EXPERT COMMENT – Given the conditions in the sub-continent, it is imperative for Pakistan to have a strong bowling attack in today’s match. Pakistan need to go into the upcoming matches of the World Cup with an extra bowler in their side.
I would prefer to go in with at least six bowlers, four of them specialists, even if I had to drop one batsman. Pakistan did well to crush minnows Kenya by 205 runs. The middle-order batsmen got the chance to spend time out in the middle.
The win will be a great confidence booster for them but at the same time the team management must decide on how to balance the playing eleven and the bowling attack. Playing just three specialist bowlers and depending on Abdul Razzaq to share the new ball is a risky tactic in these conditions, where pitches generally favor the batsmen.
Razzaq doesn’t look intimidating with the new ball. Pakistan should pick a bowler who can bowl with the new ball and strike up front. Young Junaid Khan is an option available. He can bowl with the new ball for Pakistan, along with Shoaib Akhtar. Razzaq should be used in the middle overs.
The way this World Cup has been set up, I don’t think Pakistan should face any problems qualifying for the quarterfinals.
The real contest will begin in the knockout stages, before which we must have clearly finalised our playing eleven. Hafeez might be the man to miss out if Pakistan decides to pick an extra bowler instead of a batsman. A player must either qualify as a batsman or as a specialist bowler to be in the team and there is no place for part-timers.
When Pakistan face a team with a strong batting lineup, like India, it will be crucial to strike with the new ball. Unless you pick wickets with the new ball and apply pressure, you can’t stop teams like India from posting or defending 300. Batting in these conditions is easy. We saw that Razzaq and Afridi came to bat in the final overs, and this is going to be the pattern in the upcoming matches. So why not pack your sides with bowlers as the pressure is going to be on the bowling, not on the batting. I would play Saeed Ajmal only against teams that haven’t figured out his doosra, and drop one of the jack-of-all-trades.
Afridi must choose between one of the current openers, and drop the other in order to bring in a specialist bowler. This will have to be a brave decision, like the one I took in 1992: to stick with Inzamam despite his poor performance up until the semis.
