ICC World Cup 2019: Combined XI of India and Pakistan for the tournament

Cricketing fans from all around the world wait eagerly for the ICC tournaments not only for the exciting cricket that is on offer but also for the India-Pakistan matches. Given the political situations, these two countries haven’t played bilateral series at all in recent times. Thus, there is always a lot of anticipation about this rivalry and it only grows manifold in the case of a World Cup that comes once every four years.

Even though Pakistan leads the head-to-head record in ODI cricket 73-54, India proved to be the pioneers in the quadrennial tournament. The two teams met each other six times till now at the World Cup and India won all the six. Hence, there is a great deal of enthusiasm that is building up for the upcoming encounter on 16 June 2019. To make things more interesting, a hypothetical situation of forming an eleven with players from both these teams was considered and here is how it looks.

Combined Indo-Pak XI for World Cup 2019:

1. Fakhar Zaman

Picking the openers for this eleven is one of the toughest tasks. There are four quality openers on either side and it is puzzling to ignore any of them. But considering the team dynamics, Fakhar Zaman was picked as the first opener. The left-hander is a very aggressive batsman. There isn’t much that differentiates between Fakhar and Shikhar Dhawan in the last two years.

The Indian played 52 matches and scored 2265 runs at an average of 47 since Fakhar’s ODI debut. However, the batsman from Mardan adds an additional dimension with his bowling. He scored 1442 runs in 31 matches during the same period at an average of 53.41. Moreover, his economy of 4.76 with the ball in the middle overs in quite impressive. Thus, he finds a slight edge and hence is picked.

2. Rohit Sharma

It isn’t as difficult a pick as the former when we had to choose one between Rohit Sharma and Imam-ul-Haq. Both these batsmen have been highly consistent. However, Sharma’s record is far superior. Also, he scores at a much better strike rate and nothing can be traded for the experience. Since Imam’s debut in 2017, Rohit featured in 38 ODIs and scored 1977 runs at an average close to 62 and a strike rate of 95.

He has struck 8 ODI centuries and 7 half-centuries during this period. Contrarily, Imam-ul-Haq scored 1153 runs in 24 matches at an average of 52.41 and strike rate of 80. 395 of these runs and 3 centuries came against Zimbabwe. Thus, Rohit Sharma clearly is the front runner for the position and makes it into this combined XI.

3. Virat Kohli (C)

Indian skipper Virat Kohli is a must in this team and is irreplaceable. He has got all rights reserved for the number three spot and has been unstoppable in the last three or four years. The run machine scored more than anyone else in the last two years. Since the start of 2017, Virat represented India in 51 games.

He scored 3273 runs at an unbelievable average of 84 and a stupendous strike rate of 99 backing it up. The 30-year-old registered 15 centuries in the last two years and is inching closer to the records of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar with every passing game. He will also be leading this combined XI side.

4. Babar Azam

Babar Azam is one of those batsmen who comes quite close to Virat Kohli in terms of the consistency and style of play. He has been one of the most reliable batsmen for Pakistan for quite some time now. His numbers since the beginning of 2017 are as good as anyone else.

Babar had an opportunity to bat 39 times out of the 41 matches that he played in this period. He scored 1576 runs at an average of 51 and strike rate of 80. The Lahore batsman is someone who can hold the innings together and stabilise the middle order. If required, he can also shift gears and score runs at a much better rate. He is the number 1 T20I batsman at the moment.

5. MS Dhoni (WK)

The choice for the wicket-keeper in this side was quite an easy one to make. Even though Sarfaraz Ahmed is good in his own rights, MS Dhoni is before anyone else in the race. His mere presence in the eleven makes a massive difference to the team. He has got immense knowledge of the game and is a street-smart captain. Dhoni can make the necessary field changes whenever required and also assists the spinners.

