Team Pakistan at World Cup

The Pakistan team is like the English weather You never know how its going to be tomorrow but boy are they a fun bunch Which other team can brave matchfixing ballbiting infighting controversies to still be in the reckoning in the final analysis The team would be hurting after losing their right to be cohosts and would go on to the field with a point to prove There is no other team in the world with more outandout bowling talent With spinners and pacers who know how to bowl in the subcontinent its bowling lineup could be Pakistans trump card Shahid Afridi CaptainIt is not known which is the bigger surprise Shahid Afridi is captain of the Pakistan cricket team or that it took them this long to actually install him as skipper As it turns out captaincy has not really changed Afridis methods and craft He is one of the few players in the world whose game has not changed an iota since his debut He is mad whimsical and prone to bouts of immaturity like he has always been but when he gets going he is like a rock legend the audience transfixed to his tunes In 300plus matches Afridi has amassed nearly 6500 runs and has managed to prise 288 wickets with his bouquet of legspin variations Expect more bamboozling bowling and explosive batting from this true enigma of the gameAbdul RazzaqAbdul Razzaq srchttpwwwmiddaycomsportsimgrazzaqpakwcjpg width400An accurate and sometimes obdurate medium pacer Abdul Razzaq is more known for his explosive batting A penchant for finishing games off from precarious situations has him batting lower down the order although he is just as dangerous batting up He will be the key allrounder for Pakistan if they are to make an impact in the World CupSohail TanvirSohail Tanvirs wrongfooted action is one of the trickiest for batsmen to pick and his hardhitting batting has earned him a dangerous tag in firstclass cricket However in ODIs he is still best known only for his accurate and nagging line He can also bowl slow leftarm orthodox spin and is even trickier to pick when doing so Already a T20 star this is his chance to shine in ODIsUmar GulA nagging opening bowler and wily operator of the old ball Umar Gul has all the qualities suited to become Pakistans leading ODI bowler If it werent for a string of injuries that spot would have been his by now With him in the team the pressure on the backing lineup is less and he can also get crucial runs lower down the orderYounis KhanHe may not be the most elegant of batsmen but Younis Khan is as effective as they come He can battle it out in tough situations and also make hay when the foundation has been laid by the openers Having been a former skipper he will bring valuable insight when the team most needs itUmar AkmalA precocious batsman and an able wicketkeeper Umar Akmal is certainly the more talented of the Akmal brothers A century in his debut ODI series and a string of high scores some albeit in losing causes have definitely marked him as one for the future The World Cup presents him with a real chance to cement his place in the teamMohammad HafeezHafeez can bat in almost all positions in the top order and shows good technique despite getting bogged down sometimes when the going is tough His cunning and economical offbreaks are a definite bonus to the side and allows Pakistan the luxury of playing the extra batsmanWC Recordu00a01975u00a0 Exited in the first round1979 u00a0Semifinalists lost to West Indies1983 u00a0Again lost to the Windies in the semis1987 u00a0Lost in the semis again this time to Australia1992 u00a0Beat England to lift the cup1996 u00a0Beaten by India in QFs1999 u00a0Beaten finalists as Aus wonu00a02003 u00a0Didnt make it past the group stages2007 u00a0Knocked out in the first roundFollow PakistanFeb 23 VS KenyaMahinda Rajapaksha International Cricket Stadium HambantotaFeb 26 VS Sri LankaR Premadasa Stadium ColomboMar 3 VS CanadaR Premadasa Stadium ColomboMar 8 VS New ZealandPallekele International Cricket StadiumMar 14 VS ZimbabwePallekele International Cricket StadiumMar 19 VS AustraliaR Premadasa Stadium Colombo