Pakistan’s fast bowler Haris Rauf has been retained for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup squad.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Pakistan retained fast bowler Haris Rauf when announcing on May 24 their 15-man squad for the Twenty20 World Cup, despite doubts over his fitness and lack of match practice.

The 30-year-old injured his shoulder during Pakistan Super League in February and is expected to play in the second Twenty20 international in Birmingham on Saturday — his first outing since recovery.

Pakistan Cricket Board’s selection committee said Rauf is fit and raring to go.

“Rauf is full fit and bowling well in the nets,” said a PCB release. “It would have been nice if he had gotten an outing in the first match at Headingley but we remain confident that he will continue to maintain an upward trajectory in the coming matches.”

The Headingley match between Pakistan and England was abandoned due to rain.

Pakistan is the 20th and the last team to announce the squad as they continued to search for combination since their 2-2 series draw at home against New Zealand last month.

Babar Azam will lead the squad in the World Cup, his third T20 World Cup as skipper.

The tournament will run from June 1 to June 29 and be jointly hosted by the United States and West Indies.

Teams are divided in four groups of five with the top two teams qualifying for the Super Eight Stage in which all matches will be played in the West Indies.

Pakistan’s Group A includes arch rivals India as well as Canada and Ireland.

Pakistan will face United States in their first match in Dallas on June 6.

Fast bowler Hasan Ali, as well as batters Agha Salman and Muhammad Irfan Khan were left off the squad.

Fast bowler Mohammad Amir — the only survivour of Pakistan’s 2009 Twenty20 World Cup triumph — is meanwhile staging a comeback after coming out of retirement two months ago.

He is part of a strong pace attack spearheaded by Shaheen Shah Afridi, Rauf, Naseem Shah and Abbas Afridi.

Pakistan lost in the semi-final of the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and in the final in Australia in 2022.

The squad

Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abbas Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.

File picture of chief selector of the Pakistan cricket squad Inzamam-ul-Haq
| Photo Credit: AP

Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has stepped down as Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) chief selector on Sunday after allegations of a conflict of interest.

His resignation comes after Pakistani media reported one of his co-directors in a U.K.-based company, Yazoo International Ltd, is managing director of Saya Corporation, an agency representing some major Pakistani cricketers.

The players include captain Babar Azam, bowler Shaheen Afridi and wicketkeeper and batter Mohammad Rizwan, who is also a director at Yazoo, according to U.K. public sector database gov.uk.

“I am stepping down from the post to offer the PCB the opportunity to conduct a transparent inquiry,” Inzamam said in a statement released by the board. “If the committee finds me not guilty, I will resume my role as the chief selector.”

The PCB said it had set up a five-member fact-finding committee to look into the allegations.

The allegations surfaced in the middle of Pakistan’s struggling World Cup campaign, where they sit seventh in the points table after four successive defeats. It is their worst losing streak in tournament history.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has scored only two fifties in this World Cup. His captaincy has been questioned and he has faced accusations of lacking aggression in field settings
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

Pakistan’s chances of making the semifinals of the Cricket World Cup are on a knife-edge after their eight-wicket defeat to Afghanistan.

It was the team’s third successive loss at the tournament after two opening wins.

AFP Sport looks at three problem areas for Babar Azam’s faltering team:

World class bowling looks ordinary

Pakistan’s bowling was touted as world class before the Asia Cup and when they restricted a strong India side to 266 all out in a washed out game at Pallekele, commentators saw it as a major warning to World Cup rivals.

But two weeks before the showpiece event, key fast bowler Naseem Shah was ruled out with a shoulder injury.

Spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has 10 wickets in five games in India but has failed to make an early impact — his 2-36 against India and 5-54 facing Australia came in losing causes. In the opening wins over Netherlands and Sri Lanka, he managed two wickets at a combined cost of 103 runs.

Haris Rauf has leaked runs, conceding 286 in five games for eight wickets while the spinners have lacked bite on the slow and turning pitches of India. Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz and Iftikhar Ahmed have just six wickets in five matches between them, conceding 502 runs.

