Pakistan vs Scotland: Five key Pak players to look for in the series

As Pakistan begins their tour of Scotland today, they might be wary of an unexpected Scotland attack, especially after Scotland's thrilling victory over the No.1 ranked ODI side England at Edinburgh, as it is no longer easy to dismiss the power of the so-called minnows in cricket.

The two-match T20 series will be broadcast live for Indian viewers from Sportskeeda on Facebook. Sportskeeda has acquired exclusive digital broadcasting rights for the two T20Is that will take place at the Grange Cricket Club in Edinburgh on June 12 and June 13, 20:30 IST onwards.

Pakistan are by no means a poor team. Being the No.1 ranked T20I side in the world right now, they will definitely enter the tournament as favorites. And the team's victory chances will be backed up the performance of some key players, and here we take a look at some of them.

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#1. Ahmed Shehzad

Ahmed Shehzad in practice prior to the Scotland series

Ahmed Shehzad is one of those talented batsmen that Pakistan have tried to nurture over a decade now. He made his debut as a 17-year old against the mighty Aussies in an ODI series. His skill was evident from the very beginning, though he often displayed a lack of consistency.

However, since the 2014 T20 World Cup where he became the first cricketer from Pakistan to score hundreds in every format of the game, Shehzad has found a place in Pakistan's limited-overs squads more often than not. A well-rounded opening batsman and often called as the heir to the throne that former opener Saeed Anwar has left behind, Shehzad would be the player that Pakistan looks up to, so as to gain a good start to their innings.

Shehzad has scored 1416 T20I runs from 55 matches at an average of 26.72. He has one hundred and seven fifties in his tally, and scores at a decent strike rate of 115.88.

#2 Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik

"Jack of all trades, master of none"; no one fits the bill as perfectly as Shoaib Malik does. Who would have imagined that a career spanning almost two decades, beginning in the form of an off-spinner would culminate as one of the most dependable batsmen in the shorter versions of the game that Pakistan has ever had? Well, that's what seems to have happened here.

A water-tight defence backed by some cross-bat shots that rarely err and lofted drives make the man from Sialkot, a spectator's delight. However, like most Pak batsmen of the current era, the oscillation of inconsistency that he has exhibited quite occasionally has kept his career on balance several times.

His T20 exploits are well documented and he led Pakistan to the finale in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 and was a key member of the T20 World Cup triumph in 2009 in England. Though he was out of favor for the ODIs for a period of 2 years after the Champions Trophy in 2013, it has never been the case in the shortest format. He plays for Karachi Kings in the PSL and has also played in the BBL and CPL for Hobart Hurricanes and Barbados Tridents respectively.

Post the 2015 World Cup, Malik's average and strike rates have swelled up. Currently, he is widely regarded as the middle-order anchor around which Pakistan would bat in the middle and final overs of their innings. With a resolute technique and an ability to easily shift gears while batting, either staying put or playing the big shots, Malik would certainly trouble the Scottish bowlers.

Malik has 1887 runs from 96 T20Is at an average of 29.95 and a strike rate of 119.51, including six fifties.

#3 Shadab Khan

Shadab Khan in action against England in the recently concluded Test match

Just 19 years old, Shadab Khan has already created ripples with his leg-breaks, and more than ripples with his wrong'uns at the Under-19 level. Hailing from the land of stalwarts like Imran Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq, Shadab was promptly selected for the Under-19 World Cup in 2016 after impressing the selectors with his first-class performances and he rewarded their faith by topping the wicket charts in the tournament, picking up 11 wickets from 6 games at a commendable average of 19.

Unlike the modern limited-overs spinner, Shadab bowls with a more loopy trajectory and uses his wit and guile to fox the batsmen in the air. He uses the crease well bowling from close to the stumps as well as from a wider angle, to make the batsman recalibrate his eye-line.In addition, he maintains high levels of fitness and is a terrific fielder at point, in stark contrast to the stereotypical Pakistani kind of player we were all familiar with for so long.

With figures of 4-0-7-3 on T20I debut against the Windies, which won him the Man of the Match award and the distinction for the most economical spell on T20I debut, he has made a lightning start to his game. He already has 3 such awards in his first 10 T20Is. He was also a part of the Pakistan team that won the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in England. The teenage prodigy is certainly an excellent find for Pakistan in all ways and, if honed properly, he could be a potential great in the making.

Shadab has 24 wickets from 16 T20Is with an economy of 6.29 and a strike rate of 14.71.

#4 Mohammad Amir

Prodigy-turned-offender-turned-prodigy?

From etching his name on the Lord's Honour board to being a prisoner at Dorset, the sojourn of Amir in the cricketing world has been nothing less than a fairy-tale turning into an ugly unprecedented nightmare. But life has given him a second chance and he is definitely putting in the best of his efforts to climb up the ladders once again.

However, ever since his return to the side, Amir has had to deal with constant comparisons of his younger self and that he has lost out on a lot of the steam that once turned the heat on the batsmen to make them sweat. But the Indo-Pak Asia cup game in 2016 was a silent reminder to his critics and fans alike that he can be as devastating when he is in the zone.

The inswinging curler, the slanting away swinger, the deadly yorker are a few of the weapons in his repertoire that can befuddle any batting line up. He might never scale the peaks that he once attained but if he does, Pakistan's surge back to the top in every format is just a formality.

The Scotland batsmen might definitely be fearing of Amir's lethal attacks, and if they want any chance to win the games ahead, they must certainly look to curb him.

Amir has 46 wickets from 37 T20Is at an economy of 6.7 and a strike rate of 17.74.

#5 Hasan Ali

Hasan Ali in a net session

Hasan Ali is a modern day fast bowler hailing from Punjab, who relies on variations rather than on raw pace, a breed rarely seen from Pakistan. A silky smooth action which helps him in his economical approach to the crease, Hasan has had a dream 2017 as he picked up fifers at Sydney and Providence, Guyana against Australia and West Indies respectively. His rise has been welcoming for the Pakistani team who had been playing mostly with a troika of left-arm seamers.

He was awarded the Man of the tournament award for scripting Pakistan's tremendous comeback in the 2017 Champions Trophy, which they won after being trounced in their first league game. Hasan starred with the ball and led the bowling charts picking up 13 wickets in 5 games.

He started off on an unceremonious note in the first game against India but then picked up his performances to give Pakistan the silverware. Three wickets apiece against South Africa, Sri Lanka, England in the semis and India in the finale ensured Pakistan were amongst the wickets in the middle overs.

His infectious energy and undying fighting spirit were praised immensely by the cricketing experts. Pakistan, thus, continues its tradition of producing world class fast bowlers, which is definitely a joy to behold.

Hasan Ali has 21 wickets from 16 T20Is at an economy rate of 7.99 and a strike rate of 16.1.