The wicket-keeper batsman had a disastrous 2018. But he has found his form back this year. He was the ‘Man of the Series’ in the Australia series that was played earlier in 2019. The former Indian skipper fared well in New Zealand as well and is performing exceptionally well in the ongoing IPL.

6. Shoaib Malik

MS Dhoni and Shoaib Malik will shuffle around with the number five and six spots in the side. Both of them are veteran cricketers and have got truckloads of experience. They’ve also led their respective team for quite some time at the highest level. After the World Cup 2015, Shoaib Malik has evolved himself as a batsman. His numbers have soared up and he plays a lot more aggressive cricket now.

Malik is capable of batting at any position in the line-up. Since 2017, the veteran cricketer has played 42 matches and mostly batted down the order. In 36 innings, he accrued 1071 runs at an average of 38.25 and strike rate of 85. With his experience, the Sialkot batsman knows how to adapt to different situations. Also, he is more than a handy bowler.

7. Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is one of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball at the moment. The talk show controversy has done a world of good to him. The break that he got in between has helped him understand his game better and he has also worked hard on various aspects. The 25-year-old Pandya is now striking the ball better than he ever did and will take up the role of a finisher.

While his game against the spinners has always been top notch, he is doing great against the pacers as well now. That makes him extremely dangerous. Moreover, he is highly versatile and can be used as the floater depending on the situation of the match. The Baroda cricketer is also capable of bowling all his 10 overs in the game and adds great stability to the side.

8. Shadab Khan

In his short career, Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan has created several ripples with his leg-spin and the wrong’uns. He made his debut in 2017 and is just 20-years-old. Yet, he has evolved into one of the most important members of the Pakistan set-up across all the formats. Had it not been for the injuries, Shadab would have played a lot more matches than he actually did.

In 34 ODI matches thus far, he picked up 47 wickets. He bowls tight lines and lengths. This helps to restrict the run flow and will be critical at the World Cup for his team. Since he has got some great variations, it isn’t easy to hit the big shots against him. He is a decent customer with the bat as well and averages 29 in the format. Shadab can stick around and provide a good amount of assistance if he has a batsman at the other end.

9. Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal is the other spinner in this line-up. This young leg-spinner has been one of the most successful ones for India in recent times. Chahal is extremely smart and often invites the batsmen to hit him for the big shots. In the process, his subtle variations come into play and thus he is able to outfox even the best in the business.

Chahal has played 41 ODIs thus far and has accounted for 72 wickets. Just like Shadab, he is highly economical in the middle overs. These two leg-spinners operating in tandem in the middle overs will give any batting line-up a lot of headaches. While Kuldeep Yadav is also an option for this spot, his current form rules him out of contention.

10. Jasprit Bumrah

Arguably, Jasprit Bumrah is the best fast bowler in the world at the moment. There is literally nothing that this man can’t do at the moment. His unorthodox action has always confused the batsmen and has played a major role in his success. But at the same time, he is equally crafty, if not more, will his skill. The 25-year-old nails his Yorkers at will and has got several other variations.

The batsmen always find it tough to decipher the varieties he possesses as there is very little change in his bowling action. Bumrah is an important member of the Indian set-up across all the three formats now. In 49 games thus far, the Ahmedabad-born has picked up 85 wickets. His economy of 4.51 for someone who bowls in the powerplay and at the death is highly commendable.

11. Shaheen Afridi

There are several options for this spot in the combined XI. But, Shaheen Afridi surprisingly pushes everyone behind and makes it into this team. At a very young age, he has made rapid strides in his career and debuted across all the formats for his team. Afridi is very artful with his bowling and sets up the batsmen beautifully.

Being a left-arm pacer is an added advantage and that helps add a different dimension to this bowling attack. Shaheen has just played 10 ODI matches thus far in his short career. The 19-year-old picked up 19 wickets at an average of 19.37. His economy rate of 4.79 is also highly impressive. He is expected to play a massive role for his team in the upcoming World Cup.

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