Captaincy in question

Babar Azam is one of the top batsmen in white ball cricket — he has two fifties at the World Cup — but his captaincy has been questioned and he has faced accusations of lacking aggression in field settings.

Pakistan media have consistently accused him of favouring his friends in selection.

“As far as captaincy is concerned, I don’t have much pressure on me or on my batting. I try to give my best in batting,” Babar said after Monday’s loss to Afghanistan.

“During fielding, I think about captaincy and during batting I just think about the batting.”

Babar has won some sympathy in India for his team having to play in front of crowds where Pakistan fans have been effectively banned.

Tight security has also meant that the squad is virtually confined to their hotels once their playing and training commitments are completed.

Lack of planning

There have been frequent, unsettling changes in the the Pakistan Cricket Board set-up — three chairmen in the past year — which hurt planning for the World Cup.

Former chairman Najam Sethi brought in Mickey Arthur as team director but he also kept his Derbyshire county job in England.

Directing the team from the UK, he was criticised in some media as a “Zoom coach.”

Pakistan officials have also been accused of failing to manage the workload of their fast bowlers with Naseem and Shaheen playing all three formats.

Naseem’s most obvious replacements, Ihsanullah and Mohammad Hasnain were also unfit, forcing Pakistan to recall Hasan Ali.

“You were not able to find a coach and since you liked foreign ones you hired an online coach. We change our system frequently and that is showing in our performance in the World Cup,” said former Pakistan great Wasim Akram.

Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam reacts after his team’s defeat during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match against Afghanistan in Chennai on October 23, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

A disappointed Pakistan captain Babar Azam on Monday admitted that his side’s bowling attack was not up to the mark after Afghanistan beat them by eight wickets in yet another World Cup upset in Chennai.

Afghanistan chased down the target of 283 with six balls to spare with openers Ibrahim Zadran (87 off 113 balls) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65 off 53 balls) setting up the win.

One-down Rahmat Shah and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi chipped in with 77 not out and 48 not out respectively as Afghanistan continued their giant-killing spree. They had shocked defending champions England earlier in the tournament.

The stunning loss literally pushed Pakistan on the brink of elimination.

“We had a good total, but in bowling, we were not up to the mark because we weren’t taking wickets in the middle overs,” Babar said at the post-match presentation.

“In a World Cup, if you are not good even in one department, you lose. We started well while bowling, but we couldn’t take wickets.” He gave credit to Afghanistan for the win.

“We are not playing good cricket, (especially) in bowling and fielding,” he said.

“The pitch was helping the spinners even in the second innings. There was no pressure on their batsmen.” Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said the win “tastes nice”.

“The way we chased today, was very professional. We have been quality cricket from a couple of years. We will try our best to play positive cricket, and do a lot for our country.

“Today, bowling was very good, especially spin bowling. We gave a chance to Noor, and he showed. The game was in our hands from the beginning till the end.” Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his 87 in Afghanistan’s run chase, said he played with a positive intent.

“Thankful that I performed well in this event. I wanted to play with a positive intent,” he said.

“Many times Gurbaz and I have done a brilliant partnership together. We have played a lot of cricket together, right from the Under-16 days. I am feeling very glad for myself and for my country.” Former captain and senior player Mohammad Nabi said the win was a big moment for the whole of Afghanistan, having lost every game that they played against the bitter rivals from 2012.

“We have played eight games against Pakistan, and won in a big event. It’s a lovely moment today. We beat England as well, and now Pakistan. The team is confident now.

“(Earlier) in the last moments, we used to lose the game (to Pakistan). We thought it was the same wicket like against New Zealand, but it was totally changed.

“A lot of close games, and this is a fantastic feeling. We shouldn’t have lost against Bangladesh. But now half the tournament is gone.”

Babar Azam plays a shot during the World Cup 2023 match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai October 23, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Opting to bat, Pakistan scored 282 for 7 in their World Cup match against Afghanistan here on Monday.

Captain Babar Azam top-scored with 74 off 92 deliveries while opener Abdullah Shafique contributed 58. Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed made 40 each down the order to take the score past 280.

