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ICC World Cup 2019: What Asif Ali brings to Pakistan?
In the preliminary squad, Pakistan hadn't included any such batsman as there weren't many around. However, the inclusion of Asif Ali for England tour changed the whole scenario.
Pakistan has recently struggled to finish the games. They lacked a finisher at the back end of innings, hence costing them several matches. Earlier, they had likes of Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, etc. who could accelerate whenever required. Though in the recent times, there haven't been many power-hitting capable batsman coming from the Pakistan side. This lately has turned into a big flaw for them. Even Head Coach, Mickey Arthur pointed out this shortcoming in the current team. He said that the team is in dire need of someone who can find the fence at the death.
In the preliminary squad, Pakistan hadn't included any such batsman as there weren't many around. However, the inclusion of Asif Ali for England tour changed the whole scenario. The right-handed cricketer played a few fiery cameos for Pakistan, impressing selectors at the right movement. His contribution in the series helped him bag a place in the final World Cup squad. He replaced all-rounder Faheem Ashraf who was struggling with his form.
Asif being capable of hitting the ball out of the park, fulfills Pakistan's search for a finisher. He can take on both seamers and spinners and clear the boundary with ease. However, how consistent he remains in his form will be the main concern for Men in Green. There is no doubt that Asif has balanced the Pakistan squad to the large extent. In a mega tournament like World Cup, a team must have fire-power especially when chasing a big target. Strong contenders like England and India are filled with these type of batsmen, hence giving him an edge over other teams.
Meanwhile, Asif Ali will be handy for Pakistan when Sarfaraz Ahmed's men take on the World Cup.
