast-bowling lineups in the world. Shaheen Afridi is currently in prime form. He has led his team to victory in the PSL for the second time. He is developing pretty well as an all-rounder,” Akram stated while speaking to Sports Tak. 

"Then there is Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah. Hasnain is there, Ihsanullah is an exciting young fast bowler. I think because the World Cup is happening in India, it is the team with the stronger bowling attack that will succeed because the pitches tend to be batter friendly," Akram concluded.

Pakistan’s road to the 2023 ODI World Cup

Babar Azam-led Pakistan are set to host New Zealand in a five-match T20I series followed by as many ODI matches starting on April 14. With the mega ODI event on the horizon, the five-match ODI series serves as a terrific platform to get the combinations right and obtain a ‘core’ team.

Notably, the side will also play the Asia Cup prior to the World Cup which will give them a few more games to experiment with the squad. The side is yet to lift the ODI World Cup title since their first win in 1992. As per reports by ESPNcricinfo, the marquee event is scheduled to kickstart on October 5 and conclude on November 19. It remains to be seen if the side can build a strong team and compete for the title in India.