“At one point, there were 10 captains in a team” - Aakash Chopra analyzes how Pakistan went from volatile to versatile
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has stated that the Pakistan cricket team has seen a massive improvement from the times when they were highly unstable despite having a lot of talented players in the squad. Chopra reckons that the present Pakistan squad is much more professional and versatile as well.
Over the years, Pakistan have been considered one of the most underperforming sides in world cricket owing to their inconsistency. They could go from one extreme to the other in a matter of days. There was constant shuffling in the captaincy and coaching department as well.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra discussed how Pakistan cricket has changed and praised the current group of players.
“Pakistan is a very settled team. There is not much scope for changes and neither is it required. There was a time when the Pakistan team was very volatile. There were changes almost every day. At one point, there were 10 captains in a team. But that is not the case now," he said.
"The team looks a lot more stable and consistent. Numbers 1,2 and 3 do not change a lot. They are more or less the same. Their performances have also been good,” Chopra added.
Babar Azam and Co. will take on Nepal in the Asia Cup 2023 opener in Multan on Wednesday. Previewing the contest, Chopra opined that Pakistan’s top three as well as their bowling are highly competent.
“Pakistan’s strength is that they have a very good top three and their bowling is also very good. That actually makes up their team. They have three very good fast bowlers – Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah. They are as good as anybody that you’ll get. Shadab is a quality all-rounder, one of the best in Asia,” he elaborated.
Pakistan recently took on Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka and clichéd the contest 3-0.
“Middle order is an issue” - Aakash Chopra on Pakistan’s weakness
Analyzing Pakistan’s weak links in one-day cricket, Chopra stated that batter Fakhar Zaman is not as good against spin, while their middle order also looks a bit thin.
“Fakhar Zaman has his issues against spin and gets stuck at times. His ODI numbers is Asia aren’t that great. That is a bit of a problem. Speaking about their weakness, middle order is also an issue. They are not as consistent. India also has an issue with No. 4 and No. 5. Pakistan’s problem is a bit more serious," he explained.
“Till No. 4, they are okay because they have Mohammad Rizwan, but after that Agha Salman and Iftikhar Ahmed come in. There is depth in batting, but the confidence seems low in numbers five and six. That could be a potential weakness,” Chopra concluded.
After the match against Nepal, Pakistan will face arch-rivals India in Pallekele on September 2.