WORLD CUP: Group A Squads - Pakistan

Pakistan World Cup Squad

Batsmen

Mohammad Hafeez - 30 - Right Hand Opening Batsman

Ahmed Shehzad - 19 - Right Hand Opening Batsman
Asad Shafiq - 24 - Right Hand Top/Middle Order Batsman
Younis Khan - 33 - Right Hand Top/Middle Order Batsman
Misbah-ul-Haq - 36 - Right Hand Middle Order Batsman
Umar Akmal - 20 - Right Hand Middle Order Batsman - Wicket Keeper
Kamran Akmal - 29 - Wicket Keeper - Right Hand Opening/Middle Order Batsman

All Rounders
Shahid Afridi - 30 - Right Hand Opening/Middle Order Batsman - Right Arm Leg Spin Bowler
Abdul Razzaq - 31 - Right Hand Middle Order Batsman - Right Arm Fast Medium Bowler

Spin Bowlers
Abdur Rehman - 30 - Left Arm Orthodox Bowler
Saeed Ajmal - 33 - Right Arm Off Spin Bowler

Fast Bowlers
Wahab Riaz - 25 - Left Arm Fast Medium Bowler
Umar Gul - 26 - Right Arm Fast Medium Bowler
Shoaib Akhtar - 35 - Right Arm Fast Bowler
Junaid Khan* - 21 - Left Arm Medium Fast Bowler

*Edit: Junaid Khan replaces original squad member Sohail Tanvir who was withdrawn due to a knee injury.

Pakistan cricket has been filled with so much strife and disaster in the recent past that it is easy to forget how dangerous they are. For a decade really they have declined from the heights of the 1990s, with particularly painful spikes four years ago during their horrifying World Cup campaign, and in the last year with the still brewing spot-fixing controversy. At the heart of Pakistan's problems is a dysfunctional internal system where politics reigns supreme. Surely of all international teams Pakistan would have the greatest turnover of players from year to year. Therefore it is somewhat surprising that the World Cup squad is so unsurprising. No bemusing bolter has filtered into the ranks, nor has a top class player with qualms with the board found themselves unceremoniously dropped suddenly.

A sixteen man squad is currently playing an ODI series in New Zealand, and with a limit of 15 for the World Cup, the selectors have merely decided to remove one player and stay consistent to the ranks. The unlucky one, after a close fight with Left armer Sohail Tanvir, is up and coming Right am quick Tanvir Ahmed. The consistency of the squad is another sign that in recent months Pakistan cricket has, at least within the playing group, found some semblance of balance and peace. Mind you there remains glaring question marks, principally how a nation can name a squad for a World Cup without a captain. The position is likely between current One Day incumbent but loose cannon Shahid Afridi, and Misbah-ul-Haq who has the maturity and discipline to lead which Afridi lacks, but possesses the small problem of woeful recent One-Day form. Misbah would by no means be a guaranteed pick for any XI. 

What's more, consistency doesn't mean much when it involves staying true to a set of players which is not the best your country can produce. Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamera and Moahammad Asif remain unavailable as they await trial in the spot-fixing case. Former captain and all time great Mohammad Yousuf remains out of favour politically, as do key players Shoaib Malik and Danish Kaneria who have missed out for no good reason.

Prediction

For all its faults, this is a decent team with lots of experience. If the wise old heads Misbah, Younis, Shoaib and Razzaq can hold the unit together, they should make the quarter finals, thanks largely to the friendliness of the group A draw. Once the group stage is over it becomes little more than a lottery in the knockout stages. Pakistan don't have the consistency to win three big games consecutively and become champions, but at their best they can beat anyone and might just take a big scalp or two down with them.

Hosford's XI

Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi, Asad Shafiq, Younus Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (C), Umar Akmal (WK), Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal