Pakistan‘s 2019 ICC World Cup preparations have suffered the worst possible scenario after they were handed a crushing 5-0 loss by Australia in the ODI series held in the UAE.
The comprehensive loss was only the fourth time in history that the Men in Green had been blanked 5-0 in a bilateral series. Nothing seemed to go right for Mickey Arthur and his men against the Aussies with the absence of several senior stars like Sarfraz Ahmed dearly felt.
Having been swept aside by Aaron Finch and his men, questions will be asked of Pakistan’s World Cup credentials and rightly so.
Here, we look at how the Pakistan players fared in the five losses and rate each of them out of 10.
Imam-ul-Haq – 4
The Pakistan opener has an excellent ODI record in his short career so far but he was way below his best in his three appearances in the series where he could only register a high score of 46.
Not the best of series for Imam-ul-Haq.
Shan Masood – 5
The left-hander was handed his ODI debut on the back of his impressive Test displays but failed to really seize his chance with some mixed displays. A half-century in the final ODI was his saving grace.
Abid Ali – 7
The 31-year-old became only the third Pakistan batsman to register a ton on his ODI debut in a promising start to his international career. Was dismissed for a duck in the final ODI however.
Haris Sohail – 8
The top-order batsman was one of the few positives for Pakistan from an otherwise shambolic display. The two centuries scored by Sohail should confirm his spot in Pakistan’s World Cup squad as well.
Mohammad Rizwan – 8
The wicketkeeper batsman’s display was perhaps the brightest spark in a series to forget for Pakistan with Rizwan crafting two excellent centuries. Might have confirmed his World Cup ticket as well.
Two well-crafted tons from the reserve wicketkeeper batsman.
Umar Akmal – 5
The middle-order batsman was given a new lease of life in international cricket but he squandered that away after failing to register a single half-century in his five appearances.
Shoaib Malik – 7
The veteran batsman did his part in the first three ODIs with an excellent half-century in Sharjah before his series was cut short.
Saad Ali – 3
The 25-year-old was given two outings to prove his worth but he failed miserably with a combined score of just 11 runs.
Faheem Ashraf – 6
The Pakistan all-rounder made just two appearances before he was handed a well-deserved rest. Did not really create the impact that would have been expected from him, especially with the ball.
Imad Wasim – 7
The stand-in Pakistan skipper looked in good touch with both bat and ball, especially the former where he played some handy quick-fire cameos down the order.
Yasir Shah – 5
The senior Pakistan leg-spinner was given a chance to prove his limited-overs credentials in the absence of Shadab Khan but he failed to really rise to the occasion with just four wickets to show for. Has probably killed any hopes he had of a World Cup call up.
Mohammad Hasnain – 5
The 18-year-old pacer was handed a debut after his excellent Pakistan Super League displays. He went wicket-less in two of his appearances and picked up two scalps in the third. Showed some promise with his raw pace but has some way to go before he can establish himself as a permanent member of the squad.
Usman Shinwari – 7
The pick of Pakistan’s pacers in the five-match series, Shinwari more than did his part by picking up five wickets in three matches including a four-wicket haul in the final ODI at Dubai.
Five wickets for Shinwari in the series in three matches.
Mohammad Abbas – 5
The Pakistan Test specialist was decent at best in his three appearances which fetched him two wickets. The seamer did not look as effective with the white-ball in hand and it will be a surprise to see him get further chances in the shorter formats.
Junaid Khan – 5
A mixed display for the pacer who has found opportunities hard to come by on a consistent basis at the international level. Did pick up three wickets in the final ODI but was also pretty expensive.
Mohammad Amir – 4
The senior Pakistan pacer’s limited-overs woes continued unabated with his World Cup credentials now looking extremely dicey. Amir was taken for 59 runs in the first ODI without any wickets to show for before being summarily dropped for the remainder of the series. Where does Amir go from here?
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