HYDERABAD: Pakistan have not played an ODI on Indian soil since 2013. They last visited India back in 2016 when they featured in the T20 World Cup. None of their current team members has any experience of playing in the country as far as the 50-over format is concerned.
Despite the inexperience, which can prove vital especially during big events like the World Cup, director of Pakistan men's cricket Mickey Arthur looks confident of his team's chances in the tournament, wherein 48 matches are scheduled across 45 days and 10 venues. Brushing aside the pressure factor, Mickey says the players are in a really good space and ready for all the challenges.
"First of all, the boys have loved being in India. They've embraced being here, which has been fantastic. The pressure of a World Cup is always massive. But I think our boys are in a really good place," Mickey told journalists on the eve of Pakistan's World Cup opener against the Netherlands here at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday.
He was the head coach of the team when Pakistan failed to reach the semifinals in the previous edition, and he now feels the four-year experience makes the current team a formidable one. "Part of the attraction for me is its very similar squad to what we had in 2019, and it's almost unfinished business. I felt in 2019, we were very, very close there with young boys. These young boys have now become men. They've become very experienced. They've had another four years of experience. During those four years, we have the best win-loss ratio in ODIs. These guys are ready for everything that's thrown at them in this competition."
Mickey, however, believes the team will play its brand of cricket and that will only help it win the World Cup title. "Look, first of all, I think we're a very, very good cricket team. It's a very good question around the brand of cricket, and that's something that we're trying to get through to our players. The players have embraced it. It's going to take a little bit of time, but I always say there's always two ways to skin a cat. I think our bowling attack is up there as one of the best, and with runs on the board, our bowlers can generally defend that.
You watch the likes of England and Australia, etcetera, playing this brand of cricket, our guys will follow that. There's no doubt about that. They're good enough to do that. But we're playing a brand that we call the Pakistan way. We're playing a brand that is very, very particular to Pakistan and suits our team dynamic. And that's a brand that we're going to hopefully win the World Cup with."
He also backed Pakistan vice captain Shadab Khan, who of late has been struggling with his form especially with the ball. "That's a good question, and I wholeheartedly bet on Shadab's ability. He's a wonderful cricketer. You look at his package of bowling, batting, fielding, is exceptional. If we look at his bowling in isolation, he's just short of a little confidence. He hasn't lost his ability to turn the ball. His googly is still very, very good. He's one performance away from getting that confidence back and making sure that he has a real big influence on this World Cup. I'd like that to come tomorrow, but I'm not worried about you, Doug, because I know he's a quality, quality creator."
While answering a question on overdependence on skipper Babar Azam and Mohmmad Rizwan, Mickey admitted the duo has been exceptional but insisted the team has other players who are equally good. "No, we're definitely not. We've got some very, very fine players. Yes, Rizwan and Babar are exceptional players. But let's not forget that we've got Imam-ul-Haq, I think, in the top five players at the moment. Fakhar (Zaman), we know his quality, we know that. I think you guys will love watching Saud Shakeel. I think he's quality. Abdullah Shafique and Salman Aga Ali are also very, very good players. So yeah, they're very, very good players, but we're certainly not reliant on them. It would be nice if they kept on scoring the way they're scoring at the minute. It takes a bit of pressure off everybody else, but we have some very, very fine players outside of those two as well."
Pakistan will be playing against hosts and arch-rivals India on October 14 and Mickey hopes his team wins the first two matches before taking on the Rohit Sharma and Co in the much-anticipated clash. "I think first and foremost, it's going to be an unbelievable spectacle. Those games are always exceptional. India are playing some fantastic cricket, but so are we. I just think it's going to be a great game. I can't wait for it personally. Hopefully we've got two wins under the belt before we get to on the bat, so we're not getting too far ahead of ourselves. But it's one day in my diary that I can't wait for. I just think it's going to be a fantastic game."
