Com Games Preview: Pakistan
Pakistan
Can Pakistan’s wonderful bowling and fielding make up for it’s woeful batting enough to win a spot in the semi-finals at the Birmingham Games? That’s the million dollar question facing a team playing in the tougher of the two pools.
Squad:
Bismah Maroof (c), Muneeba Ali (wk), Anam Amin, Aiman Anwer, Diana Baig, Nida Dar, Gull Feroza (wk), Tuba Hassan, Kainat Imtiaz, Sadia Iqbal, Iram Javed, Ayesha Naseem, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Omaima Sohail.
Let’s begin with the good stuff – for there is plenty of good stuff – and see if we can find a way to fix the bad stuff after that.
Of the full member teams, Pakistan is the best fielding unit in Asia. There is excellence at point and cover in Diana Baig, the team’s best. Aliya Riaz is excellent in the outfield and has a very safe pair of hands. There is energy and effort with the younger players such as Fatima Sana.
With the gloves, Muneeba Ali is not Pakistan’s best keeper. Sidra Nawaz holds that spot but isn’t on tour. Muneeba is reasonably competent and not the worst “compromise wicket keeper” on the world circuit. Personally I don’t think you make that compromise but it is quite common these days and as mentioned, Muneeba is not the worst.
Powerplay in a Spin
It’s common practice for teams to open the bowling with a spinner in T20 cricket these days and for good reason, taking the pace off the ball messes with the minds of opening batters who love the ball coming on. I doubt there is a better bowler on the scene utilised in this manner than Anam Amin. The tactic is sound and her execution is simply brilliant. The left-arm slow bowling she delivers for Pakistan from the get go is brilliant. She is made for the role. Just look at her eyes: she relishes the role.
At the other end, two perfectly good options in the vastly experienced Diana Baig and the rising star of Fatima Sana. I’d actually hand the new pill to Fatima. She’s in the better form of the two and likes a big occasion. Either way, Pakistan have two proven performers in the pace department.
What we have next is a sheer delight. Pakistan serve up two more excellent spinners. The veteran, the crafty Nida Dar, “Lady Boom Boom” with her off-breaks. She’s a performer and not only loves taking a wicket, loves celebrating too.
At the other end of the career stakes, the newcomer, leg-break bowler Tuba Hassan. She’s left a trail of destruction in her very short career. Accurate, spins a mile, economical – and, she’s very clever. Has the potential to be the bowler of the tournament.
The Batting. Oh, the Batting.
If you’ve watched this talented team of cricketers to any extent over the last couple of years you’ll understand the subheading and simply nod. It is frustrating to see this batting line-up trip up, run each other out – put simply it’s a train wreck, but it needn’t be that way.
It has been a classic case of reshuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic, but never in the right way. Players who can’t hit the ball of the square are given the chance to open. When the need to accelerate arises, some of them go into Test match mode. This is an observation held by a wide majority but unfortunately it goes unnoticed withing the camp. How can we fix this in order to get Pakistan into the semi-finals?
Do this:
The left-handed Muneeba Ali is a good choice as opener. Despite the fact that her top score is 29, scored against Ireland earlier this week, she’s worth sticking with, for with a little confidence and a decent partner at the other end, she should thrive.
Joining her at the top of the order should be Ayesha Naseem. They’ve done it before – successfully – but for some reason she is currently wasted coming in at six. This teenager likes to hit the ball. She has a brilliant strike rate and could be compared favourably to India’s Shafali Verma. Give the kid an extended stay at the top and the license to thrill.
Another player completely wasted down the order is one of Pakistan’s best batters in Aliya Riaz. She currently comes in with a few balls to face. The great thing about Aliya is that she has the ability to shift gears. Ah! Yes, that is a key element missing at the top of the order.
Bismah. Put her at four. She plays the anchor role and little else. She is Pakistan’s Mithali Raj: a wonderful player for her team but without the ability to change with the times. Her strike rate of 91.89 is from a different era.
Nida Dar should be no lower than five and a case could be mounted for her to bat higher. She knows how to find a boundary. Too often left to dig Pakistan out of a hole.
Not enough is asked of Fatima Sana. She should have the pads on from the beginning, ready to go out at a moment’s notice and club a few boundaries.
These are just a few ideas, but at least they are ideas, for the Pakistan strategy towards batting over the last two years has been bereft of any creativity and the epitome of the saying, keep doing the same thing but expect a different result.
Can Pakistan make the semi-finals with this team? Yes, absolutely. Can they make the semi-finals with their current strategy? No, not a chance. Hopefully they read this and implement some change. It would be wonderful to see this team in the semis.
Fixtures:
Pakistan is in Pool A with Australia, Barbados and India:
