Pakistan face Scotland with eye on fifth straight win
Pakistan's incredible run in the opening days of the tournament mean they were the first team to confirm their place in the semi-final, and also the only ones able to relax at the business end of the Super 12 stage. Now, having enjoyed a break of four days, they can use the match against Scotland to get back into tournament mode and polish their plans ahead of the knockout stages.
Although their place in the top two is confirmed, a win here will ensure they finish first in Group 2, and take on the second place finisher in Group 1 in the semis.
For Scotland, it's another chance to learn from the best. Since their win against Bangladesh in their first game of round one, they haven't been able to challenge the higher ranked sides as consistently as they might have liked in the Super 12 stage.
After showing good fight against New Zealand, they were swept away by India. But they are hungry to improve.
"Just the conversations following the game versus India have been positive," said Kyle Coetzer, the captain. "The fact that we're so disappointed losing the manner in which we did and the opportunities that were created to go and speak to some of the finest players in the world yesterday was a real special moment. The guys have learned more in the last two or three games than they have in probably the last three, four years, I reckon."
Facing the likes of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan's in-form openers, would be a similarly "exciting" experience, Coetzer said. "We have to go in there respecting them but also willing to go and try and take them on, too."
Fixture details
- The match: Pakistan v Scotland, Match 41
- Time: 06:00pm, Sunday 7 November
- Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Having already confirmed their place in the semi-finals, Pakistanmay choose to rest some of their pace bowlers. They might also be tempted to give Haider Ali or Mohammad Nawaz a game, though will be wary that a slip-up opens the door to a second-place Group 2 finish and a match against England.
Probable XI: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi
Scotlandmay not tweak their combination much. They could bring in Hamza Tahir for another left-arm spin option.
Probable XI: George Munsey, Kyle Coetzer (capt), Calum MacLeod, Richie Berrington, Michael Leask, Matthew Cross (wk), Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Safyaan Sharif, Alasdair Evans/Hamza Tahir, Brad Wheal
**Hasan Ali:**The Pakistan pace bowler has been more expensive than his colleagues, although he has four wickets to his name in the tournament. If there is a slight chink in the bowling line-up, it may be his form. And Pakistan will be keen for him to get back into rhythm ahead of the knock-outs.
**Michael Leask:**The Scotland all-rounder has been one of the team's bright sparks in the tournament, especially with the bat under pressure. He's been striking the ball at 165.71, with an ability to clear the ropes.
Captaincy Pick - Babar Azam
He has become the most consistent performer for Pakistan across formats. He has an impressive average of 48 in 60 T20I innings and in UAE conditions his record is more impressive: he averages 53 in 15 T20I innings. So his consistency and record in these conditions make him an automatic captaincy pick of the match.
Must-have - Mohammad Rizwan
The Pakistan opener is a must-have given his incredible form in this calendar year in T20Is. He has an average of 95 and a strike-rate of 138 in 18 T20I innings played in 2021. Adding to it, he also contributes handy points behind the stumps which makes him a safe option in the fantasy team.
The match will not affect the fortunes of teams in the group too much. Pakistan will remain on top if they win, while Scotland will be at the bottom, even with a win, having a poorer net run rate than Namibia.
Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan:"We're definitely looking forward to the game tomorrow against Scotland. We wanted to execute our skills with lots of confidence because at the moment everyone is very confident and playing good cricket. We want to continue. We wanted to hit all the boxes for this game also."
Kyle Coetzer, Scotland captain:"We've got to make sure we go in there with as much confidence as we possibly can do. We've got one last show, one last crack of the whip while we're out here. We're not going to play together for a long period of time. We're not going to play together until April probably. We have to make every opportunity of every game that we get. And what better game and what better team to play against than Pakistan. They're at the top of their game at the moment. That's just an ultimate test and to challenge yourself against them. We'll go in there with as much enjoyment and freedom as we possibly can and try and make the most of the opportunity. We have some skills we haven't yet shown in the Super 12s. So tomorrow is the last chance we get to show them."