Pakistan’s top-order batsmen have been struggling in recent matches, raising concerns about their performance in the upcoming World Cup. Fakhar Zaman, the only player to have scored a double hundred in ODIs for Pakistan, is now at risk of losing his place in the team. In the last five matches, Pakistan’s openers have managed just 35 runs as their highest partnership. Furthermore, there has been only one century stand in the 16 games played this year.
In the recent victory against the Netherlands, Fakhar could only contribute 12 runs in a partnership of 15 with Imamul Haq. This is a stark contrast to his previous achievements, including his historic innings of 210 not out against Zimbabwe in 2018. Fakhar has struggled to score big in his last 11 innings, with his highest score being 33. As a result, he is likely to be replaced by Abdullah Shafique for the upcoming match against Sri Lanka. Shafique had previously scored a half-century against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup.
Pakistan’s head coach, Grant Bradburn, remains hopeful that the top-order batting will improve soon. He believes in the capabilities of his batsmen and expects them to perform better in the powerplay. However, he acknowledges that the team is not currently achieving their desired results in this aspect of the game. In particular, number three batsman and captain Babar Azam also struggled in the match against the Netherlands, scoring only 5 runs off 18 balls.
Looking ahead to the match against Sri Lanka, Bradburn praises their skills and acknowledges that Sri Lanka has had the upper hand over Pakistan in white-ball cricket recently. Despite this, he is confident in his team’s ability to compete and is excited about the upcoming challenge.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan batting coach Naveed Nawaz has urged his bowlers to remain positive despite conceding a record World Cup total of 428 runs against South Africa. He emphasizes the importance of executing their plans effectively and believes that the batsmen, such as Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, and Dasun Shanaka, could have scored even more runs to bring the team closer to victory in their previous match. Nawaz recognizes Pakistan as a strong opponent but believes that his team has a good understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.
Overall, both teams are gearing up for an exciting match as they aim to secure a victory in the World Cup. Pakistan hopes that their top-order batsmen can overcome their recent struggles, while Sri Lanka aims to bounce back from their loss against South Africa.