ICC World Cup 2019: Pakistan - Decoding the must-haves and the avoidables from the team for ICC Dream11
They put up a spirited performance in the ODI series in England earlier this month, and though they failed to win a single game, the form of their batters will do them a world of good. Ahead of the extravaganza, we look at the cricketers who can be included and the ones who should be avoided in the ICC dream11 classic mode.
The expensive must-haves
The three batters Babar Azam (10 credits), Imam-ul-Haq (9.5 credits) and Fakhar Zaman, who comes at 9 credits, have been the highest run-scorers for Pakistan in the last two years and are must-haves in the Fantasy team. Zaman leads the charts with 1642 runs at an average over 51, while left-handed ul-Haq averages a whopping 60.30 in the last 24 months. The fact that he opens the innings further works in his favour, and with 6 hundreds and 5 fifties in the interim, his conversion rate is impressive as well.
Zaman’s strike rate of 98.14 ensures that he can score quick runs - a bonus while selecting the Fantasy team. Azam too has been in fine form, scoring two hundreds and an 80 against England in the recent ODIs, but the fact that he comes for 10 credits might work against him. If you have a tight budget, either ul-Haq or Zaman can be picked ahead of Azam.
The value for pick buys
Asif Ali comes cheap at only 7.5 credits, and he can be a differential in the Fantasy side. Not picked in the preliminary World Cup squad initially, the player backed up his case with a few crucial knocks in the series against England. He bats at a strike rate of 131.03, and if you believe in picking players who bat aggressively, then he is a player to consider in the Fantasy side.
Another definite player to look at is Hasan Ali. He is the most successful bowler for Pakistan in the last 24 months, with 51 wickets. His bowling strike rate of 30.8 suggests that he can, in most cases, end with 2 wickets in every game, and with wicket-takers in huge demand in Fantasy, he is someone who can be given a look-in. Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim both come at 8 credits, and can be the X-factors if selected.
Players to avoid
Shoaib Malik is expensive at 9 credits, and might be someone you can overlook. He does not have a single hundred in the last 2 years and has also only picked up 4 wickets in the interim - none of which work in his favour as far as the Fantasy team goes. Mohammad Hafeez (8.5 credits) might not be a regular in the playing 11 and neither will Wahab Riaz, who costs 8. The latter has only played 1 ODI in the last 2 years, and when their is a choice to go for players in good rhythm, picking him will not be the wisest move.
Another player to avoid is Sarfaraz Ahmed. While wicket keepers are in huge demand in Fantasy - as they earn points with the bat and with the gloves - picking a wicket-keeper who opens the innings is always a more astute move. With players like Quinton de Kock, Shai Hope and Jonny Bairstow up for selection, picking Ahmed, who bats way down and is prone to inconsistency, might not be the way forward.