3 reasons why Pakistan could win T20 World Cup 2024
We know how foolish it is to predict how Pakistan will fare in an ICC tournament. Even Pakistan, the ICC, or the best astrologers in the world would struggle to foresee even a ballpark figure of how many matches they can win.
This image has been emboldened since the 2017 Champions Trophy, where the Men in Green put all odds against themselves and then defied them to win the title. Since then, they have won games people hardly expect them to win and lost ones even they wouldn't have dreamt of losing in their worst nightmares.
Given that this is T20s, and the matches are taking place in some of the most unpredictable pitches, the chaos is at an all-time high. However, some would say that it's in such chaos that Babar Azam and Co. shine the brightest.
Below, before their first game of the campaign against the USA, we have given three schools of logic to explain why they have a better chance of lifting the second T20 World Cup title than what most people think:
#3 Pitches pacify their batting weakness
There's one weakness in the Pakistani team that everyone knows about: their best batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan struggle to bat at a strike rate high enough to utilize the powerplay. There was a phase when they weren't opening together but that seems to have ended after Saim Ayub's failures at the top.
Their characteristics are a massive hindrance on flat tracks where 40/0 after the powerplay doesn't work. However, on most tracks we have seen in the US and West Indies so far, that weakness doesn't seem as big. Here, the par score isn't 190-210 but even 150 is good enough if you have the right bowling attack.
"It's going back to the old T20 where you need someone batting through," Australia captain Mitchell Marsh said about Australia's win over Oman on Thursday in Barbados.
On most pitches in the World Cup, Pakistan can afford to carry both of them, given at least one starts to take extra risks after three-four overs because the other will always have the ability to score big and allow other hitters to bat around him.
#2 Ton of CPL experience
One of the most underrated facets of this Pakistani side is their experience of playing in the West Indies. According to ESPNcricinfo, Pakistan ranks second in terms of the squad members having experience of playing in the Carribean Premier League (CPL), only behind South Africa. 29 Pakistani players have featured in the CPL over the years, the most for the country in any league.
A lot of players in the current squad, like Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir and Azam Khan are among the top performers in the CPL over the last few years and know the conditions inside out. Imad has even played T20 cricket in the US. Pakistan will likely make it through to Super Eights from a relatively easy group and will have a major advantage over most competitors because of this experience.
#1 One of the best-balanced bowling attacks
Pakistan not only have the advantage of experience in conditions, which also reduces the impact of their weaknesses, but also have one of the best bowling attacks.
Shaheen Afridi, Amir and Naseem Shah are as good a pace trio as any for the crumbling wickets in the US. Their ability to combine swing with hit-the-deck movement is almost unmatched and all are coming to the completion with good fitness. Wasim and Shadab, meanwhile, would be threatening in the West Indies.
Pakistan's strength lies in the bowling which would be enhanced by the kind of pitches on display at the World Cup.
None of this guarantees them a trophy, it doesn't even mean that they'll definitely get out of the group stage. All it says is they have all the tools to do so. All they need to do is bring the good, chaotic Pakistan and not the confused one.