7 reasons Pakistan will win ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

Pakistan will win ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and here is why:

Batting has been Pakistan’s Achilles heel, with no real talent appearing after Sharjeel Khan’s bookies debacle. Those dark days appear to be wilting away. Pakistan now has a reasonably consistent opening pair in Fakhar Zaman and Imam Ul Haq, which can handle hot-rod bowlers in the first few overs, when the ball in nipping off the surface.

            Sixty odd quick runs at a run-per-ball rate would give the lower order the confidence to build the batting innings first. This is exactly what happened in the ICC champions trophy against India and recently against England on June 3^rd WC-2019 match.

            This time around, Pakistan Cricket team has genuinely talented players that have seen the rigors of PSL and can’t be ignored by the nepotism mill in PCB. These players know their strength, are willing to go the extra mile and are hungry for success. I am talking of Shahdab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Hassan Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq. They will come all guns blazing when given a chance in the ground and that’s all it takes at this level.

            Mickey Author, unlike bob Woolmer is a coach that means business. He wouldn’t accept willful neglect, the hallmark of Pakistan’s previous WC campaigns under Waseem Akram. Luckily, this Aussie has another fiery partner in the campaign, the captain Sarfraz. I am sure with their mercurial tempers, they both probably don’t get along, but this helps the game and Pakistan team will win in the process.

            Also, Mickey has the players sweating it out in the gym so that they get some proteins in their scrawny arms instead of biryani, to score past 350.

            Scheduling a fixture with English team prior to the WC 2019 was a masterly stroke. Where Pakistan’s chief competition, India was basking in the home-turf win against Australia, Pakistanis were gaining crucial knowledge of the conditions. It’s no coincidence that Pakistan team beat England in the last WC fixture, based on the experience they gained there. So, England is now one threat less.

            You just can’t take away the home-turf advantage that Pakistan has in UK. When the crowd is cheering every ball and every run, the energy to win is just too much to ignore. UK Pakistanis are crazy for cricket and especially Pakistani cricket. It all started in the pitch invasions of the ‘80s through to the post-win festivities of the ICC Champions trophy final. If Pakistan reaches that semi-final, which is very likely, the energy of the crowd just might take them to the top step.

            There are chinks in the opposition’s armor that will be exploited by Pakistan. India has a mediocre balling attack. Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Chahal are no match winning ballers in a crunch game like the world cup. Indian bowlers may do well in their own dead pitches but the English conditions and level of competition is way too much for this attack. Furthermore, their batting still relies too much on Kohli, Dhawan and Sharma. Pakistani attack can rip through them on a good day.

            Australia has just brought back Smith and Warner after a long hiatus. Australia was lost without them and now that they are back, need some time to gel as a unit. Pakistan can exploit this weakness.

            South African proteas have lost on home turf to India, that doesn’t look good at all. Moreover, they don’t have AB De Viller’s firepower. De Cock & FAF Du Plessis are not good enough to smash Pakistani bowlers on a good day.

            England has already been decoded, penetrated and obliterated —thank you very much.

            The top advantage Pakistan has that no other team has is the bench strength. You have match winners till the 13^th guy. All the video replays, data summaries and weakness identification by professional firms will come to naught when Pakistan changes gears mid-tournament with fresh blood from the bench. This is exactly what happened in ICC Champions trophy.

            So, you can bet your money,Pakistan will win ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and Pakistan is coming home with the trophy.

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