PAK v WXI, 1st T20I Preview: Pakistan set to face the World at home after years

Not too often we read about an entire squad going down the history books even before taking the field. The World XI will be cheered at the flip of the coin for the first time in eight years time, in a competitive game featuring two international sides. The estranged cricketing nation will once again don the green and throng the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, with hopes of watching the Amirs and Ahmeds do, what they have been doing over the last eight years on unfamiliar terrains.

It won’t be a churlish affair but make no mistake, the ‘good will’ and friendship will take a back seat once the contest starts, as both the sides will look to clinch the trophy and add good numbers against their names. The hosts are currently sweating over Mohammad Amir’s availability, as the pacer and his wife are expecting their first child, with the due date probably over the coming week. Out of the 16 men squad, only five players- skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Ahmed Shehzad, Shoaib Malik and Sohail Khan have played international cricket on the home soil, and therefore it will be a challenge for Pakistan to make a good impression.

The visiting side’s skipper Faf du Plessis is coming from a forgettable tour of England, and he would like to get some runs under his belt before facing an improved Bangladesh attack at home. He will have the luxury of leading some of the known faces- Hashim Amla, Morne Morkel, David Miller and Imran Tahir. And he can look for some wise words from retired internationals- Paul Collingwood and Grant Elliott.

Toss: World XI won the toss and elected to bowl

Captains corner

Faf du Plessis: “We will bowl first. The conditions are pretty new for all of us. We haven’t played here for a long time. We have a long batting line up and bowling first gives us an opportunity to have a look at the wicket. It’s a huge honour to be the captain and we are playing for a greater cause. It’s a nice relaxed bunch of guys. Pakistan side have been playing together for a while, so they will be a dangerous side. Hopefully we can have a few match-winners tonight.”

Sarfraz Ahmed: We wanted to bat first anyway. Players are excited. Eight of them are playing at home for the first time. Focus is on cricket. Happy with the team. (Translated from Hindi/Urdu)

Playing XI:

Pakistan: Ahmed Shehzad, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed(w/c), Imad Wasim, Fahim Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Sohail Khan, Hasan Ali, Rumman Raees

World XI: Tamim Iqbal, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis(c), David Miller, Grant Elliott, Thisara Perera, Tim Paine(w), Ben Cutting, Darren Sammy, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir

Pakistan (Out):  Usman Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Aamer Yamin, Umar Amin

World XI (Out): George Bailey, Paul Collingwood, Samuel Badree

Focus will be on:

Sarfaraz Ahmed

After shedding the unpredictable tag and leading his men to Champions Trophy glory, skipper Sarfaraz will look to lift the trophy on 15th September, at the end of the three T20I encounters. The 30-year-old hasn’t really fired in the T20 format of late, scoring just 53 runs in his 6 outings for English county club Yorkshire.

But the wicket at the Gaddafi Stadium is likely to be tailor made for batting, and therefore one can expect the middle order batsman to smack some biggies to shape up the total for the hosts. The visitors will be heavy on spin and Sarfaraz may have to counter the threat along with experienced campaigner Shoaib Malik in the middle overs.

Tamim Iqbal

High in form, Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal is relishing the fact that he will be representing his country in the Independence Cup. Tamim scored two hundreds in the Champions Trophy, apart from a gutsy 70 against India in the semi-finals. He is coming fresh from spending ample amount of time at the wicket, as he scored 71 and 78 against Australia in the 1st Test of the 2-match series. And therefore a lot will depend on the start he provides.

The left-handed opener has played 56 T20I games, something which holds him in the good books in this demanding shortest format of the game. He bats with a strike rate of over 115 and has scored a ton in each of the three formats. He will surely be a prized scalp for the likes of Ruman Raaes and Sohail Khan.

Playing Combinations

Pakistan

With pacer Mohammad Amir’s availability being followed by a question mark, Sohail Khan will partner Hasan Ali along with Ruman Raees. 23-year-old Ali was impressive in the Champions Trophy. He picked up 13 wickets and played a major role in the title triumph. Karachi-born pacer Ruman Raees will be another key member of the squad. He is just 3 matches old in international cricket but his form during the 2017 PSL will encourage his captain to back him all way out. He took 12 wickets from seven matches during the T20 tourney. And his lethal yorkers may end up being a nightmare for the World XI side.

Ahmed Shehzad will thank his stars for getting selected. When in form, Shehzad is no less than his look-alike Virat Kohli. He can hit the big ones and time the ball beautifully, but his inconsistency has affected Pakistan’s batting until Fakhar Zaman showed the way recently. Pakistan’s middle-order looks solid with experienced heads- Malik, Ahmed and youngster Babar Azam. Where as all-rounders- Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan will look to entertain the home crowd with their all-round abilities.

World XI

The visitor’s top order looks good on papers, with Amla and Tamim set to start with the tested left and right combination. Skipper du Plessis’ experience in this format will be crucial for the touring team while they can trust on Geroge Bailey or a Grant Elliott to see off a bad day. Tim Paine will be the gloveman while Imran Tahir, Samuel Badree will set up the attack along with pacer Morne Morkel. Ben Cutting’s fast medium bowling and late charge will help him get a look in ahead of Darren Sammy and Paul Collingwood for the first of the three matches.

Telecast details

Broadcasters of #IndependenceCup pic.twitter.com/leKqFTIPtp

— Zeeshan Qayyum (@XeeshanQayyum) September 8, 2017

StatAttack:

3- Only Paul Collingwood, Tamim Iqbal and Hashim Amla have played international cricket in Pakistan.

2- Pakistan is hosting an international series after a gap of two years. Zimbabwe last visited Pakistan in the year 2015.