CWC 2019: Strengths and weaknesses of each team

#6 Pakistan

Babar Azam

Strengths: Contrary to their dismal form, Pakistan are a team filled with a lot of positives and strengths but they are facing a lean patch right now.

The form of Babar Azam has been a rare silver lining for the side and his well-crafted 112 against Afghanistan preceded by a line of big scores makes him the side's biggest strength.

Their strong opening pair is another one of their strengths as both Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq have forged a really great bond. They have piled on the runs and if they get set, it's very easy for Pakistan to get a big score on board. They're also very lucky to have very experienced campaigners in Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik who are handy with their off-spin.

Their pace attack which is filled with variety is another strength for them and players like Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, and Hasan Ali are among the best in the world and if these players can get in sync, Pakistan can be a strong contender.

Weaknesses: Pakistan are on 10 ODI losses without including the most recent loss to Afghanistan in the warm-up game and if they fail to get a win in their next warm-up game, their low confidence itself will be a huge weakness for them heading into the campaign.

Another major issue in their side is the lack of contributions from the lower middle order. After Shoaib Malik, all the players including skipper Sarfraz Ahmed and all-rounder Imad Wasim haven't made too many contributions and this doesn't give the top order the security to bat free.