Zag Talk

After watching Pakistan beat NZ in the two T20 matches they played in Dubai, I am skipping the test matches for a moment and looking ahead, to the T20 world cup. As one of the commentators said during the match, you can go ahead and place your bet on Pakistan defending their world cup crown right now. However, this is Pakistan we are talking about. Even though we love and support our team, it will be foolish on our part to place a wager so early on a Pakistan team known for its unpredictability.

The team is mostly set but after the return of the ICL players we have enough pool of players to come up with some really crazy team combinations which might work in the crazy T20 format. Here are some that I would love to see in action.

Kamakazi Team:

Imran Nazir
Kamran Akmal
Umar Akmal
Shahid Afridi
Imran Farhat
Fawad Alam
Abdul Razzaq
Sohail Tanveer
Mohammad Amer
Umar Gul
Saeed Ajmal

This team will either destroy the opposition or will put in record for the worst collapse in T20 history. However, imagine the fireworks this team will provide if they click. Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Imran Farhat, Abdul Razzaq, Sohail Tanveer and Mohammad Amer all can hit the ball out of the park, while Umar Akmal and Fawad Alam can provide some semblance in case of collapse. The bowling attack is formidable as we have already seen in recent times.

The Pacers:

Imran Nazir
Kamran Akmal
Umar Akmal
Shahid Afridi
Abdul Razzaq
Rana Naveed
Sohail Tanveer
Mohammad Amer
Umar Gul
Mohammad Asif
Saeed Ajmal

This would be an interesting team combination. With only one specialist batsman in Umar Akmal, the all rounders/hitters will have to provide something for the bowlers who will then take over. The kind of firepower that 4 pacers, 2 mediums and 2 spinner will provide even a below par score can be defendable. Imagine the rotations of bowlers for 1-2 over spells to keep the batsmen from getting settled.

Probable Team:

Imran Nazir
Kamran Akmal
Umar Akmal
Shahid Afridi
Shoaib Malik
Fawad Alam
Abdul Razzaq
Mohammad Amer
Mohammed Asif / Sohail Tanveer
Umar Gul
Saeed Ajmal

This is going to be the team that will play in the world cup. It might be boring compared to the previous two, but it will probably be the one that will handle the pressure situations best.

Popularity: 4% [?]