Noor Ahmad was the most successful Afghan bowler with figures of 3/49 while Naveen-ul-Haq chipped in with 2/52.

Scoreboard:

Pakistan Innings: Abdullah Shafique lbw b Noor Ahmad 58 Imam-ul-Haq c Naveen-ul-Haq b Azmatullah Omarzai 17 Babar Azam c Mohammad Nabi b Noor Ahmad 74 Mohammad Rizwan c Mujeeb Ur Rahman b Noor Ahmad 8 Saud Shakeel c Rashid Khan b Mohammad Nabi 25 Shadab Khan c Mohammad Nabi b Naveen-ul-Haq 40 Iftikhar Ahmed c Azmatullah Omarzai b Naveen-ul-Haq 40 Shaheen Shah Afridi not out 3 Extras: (LB-4 NB-1 W-12) 17

Total: (For 7 wickets in 50 overs) 282

Fall of wickets: 1/56 2/110 3/120 4/163 5/206 6/279 7/282

Afghanistan bowling: Naveen-ul-Haq 7-0-52-2, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 8-0-55-0, Mohammad Nabi 10-0-31-1, Azmatullah Omarzai 5-0-50-1, Rashid Khan 10-0-41-0, Noor Ahmad 10-0-49-3. 

Pakistan’s Babar Azam, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi, during a practice session ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match against Australia, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru on October 19, 2023.
| Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali exuded confidence that his side can recover from the dispiriting loss to India, ahead of the World Cup encounter against Australia.

“We agree that we didn’t play to our calibre, but it’s not the end of the world,” Ali said, on Thursday. “I will say this — nothing has changed.”

Make or break

“India – Pakistan match is such that it can make or break your career. Maybe if it was against some other team or if we had won, you wouldn’t be asking us this. We sat together and had a healthy discussion about the things that need improvement.”

The Men in Green will be well-served if the betterment touches the bowling department first. With Naseem Shah injured (replaced by Ali) and Shaheen Afridi not in top form, Pakistan appears to have lost a bit of its edge.

Optimistic

“Only one bowler has changed, the rest all are the same. I think you guys don’t like my wild card entry. But I feel proud.”

“Shaheen has won us many matches. I know he is not fit right now but very soon he will be there. The games here are very high scoring. But this is not an excuse. You have to find a way and our effort will be to perform.”

Australia captain Pat Cummins was mindful of the standard of cricket Pakistan is capable of playing.

Really strong side

“They’re a side that always seems to be right up there,” Cummins said. “Pretty well structured. Some really good quick bowlers, some spin bowlers who can bowl 20 of their overs.”

“I think [Mohammad] Rizwan is the leading run-scorer. Babar Azam is always good. They’re a really strong side pretty much in all facets.”

The 30-year-old hoped his batters would rediscover their hunger for runs after a quiet start to the tournament.

“Especially here in Bangalore, I dare say it’s going to be high scoring. I think the way Mitchie [Mitchell Marsh] and Davey [David Warner] started by taking the game on [vs. Sri Lanka]… that’s what we want. I’m sure runs are around the corner.”

India’s Jasprit Bumrah celebrates the wicket of Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match in Ahmedabad, October 14, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

India scored a thumping win against Pakistan at the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup match in Ahmedabad on October 14, with the latter’s batters folding for 191 following a collapse at the start of which they were at a healthy 155/2. Five of India’s six bowlers took two wickets apiece in the rout, although they were led by Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, who induced the collapse with the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed, respectively.

But for all the magic on display, Bumrah’s delivery to dismiss Rizwan in the last ball of the 34th over stands out for illustrating an everyday occurrence in cricket but at a magnitude commonly seen in physics textbooks and high-school laboratories, less so on the cricket field. The delivery was a slow offbreak – a ball delivered at 122 km/hr that, after bouncing, jagged sharply into the right-handed batter. There, a gap between bat and pad, which Bumrah had spent the first five balls of the over opening, allowed the ball to hit the stumps.

While slow offbreaks aren’t exotic in cricket, the one that Bumrah bowled was. After pitching, the ball’s kinetic energy through the air dropped noticeably, so much so that it reached Rizwan much slower than at 122 km/hr. The law of conservation of energy can’t be violated, so where did the ‘missing’ speed energy go?

