Styris, Hesson discuss Pakistan's World Cup prospects

Former New Zealand cricketer, Scott Styris, and former Kiwi head coach, Mike Hesson, delved into Pakistan's prospects for the upcoming ICC Men's ODI World Cup. 

During a discussion on Sky Sports NZ, they provided insights into the team's strengths and areas that require attention as they gear up for the highly anticipated tournament.

Styris expressed concern about the team's over-reliance on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in batting. He added that Pakistan would heavily depend on their bowlers and Babar Azam for success.

“The loss of Naseem Shah will be bigger than a lot of people think. Naseem’s Shah’s absence weaken them a lot. Their batting is just a too much relied on Babar Azam along with Mohammad Rizwan. Fakhar Zaman is a little hit and miss. If they are to win, they will need some good performances from their number 4, 5 and 6 in the batting order and that is where I think their weakness is. They are going to rely heavily on their bowlers and Babar Azam,” Styris said.

Mike Hesson echoed Styris's sentiments and expressed a hope for Babar Azam to play with more freedom, emphasizing his ability to score at a run-a-ball pace or build a more patient innings.

“I just hope Babar is allowed to play with more freedom. He is a sort of guy who can score run a ball, but he can also score a 100 off a 130 or 140 balls,” Hesson said

“Shadab Khan for me is the one. If he has a good tournament, he can contribute at the number six slot in the batting order. If he is at his best with the ball, he can create many wicket taking opportunities. He is a little bit inconsistent at the moment. Hopefully he can do the job for them. If he can, then Pakistan can sneak into that fourth or fifth spot for me,” he concluded.