ICC World Cup 2019: Who could make the semi-finals?

2) Pakistan

Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy

Pakistan are a team full of young players with belief in their talent. Having won the 2017 Champions Trophy, they'll have the confidence to take on this challenge as well.

Their batting is led by the explosive Fakhar Zaman, who has continued to break records after his century against India in the final of the Champions Trophy. Since the beginning of that tournament, Zaman has played 30 ODIs and has averaged a superb 52.77 runs. He's also scored three hundreds and eight fifties during that time. The experience of Shoaib Malik can also be an important middle-order factor.

In the bowling department, while the seam bowlers have been in and out of the team, the two spinners, Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan, have been a constant. The two can choke the flow of runs with Wasim bowling in the powerplays as well. He has an economy rate of 4.49, pretty similar Khan's 4.69. The pace of Shaheen Afridi is a handy weapon as well.

The captaincy has been an issue in the recent past as Sarfraz Ahmed has been under the scanner for his tactics and bowling changes. Even so, they can make the last four of the World Cup.