3 Reasons that make Pakistan a serious contender to win the 2019 World Cup

Love them. Hate them. But don’t make the mistake of underestimating the Pakistani cricket team. Pakistan, as we all know, are a team that bring a lot of X-factor into their game. They seldom start off as pre-tournament favorites. It’s their aggressive brand of cricket which keeps them in contention until the very end.

It was Pakistan that came into the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 as an 8th ranked team but managed to beat the 2nd ranked India by 180 runs in the finals. Their 1999 team lacked the fire-power in their batting but still made it to the finals of the Cricket World Cup. And lastly, who could forget the heroics of their current prime minister and then captain of the side, Imran Khan, when he inspired his men to fight as ‘cornered tigers’ in the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

Imran’s men didn’t let him down and fought tooth and nail to earn the tag of world champions. These feats were never easy to achieve. Pakistan has always been a side known to turn the tables on the opposition when least expected.

If you think India, England, New Zealand, and South Africa are going to be the semi-finalists of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, then these 3 reasons are going to make you think otherwise.

#1 Standout performances in England

Pakistan as a team holds a good winning record in England

The 2019 Cricket World Cup will be hosted in England. It is the same nation where Pakistan made it to the finals in the 1999 Cricket World Cup against Australia. They lost the finals but the Wasim Akram led team displayed a strong character throughout the tournament.

Amongst all sub-continent teams that toured England in the recent past, Pakistan hold the most promising record. The Sarfraz Ahmed led team managed to level the test series 1-1 which indicates their high level of awareness when it comes to playing in English conditions. Their historic win over India at the Champions Trophy 2017 could well be a preview of what the Pakistan team is likely to throw in 2019. Also, their coach Mickey Arthur has done a fabulous job by working closely with Sarfraz Ahmed to help Pakistan become the No. 1 side in Test matches and T20s.

#2 Formidable top order batting line-up

Pakistani openers Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman

Gone are the days when Pakistan relied on pinch-hitters like 'Boom Boom' Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq. For a very long time, Pakistan have produced some of the most fearsome fast bowlers in the world – from sultans of swing to express pacemen, Pakistan always had the best fast-bowlers in their artillery.

The trend still continues. Over the last 2 years, Pakistan have bred some quality fast bowlers and spinners in their line-up. Barring the likes of the Anwars, Miandads and the ul-haqs, the nation never really produced any legendary batsmen.

But this is 2018. The top 3 Pakistani batsmen in the current line-up are going to be the world’s best in years to come. The only thing they lack at this moment is the experience. Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-haq, and Babar Azam can rightly be termed as the ‘rarest-of-rare finds’ who have emerged from the Pakistani soil.

It could be menacing for any opponent if any of the 3 batsmen get going on their day. Also, the team doesn’t look in a dearth of players who can play the sheet anchor role. The middle order looks rock solid with experienced players like Shoaib Malik and a number of new all-rounders to provide the much-needed depth in their batting.

#3 Leadership in safe hands

Pakistan skipper, Sarfaraz Ahmed

There is a saying, ‘Work like a captain, play like a pirate’ completely goes in metaphor to the character of Sarfaraz Ahmed. He may not be the best batsman in the Pakistani side, he may not be having the safest pair of hands when it comes to wicketkeeping, but he certainly possesses a good cricketing brain to marshal his resources to good effect.

A successful captain doesn’t need to be a good player. He should be able to formulate some shrewd strategies that can create winning strategies on the field. For instance, Arjuna Ranatunga was not a great batsman but he stood by his team through thick and thin and that’s how he earned his share of respect.

Likewise, Sarfraz Ahmed is completely aware of his team’s strengths & weaknesses and successfully led a bunch of young players to win some major tournaments. If not the guy with a Midas touch as MS Dhoni, the 31-year-old certainly knows when to spell his Lucky Mojo in crunch situations.