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A few hours from now Pakistan and Ireland would be playing
the last game of the Cricket World Cup 2015 group stage. For one of the teams
tis game will end as a pass to the knockout stage or the quarterfinals. On the
contrary the other team will start learning the ways of properly packing their
bags.
Although we have the parallel West Indies – UAE match, which
makes it difficult to assume that my starting statement is substantial. But
believe me UAE has to perform a miracle if we want to see Pakistan and Ireland
both leaving their bags alone.
But I don’t believe in miracles and sports have nothing to do
with miracles. So West Indian departure is least probable. As I wrote earlier
if Pakistan wins and WI wins against UAE, then Ireland has a sure exit.
On the other hand both Pakistan and Ireland have their best
chance in case of WI loss. But UAE is not the team, which could come to their help.
On the more realistic note, although Ireland has very good
batting line-up. It is so good that they in fact compensate for their lack in
the pace bowling department with batting. But today they will be up against
some of the best pace bowlers around. The Adelaide pitch is not up to
Australian standards as per pace, but it still is a good pitch to play on and a
good one to bowl on.
There has been only one occasion of a team scoring 300+ runs
here in the last 20 years. So if Pakistan goes for chase, they can breathe
easy. Ireland have conceded more than 1500 runs in the tournament yet. Ireland
has the worst NRR among the teams hoping to qualify for the quarterfinals.
But on the other hand collapses of Pakistani batting are
renowned. They can score 100 in 10 overs for no loss of wicket and then end up
their innings at 162. The only sure thing is Misbah. He has four 50s in this
tournament until now. In fact he is the only player who has 4 fifties.
Unfortunately the rest of the Pakistani batsmen have become very similar to
Shahid Afridi: you can never expect anything. They can score if it pleases them
and they can collect ducks. It all depends on the day that they play on.
If Pakistan plays first, and whatever it scores, it should
not go for defending the score. Against Ireland their best bet is taking it
head-on and bowling them out.
In Misbah’s place I would replace Sohaib Maqsood with Harris
Sohail. For one he is a better batsman. Secondly he can also bowl. So if the
Adelaide pitch would behave as it does sometime, we will have a spinning
option, without dropping a pacer.
Probable squads:
Pakistan
Sarfraz Ahmed (wkt), Ahmed Shehzad Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Sohaib
Maqsood, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Rahat Ali, Mohammad
Irfan.
Ireland
William Porterfield (capt), Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall
O'Brien, Andy Balbirnie, Gary Wilson (wkt), Kevin O'Brien, Stuart Thompson/Andy
McBrine, John Mooney, George Dockrell, Alex Cusack
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