5 Pakistan Players to Watch Out for

(All eight Pakistan pacers in the 20-player squad
Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

After a couple of intra-squad warm-up games, Pakistan look all set for a three-match Test series against England, starting tomorrow.

The hosts are yet to register a series win against Pakistan since 2010. The visitors, on the other hand, have won two of their last four Test series contested, while the other two ended in a draw. As we approach the first Test, we look at five key players worth keeping an eye on.

1) Babar Azam: 

(Babar Azam celebrating
Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Babar Azam will be at the forefront of Pakistan’s batting. Given his recent form, Babar Azam was handed over the reins of the ODI and T20 squad. In 2019 he had a good stint with Somerset in T20 Blast where he was the highest run-scorer with 578 runs at an average of 52.54. His numbers in Tests are even better. Since he scored his maiden Test century, Babar Azam averages 73.42 with five Test hundreds. In his last seven Test innings, Babar has gone past 60 six times, converting four of them into hundreds.

2) Naseem Shah

(Naseem Shah after picking up a wicket
Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

At just 17, Naseem is an exciting prospect that everyone is talking about. He caught the attention of the cricketing world with some fast spells in Australia. He can bowl at speeds in excess of 90mph and has a quick bouncer. Besides, he can also swing the ball both ways. He has already got a Test hat-trick to his name. He is new to the English conditions, but the fifer in the warm-up game is a great confidence booster for the young lad. He could pose a real threat to the England batsmen given his pace and swing on offer.

3) Shaheen Afridi

(Shaheen Afridi appealing
Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Shaheen Afridi’s fearless attitude makes him a prominent player in the Pakistan team. After the retirement of Mohammad Amir, he is slowly emerging as the leader of their pace attack. He was one of the best bowlers for Pakistan in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup where he took a total of 16 wickets, including a six-wicket haul against Bangladesh. Now, a year later, he is back in England, and one cannot ignore the fact that he has been a good bowler in the English conditions.

4) Abid Ali

(Abid Ali raising his bat 
Photo Courtesy: Google)

Abid Ali, in March 2019 scored a hundred on debut in ODI for Pakistan. Later that year, he also scored a Test ton on debut in Rawalpindi against Sri Lanka. Scoring 109*, he became the first male cricketer for Pakistan to hit centuries on both ODI and Test debut. With a Test average of 107 after three matches, Ali will be confident to bat in the toughest conditions for red-ball cricket. 

5) Sohail Khan

(Sohail Khan celebrating his wicket
Photo Courtesy: Google)

Making a comeback into the Test squad, Sohail Khan will be itching to make his mark in the bowling friendly English conditions. Though his numbers in Tests are not impressive, the last time he toured England, he picked up 13 wickets in two matches with two five-wicket hauls. Also in the recently concluded intra-squad warm-up games, he picked up a fifer. His experience of bowling in England against the British side makes him a player to watch out for in the upcoming Test series.