They say that the past serves as a mirror in which to view the potential for the future. Though nothing can be predicted with absolute certainty, statistics and numbers can usually be used to anticipate what will happen and what won’t.
What to expect in the T20 World Cup in Australia can be clearly predicted from Pakistan’s recent T20I campaigns, the Asia Cup in the UAE (on Pakistan’s home field during the international exodus), and the seven-T20I series against England (on the Men in Green’s actual home field) (foreign cricketing soil).
With a flawless playing eleven in place, capable of performing under all circumstances, Pakistan entered the Asia Cup with a clear conscience.
Heroes like the pacer Naseem Shah emerged from the Asia Cup campaign. It also demonstrated that Haris Rauf has developed into a strike bowler and expert of the penultimate over, and that his express pace is not just a tool for the death overs. Mohammad Nawaz, an all-rounder, played a special shot at number four as well.
Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, and Fakhar Zaman, among others, continually struggled rather than flourished at the Asia Cup, and Sri Lanka, one of the underdogs, defeated us twice straight to win the continental trophy.
Mohammad Wasim, the chief selector, hid behind the notion of “continuity” to stick with the same group for the seven T20 Internationals England would play against Pakistan, adding the fan favourite Haider Ali and the in-form Shan Masood to the mix.
Haider was given a solid four-match stretch to show Pakistani cricket fans they were right about him, but he was unable to leave even a single batting imprint.
