There is a lot of anticipation around the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, slated to get underway on October 5 in India.
With three days left for the quadrennial event, Pakistan vice-captain Shadab Khan has said that a team will need a potent bowling attack to lift the coveted trophy.
The Men in Green suffered a massive blow in the lead-up to the World Cup as key pacer Naseem Shah got ruled out of the tournament due to a shoulder injury. Hasan Ali replaced him in the squad.
With the likes of Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf featuring in the line-up, Shadab believes Pakistan have enough firepower in their ranks to emerge as a World Cup winner.
“The team which has a good bowling attack will win the tournament. In these conditions, containing batsmen and picking wickets is difficult. Wickets here are flat and boundaries short, so whichever team bowls well will win the tournament. We too have world-class bowlers and if we do well, we can win the tournament,” Shadab told a press conference on Sunday (October 1).
Pakistan’s spin department looked quite weak in the recently held Asia Cup 2023. The tweakers struggled to pick wickets in the middle overs as the Babar Azam-led side finished the Super 4 round at the bottom.
Shadab also endured a dismal Asia Cup campaign, claiming six wickets from five games at an average of 40.83. He failed to step up to the plate for his side in the Super 4 stage. The leg-spinner was fairly expensive with the ball against arch-rivals India, conceding 71 runs in his 10 overs and then returning with the figures of 1/55 in his 9 overs against Sri Lanka.
“My form hasn’t been good recently. A player gets mentally down due to unsatisfactory performance. However, a break has given me a chance to recover and I look forward to performing well in the WorldCup,” Shadab said.
Senior opener Fakhar Zaman’s form is also a cause of concern for the 1992 World Cup winners. During the Asia Cup, the southpaw amassed 65 runs from five innings at an average of 16.25.
However, Shadab backed Fakhar to produce match-winning performances in the upcoming World Cup.
“He is a big and impactful player, even if not in every game. Players like these are not consistent. The three tons he has made this year have come in a winning cause. Every team would like to have a world-class player like him. We want to give him the mental space. We don’t have as many impact players as Fakhar. Those kinds of players would always be supported. When he performs in big games, the team wins,” Shadab said.
Pakistan will open their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on October 6 in Hyderabad.
Pakistan’s World Cup Squad: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali
