Shahid Afridi
No one thought that Pakistan will reach the semi-final, after going through numerous controversies. Playing without their three main players (Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif), everybody considered Pakistan a broken and inconsistent team.
On the contradictory, they proved everybody wrong and entered the semi-final by winning against the power houses in the group stage, which hardly any other teams have done.
Victory against the Lankan and the Aussies, forced the cricket world to notice the Pakistani talent. The credit for marching from the group stage to the semi-final goes to the captain Shahid Afridi, who has not only bowl well but also managed, shaped and provided a balance to the team.
It has also been founded that in this world cup, Pakistan team is most balance team – a team that comprises with deadly pacers, quality spinners, all-rounders and good batsmen.
It has been a complete showcase of team work from the group stage till the quarter finals face offs. All players know their role well, as player like Kamran Akmal, who has done everything right apart from two dropped catches. In the quarter final clash against the west indies, he scored 47 runs in an 113 runs unbeaten opening partnership and gained confidence.
Another opener and spinner Mohammad Hafeez has proved himself an important part of the team, who can score runs as well as take wickets. He won the man of the match award in the quarter final due to his all round performance. Thus the problem of opening seemed to the sorted as these two players came in form.
Asad Shafiq, another Pakistani talent caught the eye of the experts on his debut against Zimbabwe, by scoring 78 and 46 in his first two matches, he has shown his temperament.
Till this stage of the world cup, Younus Khan has been the top runs scorer for Pakistan, with 72 been his highest individual score. Although he managed to score 172 runs in the entire tournament which is way behind Johnattan Trott’s 422 runs, but his runs has really played an important part in the victories.
Misbah-Ul-Haq, Umar Akmal and Abdur Razzak has been the backbone of team, although these players has not been in their best of form but underestimating these players would mean to call trouble.
Player like Razzak, who can win matches single handedly, the way he did against the Proteas at Abu-Dhabi. Being the experience bowler, he also plays a important part of breaking partnerships.
Spinners like Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman and Shahid Afridi are the key architectures of Pakistan victory, especially Shahid Afridi, gaining 21 wickets in the tournament so far. Although he has been applying the two minute noodle theory for his batting, his bowling performance has eclipsed his batting blunder.
Pacers like Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz and Shoiab Akhtar has become an asset for the team especially for the upcoming match against India at Mohali, where wickets are more pace friendly.
Umar Gul has been one of the pick of the pace bowlers of the tournament. He has been successful in reversing the bowl in the death over’s, especially during the batting powerplay, where batsmen has founded really tuff to score runs in his over.
A good balance in the team has been the actual key for their success. The team is so well poised and balanced that there is not at all talent kill in the starting eleven.
As it is said by the experts that Discipline, Balance andConfidence are the three crucial element of a successful team, so does Pakistan have these three elements and they are showing their worth in these World Cup.
Tags: Chandigarh, Cricket, ICC Cricket World Cup, India, Mohali, Pakistan, Semi-Final, Shahid Afridi, World Cup
