Former England skipper Nasser Hussain has said that Pakistan cannot be written off from the upcoming 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.

“Many Pakistani fans will say they have followed their team for too long and had their hearts broken many times, but I love them, and I love their cricket,” he said in an interview to PakPassion. “I love them because they are mercurial Pakistan and you wonder which Pakistan will turn up on the day. The fact is that you cannot write off Pakistan for this World Cup.”

He also heaped praise on young pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain.

“Pakistan always produces these players and the moment they play it’s like, ‘Wow these lads have got something about them.’ This is what Pakistan do, they play them, they pick them, and they give them a chance. It doesn’t matter how old they are, it’s all about whether they are good enough. “If you can clock 90mph as Mohammad Hasnain and Shaheen Shah Afridi can, then that is the sort of wicket-taking potential that will win this World Cup.”

He went on to say that Sarfaraz’s mindset will make a difference in Pakistan’s World Cup campaign.

“I don’t see Sarfaraz as a bottler, I see him as a real fighter and the Pakistan fans that I know and have known over the years they want their team to fight, and with Sarfaraz and Mickey Arthur you get that fighting spirit in abundance,” he added.

Hussain said that Fakhar’s memorable knock in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final against India is evidence of what Pakistan are capable of with the bat.

“I look at Fakhar Zaman and recall what he did at the Champions Trophy and in fact it is these guys that I look at as the ones who can take Pakistan from a competitive score to a good score,” he said.

The former England skipper said the selectors took the right decision in making Mohammad Amir earn his place in the World Cup side. “Obviously there has been a lot of disappointment from Pakistan fans regarding Mohammad Amir and I am sure that for such a high-quality bowler, Amir himself is disappointed in these statistics and his output.”

He added: “I think they have done the right thing with Amir: ‘Go to England, play in the five-match series against England, the door is not closed on you and we will pick from that 17-man squad and let’s see if you can get back to your best. We want you to do well, but you have to make sure you put in the performances in those five ODIs against England to play in the World Cup but having said all of this, I see him as a big-match player and one only has to think back to how he bowled in the Champions Trophy final and the players he got out. There is no doubt that he gets great players out when he is on-song.”

Pakistan begin their 2019 World Cup campaign on May 31 against West Indies at Trent Bridge.

 

 

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