Low ranking means Pakistan have nothing to lose, says Captain Sarfraz Ahmed

What’s the story?

Pakistani captain, Sarfraz Ahmed, has insisted that coming into the Champions Trophy ranked 8th, his team will go all out because they have virtually hit rock bottom. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the Karachi-born wicketkeeper-batsman said, "We are very hopeful and really excited about this tournament. We are No. 8. So we have nothing to lose. So that's why I told the players just play your natural game.”

"Initially we played a good series in West Indies. It was a very tough series for us. But a lot of our players performed really well in all forms, all departments, batting or bowling. So we're really hopeful to perform this tournament and we'll try to win this trophy as well.”

Pakistan will not have fond memories of their trips to England in the past, after being thoroughly outclassed 4-1 in the 5-match series in 2016, under Azhar Ali. Speaking about how he wants the players to behave, Sarfraz said, "I think my aim is to just play our natural game, just play freely. Don't think too many percentages, just play as you play in the domestic games.”

In case you didn’t know...

Pakistan slumped to the number 8 ranking in ODI’s, in has been a very gloomy period for the country’s cricket team. Their top and middle order have struggled and inconsistent bowling performances have let the team down further.

Pakistan has never won the Champions Trophy in 7 attempts, and while their chances look even slimmer this time, Sarfraz insists that his team is optimistic and will be going on to try and win the prestigious tournament. Pakistan will try to lift their country’s spirits, and they will not have a better opportunity than against India, against whom they kick off their campaign on June 4th.

The heart of the matter

Pakistan has been placed in, according to rankings, the more challenging of the two groups, but one thing we know about the Pakistani team is that they are unpredictable, and always love to give teams a run for their money.

If Sarfraz’s words are anything to go by, and Pakistan are willing to dig deep, their match against Sri Lanka is of the essence. If they win that, they will be high on confidence for the game against South Africa.

The scenario will leave them with a solid chance of qualifying. The key to their chances will definitely be their spearhead, Mohammad Amir, and support bowlers like Wahab Riaz, who can exploit English bowling conditions with their ability to bowl at pace and move the ball both ways. Ahmed Shahzad and Azhar Ali will need to get the team off to good starts, leaving batsmen like Babar Azam to stabilise the innings.

What’s next?

If Pakistan defy all expectations and somehow crack the group stage, a positive, never say die mentality will be essential. Sarfraz’s captaincy and management of his players may be what’s needed for this Pakistani side to take their next step, as there is no doubt the side is talented, but their attitude has always been questionable, which could be put down to the lack of a real leader.

They will now look to break their Champions Trophy curse, but it is absolutely imperative for them, that they win, or at least lose by a respectable margin in the first two games.

Author’s take

This Pakistani side is a big mix of youth, with the likes of Mohammad Amir (who lost five years of his career due to the match fixing scandal in, you guessed it, England) and Fahim Ashraf, and experience provided by Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafiz, and Sarfraz himself.

While this is usually a great balance, Pakistan have definitely had some challenges with the waste of talent in their squad, Umar Akmal anybody? To put it simply, The Shaheens have to give 150%, to leave themselves with any chance of qualifying for the latter stages.