Bruised Pakistan will take on Australia aggressively in a crucial second match in Super 10 group on Sunday, March 23, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur.
With the Friday match against India turning into a disaster, Pakistan is facing an uphill task of upsetting the multi-talented Australia. In fact, Pakistan is the only team since 2007 to have made it to semi-finals in every ICC World Twenty20. But the second defeat in the tournament would put Pakistan in near-certain elimination, joining the Group of Death, or Sudden Death now.
Pakistan coach Moin Khan blamed it on the pitch for defeat against India but 130 for 7 itself was a result of a team under duress. Pakistan’s bowling in the Twenty20 format has seen Saeed Ajmal at the forefront and Umar Gul closely behind him. Gul, who suffered an injury was short of his best still in the tournament forcing the need for Ajmal and Hafeez pitching in frequently.
Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik as batsmen to save the game is still not mercurial as Pakistan is not always consistent in batting the way it was in balowing.
Coming to Australia, its bowling is not spectacular and the absence from the tournament of injured Mitchell Johnson, and of James Faulkner was vivid in the warm ups. Mitchell Starc, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Doug Bollinger, Johnson’s replacement, are proving wonderful bowlers in the tournament while Shane Watson is worth his mettle and Brad Hogg, despite in his 40s, charms with left-arm Chinaman bowling.
With equally strong bowlers — James Muirhead, the legspinner, part-time spinners Glenn Maxwell, Cameron White, Aaron Finch and Brad Hodge, the team is strong in attacking the Pakistani batsmen.
But when it comes to batting, the top order with Finch and David Warner, should get balls off the sixer fence. Watson at No. 3, the middle order of Hodge, lends the team another dimension to a batting group that should show aggression now.
Australia defeated South Africa in two T20Is last week, and warmed up for this competition by taking 200 off New Zealand in a warm-up game in Fatullah. Bailey is aware of his team’s strength and the future of competition in the World cup T20.
Squads
Pakistan: Kamran Akmal (wk), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Bilawal Bhatti, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan, Sharjeel Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Zulfiqar Babar, Mohammad Talha.
Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, George Bailey (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Brad Hodge, Brad Haddin (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mitchell Starc, Brad Hogg, James Muirhead, Cameron White, Doug Bollinger, Dan Christian.
