With their powers combined, this is what an India-Pakistan combined XI would look like
By
Shehzad Ghias Published: February 15, 2015
These are not the best Indian and Pakistani squads that have ever entered the World Cup but there is genuine unpredictability about both teams that is extremely exciting for the viewer.
Tomorrow, all statistics and records will go out the window – it will be all about which players perform best as a unit under pressure.
But before the big eleven, let us see which
team has the better players.
Rohit Sharma versus Nasir Jamshed
The competition for the opening slot is as good as a walk over. All the talk before the World Cup around India’s batting is about Virat Kohli but at almost 28, this World Cup comes at the prime of his career for
Rohit Sharma. Sharma has an average close to 39 but he is one of those explosive talents where the stats are misleading.
On his day, Sharma is up there with the most devastating batsmen in the history of the game. Sri Lanka learnt that the hard way last year when Sharma smashed them for
264 runs in an ODI – a knock that included 33 fours and nine sixes. Our entire team often struggles to score 264 runs in an ODI. He is also the only batsman in the history of the game to score two ODI double centuries. With those records, it is baffling that India might just go with Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan as their opening pair.
Nasir Jamshed, a last minute inclusion into the Pakistan squad, has no chance against him. Jamshed has been woefully out of form recently and looked fidgety on the crease against England in the warm up match. Like most left-handed Pakistani batsmen, Jamshed is also highly susceptible outside his off stump. He is likely to struggle against the bounce generated by the pitches in Australia and New Zealand. Put your money on him getting caught up in the slips in the first ten overs.
Winner: Rohit Sharma
Shikhar Dhawan versus Ahmad Shahzad
When it comes to cricket, I am definitely old-school. Despite
Saeed Anwar and
Aamir Sohailbeing my favourite Pakistani opening batting partnership, I am a huge fan of selecting a right-handed and a left-handed opening batsman. For India, Rohit Sharma and
Shikhar Dhawanwould form a formidable opening pair but
Ahmed Shahzad has grown into a formidable batsman.
Shahzad’s average is a mere 35 compared to Dhawan’s 43 but despite being six years his junior, Shahzad has played more ODIs than him.
With
Shahid Afridi and
Misbahul Haq retiring from ODIs after the World Cup, Shahzad is one of the favourites to become the next captain of Pakistan’s cricket team. He may not have the mental maturity required for now but he definitely has the self-belief required for a game of this magnitude.
Shahzad does not doubt himself one bit when he walks out to bat and his recent performances have proven many of his doubters wrong. I may be a little biased towards my name sake but I will have to go with our own maverick batsman.
Winner: Ahmed Shahzad
Virat Kohli versus Younus Khan
If I were to make a World XI, it is likely that I would put
Kohli in the all-important one down spot in the batting order. Kohli is the natural successor to
Sachin Tendulkar in the Indian batting outfit.
Whatever your allegiances, it is a pleasure to watch Kohli bat. His abrasive attitude only adds to the entertainment value. Kohli already has 21 centuries and over 6,000 runs at the age of 26; if he plays at the top of his game for the next 10 years, it is likely that he may smash all the ODI records. Tendulkar scored a century for every 9.2 innings in his career whereas Kohli has scored a century at a
staggering rate of one per every 6.8 innings.
As great an asset as
Younus Khan has been for cricket in Pakistan, this World Cup comes in the twilight of his career. At 37, we can still rely on Younus to hold the fort steady at one end or keep the strike rate ticking over, but his days as a match winner are over. The humble man from Mardan would probably admit defeat himself against the ferocious talent of Kohli.
Winner: Virat Kohli
Ajinkya Rahane versus Umar Akmal
The first of the really tough ones, with Rohit Sharma up top,
Rahane is likely to occupy the middle order. Both players have all the talent in the world but do not always apply themselves completely. Both are prone to the odd shot and lack the mental fortitude to turn them into the absolute best. On their day, both the players can be true match winners.
This World Cup is perfectly poised for
Umar Akmal to really announce himself to the world like Inzamamul Haq did during the 1992 World Cup. It seems like Misbah is backing Akmal as Imran Khan backed Inzamam. For a confident player like Akmal, they need to feel loved for them to perform to the best of their abilities. For those reasons, my personal bias and Rahane’s tendency to be a little unsure of himself, I am going to back Akmal for the number four spot.
Winner: Umar Akmal
Suresh Raina versus Misbahul Haq
Suresh Raina has been in and out of the Indian cricket team. The more precarious
Yuvraj Singh was often preferred to the more tenacious Raina. Raina does not often steal the headlines but, like Misbah in the Pakistan cricket team, he is indispensable to the Indian side. In a team of match winners, he is the one who does the simple things right. Misbah and Raina play the equivalent of the
‘Makelele’ role in football. Like a midfielder screens the defence, they protect the lower order and like a defensive midfielder allows the flair players to shine, Raina and Misbah allow players like Rahane, Kohli, Afridi and Akmal to play their natural game.
One of the most astounding statistics in ODIs is that
Misbah has never scored a century. It is even more astounding that Misbah has an average of 42 despite not scoring a ton ever. It speaks to his consistency and reliability. If there is a batting collapse, I would trust Misbah to steady the ship more than Raina. For the role they are selected to play in the team, I have to go with the player who fulfils that role better.
Winner: Misbahul Haq
Mahendra Singh Dhoni versus Sarfraz Ahmed
Sarfraz Ahmed has proven to be a more reliable option behind the stumps than
Kamran Akmal for Pakistan. Some of his knocks lower down the order have reminded Pakistani cricket fans of glory days of
Moin Khan sweeping
Glenn Mcgrath consistently for boundaries and sixes during the 1999 World Cup. However, with just 36 ODIs under his belt, he is still inexperienced, especially compared to the World Cup winning captain of India.
India would still have been a fantastic team without Dhoni in the past decade but guided by the calming influence of
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India managed to take all the talent in their team and win the last World cup. Not only is Dhoni completely reliable as a wicket-keeper, he can walk into any team in the world solely based on his batting prowess. The qualities he brings to the team as a captain is an added bonus.
Winner: MS Dhoni
Ravindra Jadeja versus Shahid Afridi
Who will be the all-rounder in the team?
Dhoni trusts and backs
Jadeja. Jadeja is certainly proficient with the ball and the bat. He can be trusted to a job with either but I must bow to the talent that is
Shahid Afridi.
We all know how explosive Afridi can be with the bat but the real value he brings to the team consistently is with the ball. Afridi has grown into a spinner of some merit; his constant variety is a menace to any batsman in the world. This is likely to be his last World Cup and I fully expect Boom Boom to go out with a bang.
A team with the talent of an India-Pakistan combined eleven can easily afford to carry the luxury of having
Afridi in the batting line up. Cometh the hour, Cometh the man, Afridi is a big match player and there is no bigger stage in world cricket than an India-Pakistan match in a World Cup.
Winner: Shahid Afridi