Blog by: Dr. Arun Swadi
I have very healthy respect for Pakistan cricket team. They are very competitive side, probably in top four on current form. They can beat any team on their day, sometimes even if it is not their day. They are not as gifted as they were earlier. But they are very professional now. That uncertainty about their games and ups and downs are less frequent now. Their batting, over the years used to be inferior than bowling. It still is but not to that extent.
Skipper Babar Azam generally gives sedate start and anchors the innings. He is one around whom the batting is built. He is allround player and his off side game is near perfect. He can tonk too. He is as good as our Virat Kohli. But he has achieved less as he has played less too. His running between the wickets was shoddy but off late he has shown remarkable improvement in this aspect of the game.
His early dismissal can put pressure on Pakistan batting. That is for sure. Mohmad Rizwan is another top class batsman who has improved by leaps and bounds. He is very good wicket keeper too. He is opening the batting along with skipper and both give rousing start very often. Mohammad Hafeez is old warhorse but everytime he is called he delivers. That may not be a case with Shoaib Malik who was favourite of Rameez, but I am not sure whether he continues to be part of squad.
But definitely, he looks spent force. Rest of the batting remains unknown to the world except Fakhar Zaman. India know he is a top class player. Pakistan have many allrounders, some of them like Hafeez and Shoaib batting allrounders, some are bowling allrounders like Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan. That is their strength.
Pakistan have battery of good fast bowlers. Shaheen Afridi belongs to the very best category who can trouble any batting. Hasan Ali is very nippy too. Haris Rauf is consistent performer and the spinners are magical. Against reigning champions West Indies Pakistan played very well Discipline was never their forte but they showed even that is part of their game. The desert is their second home too. It will take some efforts to beat them.
