If Pakistan lose to India, their final group game with Ireland a week later could become a knock-out affair
\n Islamabad
\nSkipper Babar Azam is hoping it will be a third time lucky for his side at the Twenty20 World Cup after finishing as semi-finalists in 2021 and runners-up a year later.
\nPakistan\u2019s build-up to the tournament, which takes place in the West Indies and the USA, has been chaotic, with Azam replacing Shaheen Shah Afridi as captain barely three months before it gets underway.
\nThey squeaked a 2-2 T20 series draw at home against a depleted New Zealand in April before heading to Ireland where they slumped to defeat in the opener before coming back to win that series 2-1.
\nAs now seems to be entirely normal, the men in green have shown they still have the capacity to be the best outfit one day and the worst the next, making them the most unpredictable side in the 20-team event which kicks off in the United States on June 1.
\nPakistan are placed alongside India, co-hosts United States, Canada and Ireland in Group A. The top two teams will qualify for the next round of Super Eight, to be held in the West Indies with the final in Barbados on June 29.
\nIf they lose to India in what is likely to be a monumental clash in New York on June 9 \u2014 Pakistan have won just one of seven T20 World Cup matches against them \u2014 their final group game with Ireland in Florida a week later could become a knock-out affair.
\nBut Azam is confident his side can be lucky this time.
\n\u201cSemi-final and then final, so it\u2019s our turn to win the trophy this time,\u201d he said before leaving for Ireland.
\n\u2018Every base covered\u2019
\nSince crashing out of the 50-over World Cup in November last year, Pakistan cricket has undergone a multitude of changes with coaching staff changed twice and the white-ball captaincy changed hands from Azam to Shaheen and back.
\nMohsin Naqvi, who is also the country\u2019s interior minister, has taken charge of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
\nNaqvi reconstructed the selection committee, held a training camp at an army base to improve the often vulnerable fitness and brought in former South African opener Gary Kirsten as white-ball coach \u2014 all to improve their chances in the World Cup.
\nFast bowler Mohammad Amir \u2014 the only current member of Pakistan\u2019s T20 World Cup title win in England in 2009 \u2014 and spinner Imad Wasim were brought out of retirement to further bolster the bowling attack, spearheaded by Shaheen and fast-rising Naseem Shah.
\n\u201cMy mood is good and my fitness is good and I am looking forward to winning the World Cup,\u201d Shaheen told a PCB podcast recently, in spite of reported dissent over the captaincy saga.
\n\u201cI have good partners and when they do well then you are also motivated.\u201d
\nTo spur the players further, Naqvi also announced a $100,000 bonus for each player if they win the World Cup.
\nMystery spinner Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan supplement Wasim in slow bowling.
\n\u201cThis is the best team with every base covered, so we can win and there should be no excuse,\u201d said Shaheen, whose fitness will be the key for Pakistan. Pakistan\u2019s batting approach and lack of consistency are big problems.
\nWhile the other teams have started to blast totals over 200 regularly, Pakistan have gone 43 T20Is without achieving that figure.
\nPakistan rely heavily on Azam and Mohammad Rizwan who have a world record 10 century partnerships between them.
\nDashing left-hander Saim Ayub is set to break up the Azam-Rizwan opening partnership which has been criticised for being too slow.
\nStar batter Fakhar Zaman, newcomer Usman Khan, Azam Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed form a powerful middle-order, but they have struggled for consistency.
\nIf Pakistan are, indeed, to \u201creturn with the trophy\u201d, the batters will need to step up and match their bowlers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If Pakistan lose to India, their final group game with Ireland a week later could become a knock-out affair Islamabad Skipper Babar Azam is hoping it will be a third time lucky for his side at the Twenty20 World Cup after finishing as semi-finalists in 2021 and runners-up a year later. Pakistan\u2019s build-up to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":409455,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-409438","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n