One possible reason Rizwan was foxed was that he expected the ball to come on to the bat quicker, but it didn’t because of the ‘missing’ energy. When releasing the ball, Bumrah had moved his wrist sideways instead of straight down. As a result, from the moment the ball started moving, it had some ‘forward’ kinetic energy and some angular kinetic energy: i.e. it was spinning.

After pitching, more of the ball’s kinetic energy was converted to the angular component because of the way the ball gripped, and less of it remained for the forward component. The ball would have also lost a little energy as sound and to displace the soil by a small amount when it pitched. The result: it arrived later than Rizwan expected and prised him out. 

To be sure, offbreaks aren’t a novelty, but seldom do we behold one that exemplifies its own features to such a great degree. The messier equations underlying the physics of a shaped object moving through the air in a specific way – like Neeraj Chopra’s javelin or Jasprit Bumrah’s offbreak – often overtake the simpler ones at the core of all physics, but become unmistakeable in moments like 33.6.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam along with Mohammad Rizwan during practice at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on October 13, 2023.
| Photo Credit: DEEPAK KR

Ahead of the high-intensity clash with India in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in Ahmedabad, Pakistan captain Babar Azam said on Friday that the pressure of providing tickets for the game is more compared to the match itself.

The rivalry between India and Pakistan in cricket is one of the most fierce in the world, with matches between the two countries receiving significant global viewership.

After registering two back-to-back wins, India, riding on high confidence will face traditional rival Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

“There is more pressure for match tickets than match,” Babar said in the pre-match press conference.

“It is not a pressure match for us. We have played each other a lot of times. We got a lot of support in Hyderabad and we hope the same for Ahmedabad. What matters is what we can do best as a team in both batting and bowling. In these conditions the margin of error for bowlers is minimal.” the Pakistan skipper said.

“Experience helps you play better when I was a youngster I used to get nervous but there are seniors who help you out,” he added.

Babar showed confidence that they would win the match against India, leaving all the records suggesting India as a strong team behind.

“I think what has happened in the past is not important. We want to live in present. I think we can do well. India-Pakistan match is high-intensity. Believe in ourselves. There are a lot of fans coming. I think we have an opportunity to do well in front of fans,” he further stated.

“We plan accordingly as in the first 10 overs the wicket is different and after 10 overs it is different. So, we have to plan accordingly. We will miss Naseem Shah. Shaheen is our best bowler. We believe in him and he believes in himself. One or two matches of bad performance do not bother us.”

Babar mentioned Pakistan’s T20I World Cup win against India and said that they will repeat the same in the ODI World Cup at Ahmedabad.

“In 2021 we beat India in T20 WC. I think we can do that here as well. I have not scored many runs in this World Cup till now and I hope it changes. You need to field well if you want to do well in the World Cup. We are working on it. Fielding is about attitude,” he concluded.

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.

Groundsmen cover the wicket after rain stops play during the Asia Cup Super Four match between India and Pakistan at R. Premadasa Stadium on September 10, 2023 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

One hundred and twelve minutes of intense action, followed by almost four hours’ agonising wait, ended up with rain emerging as the winner in the high-octane Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan for the second weekend in succession.

However, unlike in Pallekele last Saturday, the teams will resume the Super 4s clash on Monday, with India placed at 147 for two in 24.1 overs. Virat Kohli and K.L. Rahul — who was drafted in only because Shreyas Iyer hurt his back minutes before the toss — will resume India’s innings at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Monday afternoon.

With a reserve day having been added at the eleventh hour only for the marquee clash, it will be interesting to see if a maximum of about 76 overs’ play is possible on Monday. Had the game resumed on Sunday night after a heavy downpour — that lasted over an hour and a half and took as much time for the groundstaff to make the ground playable — it would have been a shortened game.

But just when the umpires were walking out for a final inspection, the skies opened up again at 8.30 p.m. and the game was suspended at 8.45 p.m.

Earlier in the afternoon, however, under a scorching sun, India captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill reigned supreme against Pakistan’s pace battery in an entertaining duel.

