Never take minnows lightly
Speaking of USA, they will always be the reason why Pakistan will not take Oman lightly, no matter what upheaval the Gulf side may have gone through. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, Pakistan lost to the USA before their game against India, where defeat knocked them out of the tournament. In a format where just an over can change the complexion of a match, Pakistan will be hoping to do to Oman what India did to the UAE, pack up early and get enough rest before the big clash on Sunday.
Where are the superstars?
No Babar Azam and no Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan’s two most prolific batters over the years, which means coach Mike Hesson is trying to change the way Pakistan approach T20 cricket. The duo, despite all the solidity in the middle, has more often than not failed to adapt to the lightning-fast pace of the shorter white-ball format, with strike rates hovering around the 125-130 mark, which these days, is slow ever for ODIs. With Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan inconsistent, Hasan Nawaz underperforming, and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz having to do the heavy lifting both as a batter and a bowler, the batting line-up really needs to step up. Fakhar Zaman was the only Pakistan batsman among the top-5 run-getters in the recent tri-series with 155 runs in 5 matches, with Nawaz at No. 6 with 120 runs. The bowling fared better, with Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed sharing 16 wickets in the tri-series. Shaheen Shah Afridi seems to have momentarily lost his mojo, but never count out the left-arm speedster who can run through any top-order batting with his searing pace.
The Oman match will be a timely test for Pakistan, who will play India at the same venue, and nothing less than a quick, resounding win will put them in the right frame of mind going into the nerve-wracking encounter on Sunday.
Jaydip is a Pages Editor at Gulf News and has sports running in his veins. While specializing in Tennis and Formula 1, he also makes sure to stay on top of cricket, football, golf, athletics and anything related to sports in general.
Known for his ability to dig out exclusive stories and land interviews with the biggest names in sports, Jaydip has built up a remarkable portfolio in almost 25 years of journalism, with one-on-one interviews of Michael Schumacher, Roger Federer, Usain Bolt and Tiger Woods, just to name a few.
Besides sports, Jaydip also has a keen interest in films and geopolitics.