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Big Picture
With the World Cup wheels having been well-oiled by a mouth-watering opening match between South Africa and England at the Oval, two rather more distant contenders for the trophy kick off their official campaigns at Trent Bridge. West Indies and Pakistan are few people’s picks for an appearance at Lord’s come the 14th of July, but two teams that have the Cricket World Cup in their blood for very different reasons will look to add sweat and tears to that concoction and brew something special over the coming six weeks.
For West Indies, the World Cup is their reference point to glory, so sweetly timed was this competition’s induction to cricket for that magical side which dominated the sport for the best part of 20 years it took them three editions and eight years before they finally let a trophy leave their grasp. It was 40 years ago when they last lay claim to one of these, and after all that time spent wandering in the desert, they may feel destiny has the Promised Land in reach once more.
How easy is it to forget, then, that but for a bit of Harare afternoon rain falling just the right side of DLS calculations one March day, this grand side would have been by a Caribbean beach, watching Scotland take the field against Pakistan tomorrow? Much water, if you will excuse the pun, has passed under the bridge since, and West Indies look a completely different side to that one, if only because off-field matters seem more under control than they have for many years.
The squad seems to have unity and togetherness, something they haven’t been famed for, and a much-settled, respected captain in Jason Holder. The side’s balance was evident in their crushing defeat of New Zealand in Tuesday’s warm-up, a destructive batting display laying down a marker of sorts.
Pakistan have a strange relationship with the World Cup, particularly since 1992, where an odds-defying win crafted the team’s reputation and gave them their brand of unpredictability. They come into the tournament having lost 10 ODIs on the bounce, in addition to a warm-up loss against Afghanistan – and a record against the top five that reads three wins in 23 since their famous Champions Trophy win in 2017.
The fast bowling, Pakistan’s stock trade, has seen one after another lose form and effectiveness, with Mohammad Amir, once the prince of this generation, the heir apparent to Wasim Akram, only barely squeezing into the final 15. Hasan Ali is the obvious leader of the attack, though a bowling average of nearly 60 since the Asia Cup last year is worrying, and Shaheen Afridi is the only one to keep both average and economy rate respectable over this period.
The batting looks to have caught up somewhat to modern standards, with Pakistan becoming the first team to reach three consecutive ODI totals of 340 earlier this month against England (though they lost all three matches). In any case, they must be wary of a West Indies side that pummelled New Zealand’s bowling attack for 421, and the batting is a department Pakistan are not about to outgun West Indies in any time soon.
The odds may not be in Pakistan’s favour, but that was the case in 2017, too, when, having barely qualified for the Champions Trophy, they caught fire and singed England and India in the semis and final, laughing the face of logic. The squad that defied those odds carried 11 of the players that return to England with that trophy tucked under their arms, and will wonder why they should be rated any inferior to the teams they left in their wake just two years ago.
In the spotlight
Shimron Hetmyer is the second-youngest in the West Indies squad, but is assured of his place in Guyana’s cricketing history at 22. An Under-19 World Cup winning captain, Hetmyer showcased his array of hitting ability which he married with consistency when England came calling earlier this year in a series West Indires squared 2-2. It isn’t just the average and the numbers – four hundreds and two half-centuries in just 24 innings – but the technique and obvious promise the left-hander possesses. The biggest stage of them all is another fine opportunity to showcase his abilities.
Fakhar Zaman’s average since the Asia Cup in September 2018 has dropped down to 32; it had been 76 until then. His strike rate has taken a hit too – 91 against a career strike rate of 98, and so has Pakistan’s ODI form in this period. With Fakhar assigned a role of a dasher, one that most others in the side aren’t equipped with, his ability to execute it is likely to be directly proportional to Pakistan’s fortunes at the World Cup.
Team news
Pakistan have a fully fit squad to choose from, with the only real question being the bowling combination they go with. Shadab Khan’s fitness means one of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik could prove superfluous to requirements, though the vast experience of both means neither is an easy drop.
Pakistan (possible): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman 3 Babar Azam, 4 Haris Sohail/Mohammad Hafeez 5 Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 6 Imad Wasim 7 Asif Ali, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Hasan Ali 11 Shaheen Afridi
West Indies line-up is harder to predict, with Shannon Gabriel the only bowler to play no part in the warm-up against New Zealand. With his knee heavily braced as West Indies trained the day before the game, he could be the man to miss out again.
West Indies (possible): 1 Chris Gayle 2 Evin Lewis 3 Shai Hope (wk) 4 Shimron Hetmyer 5 Darren Bravo 6 Jason Holder (capt) 7 Andre Russell 8 Ashley Nurse 9 Kemar Roach 10 Sheldon Cottrell 11 Oshane Thomas
Pitch and conditions
Overcast skies are expected for much of the game at Nottingham, but rain should not play spoilsport. It also gives each side the chance to bowl first and pit their swing bowlers against the opposition to see if overhead conditions can be utilised to their advantage.
Stats and trivia
Jason Holder is one of only two captains to have also captained his side at the previous World Cup; Eoin Morgan of England is the other one.
This is the fourth time in six World Cups that Pakistan begin their campaign against West Indies. The previous three openers saw them win once, while West Indies triumphed twice.