Pakistan’s campaign started with a three-wicket win over the Netherlands that was far from comfortable. The top and middle order wobbled, and a cameo from Faheem Ashraf was needed to finish the chase. Captain Salman Agha remembers the shock defeat to the USA in the previous edition and wants a more complete display. Sahibzada Farhan was impressive in the opener and should open with Saim Ayub, while Babar Azam’s dip in form is a concern.
In the bowling department, Shaheen Afridi has been going for over 8.5 an over recently, so Pakistan hope for early wickets from him and Salman Mirza. Abrar Ahmed is seen as the key weapon in the middle overs, backed by Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan.
The USA, captained by Monank Patel, took plenty of positives from their 29-run loss to India. Patel has 365 runs in his last nine matches and anchors the middle order with Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi, while openers Andries Gous and Saiteja Mukkamalla fell cheaply last time. Van Schalkwyk’s four wickets stood out, and Saurabh Netravalkar and Ali Khan will want to make early inroads despite a lean spell for Netravalkar. They hope to recreate the famous win from two years ago.
