Nasser Hussain, Eoin Morgan discuss Pakistan's World Cup prospects

Former England cricketers Nasser Hussain and Eoin Morgan delved into Pakistan's prospects for the upcoming ICC Men's ODI World Cup. They provided insights into the team's strengths and areas that require attention as they gear up for the highly anticipated tournament.

During a discussion on Sky Sports, Nasser began by highlighting the impressive bowling mastery of Pakistan, particularly the potent seam attack comprising Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah. He acknowledged the batting skills of key players, including skipper Babar Azam and wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan, emphasizing their consistency in run-getting throughout innings. However, Hussain expressed concerns about Pakistan's spin department, mentioning Shadab Khan's recent struggles.

"Shaheen Shah Afridi is fit at the moment; Haris Rauf, in the last, previous Asia Cup game, got injured; Naseem Shah, they say, may not be ready for the first game of the World Cup. That is a seriously potent bowling attack, and those three seamers in particular, and you know they have got the number one ranked in Babar Azam. We know what he can do. Fakhar Zaman has been a bit out of nick recently, but he's top of the order. And Mohammad Rizwan with Babar is also the regular run-getter that goes to the whole innings," Nasser said.

"One thing that they lack, which is unusual for Pakistan, is their spinners are a little bit out of form. Shadab Khan hasn't been that good recently. So, in a World Cup in India, you want that threat from the spin, but one thing with Pakistan is that they are a big, big ICC event tournament side. They can be awful, and then suddenly, they can go on a roll. They are that sort of a nation, that sort of a cricketing side. Because they are mercurial, one day they'll be very low, and next day they'll be outstanding," he further added.

Eoin Morgan, on the other hand, concurred with Nasser's assessment, expressing his confidence in Pakistan's ability to deliver in crucial moments of the tournament. Moreover, he highlighted the significance of lower-order contributions.

"I certainly think they have enough oomph; it's what we have seen in big moments throughout the tournament. It should be a learning curve for them, and it certainly should be used that way, so close to the World Cup that we are not going back to the way we played in Sri Lanka; it's a case of moving things forward," Morgan said.

Morgan emphasized the importance to build a balanced and resilient team, ready to seize the opportunities presented during the World Cup.

"My biggest concern for Pakistan is the fitness of their seamers. I think Shadab does a good enough job with his wrist spin. In ICC trophies, he always comes out as a batter who bowls; the fitness levels of Faheem Ashraf, with an all-rounding ability to contribute at 7 or 8, is important as well. It's not always your top order who'll score; you need to have a balanced side that will make the team comfortable enough to play and take risks," he concluded.