The match between Pakistan and Ireland played on the 15th march at the Adelaide Oval could be a decider for both the teams to qualify for the next round of the World cup. Although before the start of the world cup it wasn’t expected that the match between Pakistan and Ireland would be so highly significant, as stakes are very high for both the teams. But gladly the faith of our progress is in our own hands.
Furthermore, Pakistan have gained momentum and confidence with 3 wins in a row , especially with their win against South Africa ,in which team Pakistan played amazing cricket and while the result was highly unpredictable and surprising for few. Although Misbah-ul-haq has been making allot of runs but there is criticism of him that he doesn’t rotates the strike to often and puts his partners under pressure and which leads to the team’s down fall, whereas as a captain he has been very attacking of late with his field placing and asking his pacers to go for the kill and this change has enabled Team Pakistan with positive results lately.
On the other hand, Ireland cricket team has won 3 matches as well and is on 6 points too and is playing brilliantly of all the associates. Though Ireland’s Strength is their batting and their batters have been performing beyond any once imagination especially Ed Joyce, Andy Balbirnie and Kevin O’Brien have been in excellent form, while Irish team is equally good in putting fine scores batting first as well chasing incredibly too .While their weakness is their inexperience bowling attack which would rely on Alex Cusack and George Dockrell to produce the goods, which could be greatly tested in big matches.
However, Pakistan’s bowling is performing tremendously, as our premier pacer Muhammad Irfan is bowling aggressively and providing early break troughs, but it is the 1st change bowlers Rahat Ali and Wahab Riaz, who are bowling brilliantly in pair, they just remind us of the 99 world Cup pairing of Abdul Razzak and Azhar Mahmood, who use to produce the goods and picked up important wickets in the middle and helped Pakistan progress to the final, we wish former could have such a lasting effect too.
Whilst Pakistan’s main weakness is in the batting. While in the last match Sarfaraz Ahmed brought the necessary injection of early on attacking and impetus in Pakistan’s batting, but his partner Ahmed Shahzad has to start performing consistently as well and provide Pakistan team with good early starts if they have to progress in the tournament and make a good platform for the middle order batting, while the lower middle order hasn’t been performing as well, Sohaib Maqsood and Umer Akmal have been playing rash shots and giving their wickets away in the decisive middle and later over’s , leaving Pakistan Team always short of 30 to 50 runs. So it would be sensible to replace one of them with Haris Sohail, who could play till the end and the steady the ship in the middle.
So the match could be between Pakistan’s bowling vs. the Ireland’s team batting could decide it. While looking at both the teams if both play to their potential Pakistan should win it easily, but as one day cricket is all about surprises and the team playing well on their day wins it, similarly as both teams will want to win it, to make their progress simply without relying on the run rate and securing a better position in the table, to stand against a slightly easier opponent in the quarter final, while the coming Sunday holiday would again be a early start for the cricket fans back home in Pakistan. But hope it will be a happy Sunday full of joys and celebrations.
