Pakistan have opted not to play it safe at the Asian Games, where they will enter directly into the quarter-finals. The squad includes a mix of their senior and U19 players, with four uncapped players: Saad Masood, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, and Maaz Sadaqat. Add to that the fact that Pakistan have not played the format since their elimination from the T20 World Cup in February, and things start seeming quite arduous for them.
Still, they have plenty of exciting prospects in their ranks, which have proven, if not internationally, their mettle and could be counted on to undertake the job effectively. Here is a list of players who would look to go big for Pakistan as they approach their first Asian Games fixture on September 28.
1. Maaz Sadaqat
Maaz Sadaqat has yet to make his T20I debut, but he has his franchise cricket experience backing him up. Fresh off two centuries in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) knockout stages, which also saw him end as the league’s third-highest run-getter, Maaz is a certain starter for Pakistan. He boasts a career strike rate of 153 in 52 T20 games, which aren’t the sort of numbers you could fluke to end with.
2. Arafat Minhas
Japan is as much of an unknown territory as it is for any other participant, but what has worked so far for the teams is investing heavily in their spinners. Pakistan, for one, could be glad they have come with an arsenal teeming with quality spinners.
Arafat Minhas is one, and definitely a pretty decent one. Minhas made his T20I debut in the previous edition of the Asian Games, where he also ended up as Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker. He has played only one T20I game since then, but his outings in white-ball cricket generally are a testament to the fact that he could prove to be quite useful in the Asian Games.
Earlier this year, he had the Australian team gasping for air on his ODI debut as he bagged a five-wicket haul. In the PSL, playing for Multan Sultans, Minhas grabbed nine wickets in as many games. On top of that, he can also be counted on for some handy late-innings runs.
3. Sufiyan Moqim
Sufiyan Moqim will be another of Pakistan’s lethal spin weapons. Like Maaz, he has brought a slew of evidence of his brilliance from his Caribbean Premier League (CPL) stint. He grabbed 12 wickets in five games, including two four-fers, both in knockout games. Moqim was also the highest wicket-taker in the PSL, taking 22 scalps across 11 innings.
In his 19-game T20I career so far, Moqim has been one of the most consistent bowlers for Pakistan, in terms of taking wickets. He is currently the joint-second-highest wicket-taker in T20s this year, having taken 62 wickets at an incredible average of just 15.98.
4. Ali Raza
A young and lanky fast bowler who has yet to put a monumental achievement next to his name, but if there is a bowler who can be counted on as one for Pakistan’s future, it’s Ali Raza. He has played only 20 T20s so far, but 14 of them were part of his PSL stints. In the recent edition, he grabbed 10 wickets in five games. In the Asian Games, he will be a part of a relatively young pace attack, which would include, besides him, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Akif Javed and Ahmed Daniyal.
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