Cricket World Cup 2007 Preview: Pakistan

[This is the ninth in a series of collaborative articles assessing the merits and demerits of the teams competing for cricket's World Cup in March/April in the West Indies.]

Zainub Razvi

Location: SuperSport Park, Centurion. South Africa rack up 392 runs in their 50 overs. Pakistan wave the white flag and are all out for 228 inside their 50 overs. Three days later, at Kingsmead, Durban, and the same Pakistan side racks up 351 runs in their 50 overs, and rolls over South Africa for just 210, conjuring up an equally comprehensive win. Few sides have the capability to display such varied unpredictability, but it’s precisely this mercurial nature of their cricket that has taught critics never to rule out any Pakistan side. Even when things seem to be going so hopelessly wrong.

Pakistan’s build up could not have been worse; a familiar cloud of injuries galore first surrounded nearly all the fast bowlers, before one of them, Umar Gul, recovered in time. Two others, Akhtar and Asif, were controversially deemed 'unfit' amongst widespread suggestions of an underlying doping cover-up. Abdul Razzaq then injured himself on the eve of the team’s departure ruling him out of the entire tournament. A depleted bowling attack will now feature the likes of Rao Iftikhar, Azhar Mahmood and Danish Kaneria, all of whom are talented, but have either had little recent match practice, or aren't proven performers at the one-day level. Ultimately, it's the slow bowling from the all rounder trio of Afridi, Malik and Hafeez which will be critical to Pakistan's bowling plans.

The batting looks more stable, revolving around the experienced combo of Younis, Yousuf and Inzamam. But then, there's the rest of the line up, from Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Nazir to Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal, all of whom have an unparallel tendency to blow hot and cold. Shoaib Malik remains one of the more consistent of the young batsmen in the Pakistani ranks, and in the conditions in West Indies, he could be Pakistan’s surprise star performer. The fielding and running between the wickets is arguably the worst of all test playing nations, and improvement in this regard will be a crucial factor as well. Altogether it's a decent but depleted side, which not many people are counting as front runners. But sometimes something like that alone is enough for me to continue to hope.

Prediction: Surprise Winners

Angshuman Hazra

Pakistan are down and out this World Cup. Surely they will have great difficulty even progressing to the Super 8's. Those buggers don't have a clue about winning consistently over a period of time. Or even staying match-fit for over a given time frame. I will be mighty surprised if they do any better than they did in 2003."

Well that's not me but my logical brain offering its preview of a Shoaibless, Asifless, Razzaqless, listless, fieldingless Pakistan's chances at this World Cup. That naivete of the brain reveals either its owner's unwillingness to use it while watching his favourite game, or that cricket will never have much to do with it. Coz' we all know Pakistan better than that.

Rating a Pakistan side is rather simple work. You just have to work out two totals: the sum of the best that each player can be, and the sum of their worst. Interpolations and speculations are thereafter rendered redundant as there has seldom been a third kind of performance from the Pakistanis; everyone knows one of these two Pakistans is certain to turn up on a given day. Remember the 1992 World Cup where they failed to win their 1st four matches and were all out for 74 in one of them? In case anyone needs reminding, they won that Cup.

That was 'The' Imran's team right? Well then we home in on a match from very recent past - ICC Trophy 2006, Pak vs. Sri Lanka match. The Pak team came with (i) A bad English tour behind, (ii) No Inzy-Shoaib-Asif in sight, (iii) Captaincy changing hands twice in 3 days and (iv) No openers or catchers worth their salt. Their in-form opponents came with a 10-match winning streak. Pakistan clinched that thriller. They went on to lose the next two badly but had Pakistan won any of those they, even so depleted, would have promptly become the team Australia would least want to face in the final.

It is no different this time. Unless they fail to field 11 fit men deep into the timeless Super 8 (which is a distinct possibility), I see them in the semis - especially on grounds where all aspects of Afridi's cricket are assured magnification to such a degree as to make him his team's Sanath.

Prediction: Semi Finalists

Huzaifa Das

When asked to comment on Pakistan's chances for the World Cup, Nobel Prize winning physicist Niels Bohr remarked "Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future."

Okay, so maybe Mr. Bohr was referring to atoms and electrons and the future of science, but what he said is an apt tagline for Pakistan's cricket team. A team which can entertain, disappoint, amuse and frustrate you all within a matter of a few hours.

Most of Pakistan's problems are self made. From under performing players to inept officials at the top. From clashes with the ICC to the discord within. From drugs to last minute injuries. Thankfully for Pakistan, Bob Woolmer is made of stern stuff. Lesser mortals would have quit long ago.

Yet, when the mood suits them, Pakistan play some of the most attractive cricket. They have this natural, raw style of playing that has always attracted me. And there's no shortage of talent in the team. What's missing, though, is consistency. And without that, they can never achieve their true potential.

Still, like Mr. Bohr said, you never know.

Prediction: Semi Finalists

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India
West Indies
South Africa
Sri Lanka
New Zealand
England
Zimbabwe
Bangladesh, Kenya
Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Bermuda, Netherlands