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Pakistan vs West Indies: Likely XI for the inconsistent hosts

With a white-wash registered already on the visitors in the T20I series, hosts Pakistan would be eager to carry on with the same as the momentum is in their court

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Hosts Pakistan have the winning momentum which they will want to continue with in the ODI series © AFP
Hosts Pakistan have the winning momentum which they will want to continue with in the ODI series © AFP

After a thumping white-wash on West indies in the three-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series, the hosts Pakistan (Pakistan are playing their home games in the United Arab Emirates) would be eager to continue with the same momentum in the One-Day International (ODI) series. The first of the three matches will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday. The Men in Green who are currently at No.9 have a lot at stake, which includes their chances of an automatic qualification for the ICC 2019 Cricket World Cup. Also, they had a horrid time in time in the limited overs series in England as they succumbed to an embarrassing defeat by four games to one.

But fortunes seemed to have changed for Pakistan as they have put some strong performances in the shortest format of the game. Moreover, the Men in Green would be eager to bask in good form as this is the only form of cricket where they have to prove themselves in. So with all these contrasting happenings in and around, Rohan Sawat predicts the Pakistan starting XI that can be fielded.

Top Order – Pakistan ODI captain Azhar Ali will most probably open the innings for his team along with Sharjeel Khan. They both are known for their attacking batsmenship, which has served good for Pakistan in the recent times. Although they did not fare good in the five-match ODI series against England but this series can be a turning point. Against England, they opened the innings together only two times i.e in the first ODI at Southampton and the last ODI at Cardiff. Sami Aslam was the other opener who started the innings with Sharjeel while the skipper would come in at No.3. Of these two occasions, Ali and Sharjeel’s highest opening stand was 25 runs which depict how vulnerable their opening pair was in front of the English bowlers. But it is going to be a different ball game all-together when they face the West Indian bowling attack.

Next to walk in should be Umar Akmal who is actually making his comeback in the 50 overs game. The last time Umar Akmal played an ODI for Pakistan was back in 2015 World Cup against Australia at Adelaide. Akmal scored 20 runs off 24 balls. Out of the seven matches in the 2015 World Cup that Akmal played, he gathered 164 runs at an average of 27.33 in which he had just one half-century. It was due to this slump in his batting that he remained out of the international side for more than a year.

He may not have got much of a chance in the T20I series to shine and display his form but he will be certainly keen on performing well in the ODI format to cement his place. Babar Azam should be the next to walk in at No.4 as the young budding player has a lot to offer to his team based on his batting potentials. He had developed a knack of getting out after starting his innings nicely. He managed to score just 122 runs throughout the series at an average of 24.40. But as the playing conditions are in the favour of Pakistan this time, he has a golden chance to capitalise on it and get some valuable runs under his belt.

Middle Order – It is very important that the middle batting order for the hosts regains its lost consistency. The good factor for the hosts here is that they have enormous talent and experience in their middle order. Sarfraz Ahmed should be in at No.5 due to his consistency in the ODI format. In the England conditions where the whole Pakistan team was struggling against the English bowling attack, the wicketkeeper batsman was the highest run getter for them. Ahmed managed to score 300 runs in the whole series at an excellent strike-rate of 60 in five matches with one century wherein he scored 105 as his highest score.

Shoaib Malik is one of the most important players in the Pakistan squad and has the ability to resurrect the fallen innings in quick time. Malik has had a fall in his form in the recent time as he hasn’t played any good knock since a long time. Malik has an impressive average of 34.66 in his ODI career so far with 6,309 under his name. Also, he is the most experienced player in the squad which makes it very important for him to stand up and rise again and form the spine of the batting order.

Imad Wasim is the name which has to be in the Pakistan starting XI. The all-rounder has been in exceptional form right from the England series and carried it into the T20I series against West Indies. Imad scored 153 runs out of the four matches he played against England with an enormous strike rate of 102.  He got nine wickets in three T20I matches against West Indies which included a fifer.

Lower Order – Yasir Shah would most probably be the leader of spin attack for the hosts. He wasn’t much effective in ODI’s against England but it is very likely that he will get a good assist from the wicket in UAE. The pitches have been spin friendly in the T20I series against the West Indies as they struggled against the spin of Imad Wasim. So it will be fruitful for the hosts to have a frontline spinner in the form of Yasir Shah. With two spinners in the squad in the form of Shah and Imad, the pace attack should be in the hands of the experienced trio of Mohammad Aamer, Wahab Riaz and Sohail Khan.

There may be some apprehensions when it comes to the selection of Sohail Khan in the ODI squad as he was not a part of the ODI team for England. But he had an impressive run in the four-match Test series in England as he managed to scalp 13-wickets in two matches that he played which should have earned him a call in the 50 overs game. Also with the fact that he has pace and can generate swing with the new ball is the plus point of his game. Even Wahab Riaz was excluded from the ODI squad but with his impressive bowling figure’s he should make it into the starting XI against West Indies.

Other pacers like Aamer and Riaz have become the leaders of Pakistan’s bowling attack since they have been on the consistent side with their performances. Both of them together are most likely to open the bowling attack for the hosts and early breakthroughs are what they would have on their priority lists while Sohail Khan would be operating in the middle overs.

Pakistan Likely XI – Azhar Ali (c), Sharjeel Khan, Umar Akmal, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan.

(Rohan A. Sawant is a reporter for CricketCountry. He loves Football, Cricket and is a die-hard Arsenal fan. He is an avid writer and has some knowledge about cricket and so he is trying his best to pour with his Laptop as he finds writing with pen and paper very clumsy. You can follow him on Twitter @iswandering)

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