World Cup 2019 – Match 43: PAK vs BAN – Pakistan Predicted Playing XI

Despite knowing that they practically can’t qualify for the knockouts, Pakistan has got to come out onto the field and play another game in the World Cup 2019. It is a near improbable task for them to make it through as they have to win the next game by an unprecedented margin if they bat first. There is absolutely no chance if they get to bat second.

Thus, this game against Bangladesh is nothing less than a dead rubber. While they won’t be able to repeat the heroics of the 1992 World Cup, Pakistan can still look to end the tournament on a high. The ‘Men in Green’ will look to maintain the consistency with the playing eleven for this game and thus will not make any amends.

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for Pakistan:

Openers (Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq)

Fakhar Zaman got out for a duck in the last game against Afghanistan. He has found it tough to maintain the consistency in the tournament and is getting out to poor shots. Except for the half-century that he scored against India, there hasn’t been any notable performance from him. That could be a reason for Pakistan’s poor performance in the tournament.

The situation with Imam-ul-Haq has been quite similar as well. But he’s got off to better starts on more occasions than Fakhar. Yet, the problem is that he has failed to convert those into substantial scores. Even in the last game, he got out after scoring 36. Thus, in the next match, the openers should look to provide the team with a better stand.

Middle Order (Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Sarfaraz Ahmed (c & wk))

Babar Azam has been the best batsman for Pakistan in the tournament. He scored a brilliant century against New Zealand and followed that up well made 45 against Afghanistan. He will be the key for his team yet again and should look to mesmerise his fans with another spectacular knock.

Batting at five, Haris Sohail gives his team a sense of assurance. He is in good form and should look to play his natural game rather than trying to play a slow knock. Sarfaraz Ahmed should look to bat till the end of the innings. He rotates the strike really well and thus should be able to score at a good pace. It is crucial for him to hold one end up tight.

All Rounders (Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan)

For four games in a row now, Mohammad Hafeez has ended up with poor scores. The all-rounder got off to starts on all these occasions and looked good. But the way he’s thrown his wicket away is something not really acceptable. While it doesn’t matter if he gets a big score or not, he will want to finish his final World Cup game on a good note. Hafeez has been more than handy with the ball.

Imad Wasim, the hero of the last game, will surely be high on confidence. The southpaw was nothing less than fabulous in both the departments of the game. While there is no question about his place in the team as of now, Pakistan will want Shadab Khan to perform slightly better with the ball. Even though he is economical, he hasn’t picked as many wickets as he’d have liked.

Bowlers (Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi)

The troika of the left-arm pace bowlers has done a splendid job with the ball. If not one, the other is turning up with a special performance. However, it is a pity that their efforts weren’t sufficient to take the team through. Wahab Riaz picked up two wickets in the last outing and scored some prized runs with the bat.

Shaheen Afridi, on the other hand, notched up a four-wicket haul and is doing a great job. While Mohammad Amir couldn’t pick up any wickets against the Afghans, he has generally been quite good. The bowling spearhead has got a huge task in front of him and must deliver big time as it will surely not be a cakewalk against Bangladesh.