A closer look at Pakistan’s 6 pace bowlers for the Asia Cup 2018
Earlier this week the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) selection committee announced the name of 16 members who will be a part of Pakistan’s squad for the Asia Cup 2018. Sarfaraz Ahmed will be the man leading the other 15 players in their quest to win the trophy.
The ICC has allowed each team to announce 16 players rather than the usual 15, keeping in mind the weather in UAE. The hot and humid conditions can lead to illnesses or injuries, and therefore teams will be cautious in overexerting their players. This will especially be the case when it comes to pace bowlers.
6 out of the 16 players announced by the PCB are pace bowlers. It is interesting to note that Pakistan will bank more on their pace-strength rather than spin bowling strength. By not selecting Yasir Shah or Imad Wasim for the series, they’ve made a point that their part-time spinners will be enough.
Full squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Amir, Shadab Khan, Imam ul Haq, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Asif Ali, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Nawaz, Fahim Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan, Usman Shinwari, Shaheen Afridi.
Most of the pace bowlers chosen for the tournament are quite young. Let’s take a closer look at each one’s accomplishments.
#6 Junaid Khan
The oldest of the lot at age 28, Junaid Khan is still quite young and fresh. Junaid first came to the limelight after his selection for Pakistan’s squad at the ICC World Cup 2011. The man has the ability to bowl with pace and his ability to cut and swing the ball at will has made him a part of the squad.
Junaid Khan has faced many ups and downs in his career and has been in and out of the team many times. Junaid has usually been successful against Sri Lanka, and that could be one of the reasons why the selectors have chosen him for the squad.
Though he’s no longer the selectors' first pick for the starting eleven, he has gotten the chance to prove himself once again after an impressive PSL and domestic performances in 2018.