3 weaknesses in Pakistan's squad for 2023 World Cup

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2023 on Friday, September 22. A few revelations from the lineup were the retentions of out-of-form opener Fakhar Zaman and leg-spinner Usama Mir, who did not play in a single game in the recently concluded Asia Cup.

Also noteworthy was pace sensation Haris Rauf being declared fully fit from his right shoulder injury and selected for the showpiece event. However, fortune did not favor his pace-bowling peer, Naseem Shah, who could not recover from a similar injury and missed out on the selection.

His replacement, Hasan Ali, perhaps raised eyebrows the most, with the seamer being out of the ODI side since mid-last year.

Nevertheless, the Men in Green are still ranked No.1 in the ICC ODI rankings despite the shockingly brutal end to their Asia Cup 2023 campaign. Touted to be one of the favorites pre-tournament, Pakistan finished at the bottom of the table in the Super Fours, with a crushing defeat to arch-rivals India and a last-ball setback to Sri Lanka. The pair of losses eliminated them from the final.

Pakistan also failed to qualify for the semi-finals in the previous two World Cups in 2015 and 2019 and haven't reached the final since 1999. Their lone 50-over World Cup title was in 1992 when Imran Khan led the side to victory against all odds.

Babar Azam's men will play the round-robin games in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and Kolkata, with the highly anticipated India-Pakistan match in Ahmedabad on October 14.

Pakistan will begin their quest for a long-awaited second ODI World Cup title against the Netherlands at Hyderabad on October 6.

Despite impressive ODI form this year, except for the Asia Cup debacle and being the top-ranked side in the world, there remain glaring weaknesses in Pakistan's World Cup squad.

Here, we deep dive into three visible weaknesses in Pakistan's squad for the 2023 World Cup.

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#1 An outdated top-order approach with an out-of-form Fakhar Zaman

Pakistan's top three might have to alter their approach in Indian pitches.

Among several worries, the one that must be topping the list is the horrendous form of opening batter Fakhar Zaman. Following a spectacular start to the year in ODIs, including a hattrick of centuries at home against New Zealand that earned him Player of the Month for April, it has been a startling downward slide for the southpaw.

The 33-year-old has gone 10 innings in ODIs without crossing even 35, including five scores of under 20. Another bigger worry has been his sudden drop in strike rate, which has been in the 60s during this stretch in stark contrast to his career strike rate of 92.

In addition to Fakhar's woeful form is a more invisible crack in the batting approach of the Pakistan top three. While fellow opener Imam Ul Haq and skipper Babar Azam are as consistent as they come with averages of 50.44 and 58.17, both batters strike at less than 90.

To further accentuate matters, the duo usually begin their innings with a strike rate in the 70s before accelerating once well set. It means Pakistan are behind the eight-ball in the powerplay, the best batting phase on Indian pitches, and might end up with below-par totals.

Imam and Babar's slow starts could also be one of the reasons for Fakhar's recent struggles, with the batter often having to up the ante.

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#2 Lack of penetration and control in the spin department

The Pakistan spin-duo had no impact in the Asia Cup.

It is not rocket science to state that spin will play a crucial role in the Indian pitches during the upcoming World Cup. Unfortunately for Pakistan, that may be their weakest link and was arguably the main reason for their elimination in the recent Asia Cup.

While the squad boasts three specialist spinners, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, and Usama Mir, neither has consistently delivered the goods with the ball in ODIs.

While Usama Mir did not play a single game in the Asia Cup, his numbers do not make for pretty reading, with an average of 35 and an economy rate close to 5.50 runs per over in his 11 ODIs. On the other hand, the regular spin duo of Shadab and Nawaz misfired badly in conditions that were massively spin-friendly in the Asian tournament.

While Shadab picked up six wickets in five games at an average of over 40 and an economy rate nearing six, Nawaz fared even worse. The left-arm spinner picked up only one wicket in his three games at a dismal average of 94 with an economy rate above 5.50 runs per over.

For context, on similar pitches, Dunith Wellalage and Charith Asalanka combined to pick up nine wickets in a single game against India.

Should the Pakistan spinners continue their disastrous form into the World Cup, the side will almost stand no chance of going the distance.

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#3 A susceptible lower middle order

Agha Salman could be tasked with the thankless job of finishing the innings.

One of the main reasons behind the Pakistan top order taking their time to build innings could be their lack of experienced finishers in the lower middle order.

While it is undeniable that some of their issues following the top order looked to be resolved with the impressive showing by Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed, there are still question marks over the No.6 position.

Pakistan thought they had found a gem in Afgha Salman after an admirable start to his ODI career. However, the 29-year-old struggled in the Asia Cup, scoring 40 runs at an average of 20 and a strike rate of less than 60.

It isn't an overstatement to say most of the matches in a highly competitive World Cup could come down to the wire. Thus, having experienced and accomplished batters in the middle to lower middle order is paramount. This is further evidenced by Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni's exploits at No. 5 and 6 in India winning the 2011 World Cup and Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes for England in the 2019 edition.

It will also be Rizwan, Iftikhar, and Salman's first ODI World Cup, and their lack of experience could have a telling effect on Pakistan's fortunes throughout the tournament.