Rohit flicked Shaheen Shah Afridi off the last ball of the opening over for a six over square-leg. Gill took the cue in Afridi’s next over, showing his class with punches. He repeated the three boundaries in the fifth over as well, including an aerial drive over mid-on after charging down the wicket.

While Afridi was hammered for 31 runs in his three overs, Naseem Shah bowled an exceptional spell from the other end. Neither Rohit, who went into a defensive mode, nor Gill could find an answer to counter Naseem. Had Iftikhar Ahmed and Agha Salman not been ball-watching at the first and second slip, respectively, in the eighth over, Gill’s edge could have been caught and Naseem deservingly rewarded.

Gill continued to score freely from the other end. As if he was waiting for spin, Rohit exploded once Shadab Khan’s leg-spin was introduced. The 9 balls he faced off Shadab in his first two overs fetched Rohit a whopping 28 runs, with Rohit clearing the field easily.

It resulted in both Rohit and Gill having notched up their fifties, with India in control. However, moments after the drinks break, Rohit miscued an inside-out drive and Faheem Ashraf took an excellent catch running in to his left from long-off.

In the next over, Gill was deceived by Afridi’s leg-cutter and Salman did not falter at covers. It meant Kohli and Rahul had to be cautious for a while. Just when Rahul appeared to get his touch back did the skies open up. And even before the groundstaff could cover the outfield, three wet patches in the outfield had developed due to the heavy downpour that prevented any further play.

Playing XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli take a rest during a practice session ahead of the Super Fours match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023, at R. Premadasa Stadium, in Colombo.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Nuwan Senaviratne was the most sought-after member of the contingent by India’s batters over the last three two days. The left-arm throwdown specialist has been relentlessly trying all his angles and variations while trying his best to let the ball be released as similar to a lanky Pakistan left-arm pacer.

It’s understandable since Shaheen Shah Afridi has been the nemesis of the majority of top-order batters over the last few years. India is not an exception, with Afridi leading the Pakistan pace trio during the abandoned Asia Cup preliminary stage clash over the last weekend.

Cut to Sunday, weather permitting, Afridi’s duel against Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Co. is set to be revived, at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

No wonder then that all the India batters over the last couple of training sessions have been eager to have a bat against Senaviratne’s left-arm throws during India’s nets. All the top-order batters faced Nuwan on Friday night under lights.

With Saturday being an optional nets day, of the seven squad members who turned up — three batters who are set to feature in the XI had a go against Nuwan.

Shubman Gill, K.L. Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja had long stints against the left-armer, with head coach Rahul Dravid keeping a close eye on the proceedings. It will be interesting if India’s batters can actually find answers to the Afridi riddle on Sunday.

With the provision of a reserve day, an abandonment is all but ruled out, especially with the game to be continued on Monday from the point of suspension of Sunday. But India will be hoping to conquer Afridi and Co. and take a giant leap towards booking a place in the final.

Despite the debate over the wicketkeeper-batter’s slot, Rahul is set to be preferred for the role, thus marking his return to competitive cricket since May. Ishan Kishan, despite playing a stellar role, is set to make way for him.

Similarly, Mohammed Shami is again likely to miss out with Jasprit Bumrah having rejoined the squad after the birth of his son. Besides these two changes, India is unlikely to tinker around with its team that overcame Nepal last weekend in Pallekele.

Pakistan, on the other hand, will be eager to virtually qualify for the final with a win against India. Having thumped Bangladesh in the Super Four opener in Lahore earlier in the week, Babar Azam’s army is hoping to get India under the mat.

Potent attack

It will be interesting to see how the Pakistan batters fare — especially in a shortened game — against India’s potent bowling attack.

While the fans will be hoping for a full game, it is set to be a stop-and-start day. According to the weather report issued by Sri Lanka’s Department of Meteorology, “several spells of showers” are expected throughout Sunday.

The fans will be hoping for the dark clouds to dodge the Khettarama area to watch the rivalry to be truly revived ahead of the World Cup.

Teams

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir (travelling reserve).