5 reasons why Pakistan can win the 2019 World Cup
Less than a week ago, England batsman Ian Bell handpicked India, Pakistan, and England as his favorites for the 2019 World Cup. A few years ago, this seemed a distant dream with Pakistan slipping to ninth in ICC ODI Rankings. Since then, it has almost been a fairy tale story.
Pakistan shocked everyone by motoring their way to the 2017 Champions Trophy title. They stunned England in the semi-final and went on to dismantle an in-form Indian side in the final.
They always had this uncanny unpredictability but quite a few better Pakistani sides have failed to lift the World Cup. We may never know what inspires Pakistan to victory but we do know that they haven't been the same side since the Champions Trophy.
Despite their recent string of below-par performances, they are still one of the contenders for lifting the 2019 World Cup. Here are five reasons why Pakistan can win the tournament.
#5 Potent pace attack
Pakistan has always been known to produce quality pacers. They have to their name an unending procession of quality pacers, beginning with the legendary Fazal Mahmood. This side is no different.
While Mohammad Amir can single-handedly win matches, Hasan Ali can be lethal in his own right. Rumman Raees has the skill and nerves to operate of suitable pitches. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Khan Shinwari have made strong cases for themselves in more recent times. After his incredible Test success, Mohammad Abbas deserves a ODI debut as well.
Pakistan have the variety, firepower and versatility in their pace attack that other teams can only dream of. Plus, the World Cup is in England where pacers are going to play an indispensable part.
As bowling coach Azhar Mahmood rightly said, 'batsmen win you games, bowlers win you tournaments'. In today's era where batsmen dominate and 350 feels an insecure total, Pakistan have the bowling line-up to restrict opposition sides to manageable totals.