Opening Woes And...? 3 Areas Pakistan Need To Work On Ahead Of Champions Trophy

Anurag Dasgupta

3 areas Pakistan need to work on [Source: @grassrootscric/X.com] 3 areas Pakistan need to work on [Source: @grassrootscric/X.com]

So, Pakistan finally announced their Champions Trophy squad a couple of days ago and while the selectors have kept the core of the team intact, they have made quite a few changes when it comes to bringing in fresh faces. However, despite all the chopping and changing the squad looks weak on paper.

While the pace bowling department looks absolutely ready to do the demolition job, there are other key areas where Pakistan need the surgical repair and in this article, we will talk about 3 such areas where the hosts need to work on before the Champions Trophy commences.

3) Opening woes

Interestingly, the selectors have only named one opener in the team- Fakhar Zaman as the likes of Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq don't find a place in the Championd Trophy squad.

This has left a major loophole in the team which they now need to repair. Who is going to open with Fakhar?. One option is Babar Azam, who has been persuaded by the selectors to change his position. The other valuable option could be Saud Shakeel, who can compliment Fakhar in that role. This is a major issue which the defending champions need to work on.

2) Where is the second spinner?

When the squad was announced, eyebrows raised when only one front-line spinner was picked in the team. Abrar Ahmed will have loads of responsibility as there is no replacement for him and if he fails to deliver, Pakistan will have nowhere to go.

The team does have Salman Ali Agha in the side, but he is not a regular spinner and is likely to be less effective as compared to Abrar.

1) Weak middle order

With rumours that Babar Azam is set to open for Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, the middle order suddenly looks weak. With him not there, Mohammad Rizwan is the only quality option left as the others are not experienced enough to handle the pressure.

The squad does look extremely talented on paper and the likes of Tayyab Tahir, Kamran Ghulam look good on the cameras, but do they have what it takes to handle the pressure of an ICC tournament?.