In this article:

• Since the 2022 T20 World Cup, the average score of Pakistani openers has been remarkably low, with openers scoring just 19.86 on average.
• The win percentage for Pakistan has dropped to just 37% since 2022 T20 World Cup.
• Pakistan has not managed to score a single total of over two hundred in any match since last T20 World Cup.
• Is Mohammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub’s partnership turning out to be the worst in Pakistan’s history?

We are now less than 72 hours away from the World Cup, and teams are already arriving in the USA and the West Indies to play warm up games. At the same time, some teams, including Pakistan and England, are still engaged in series matches. Unlike other teams that had fewer preparatory matches, Pakistan had about 12 T20Is available between the end of the Pakistan Super League and the start of the T20 World Cup 2024, which provided a significant opportunity to prepare for T20 World Cup. How well Pakistan has utilized this opportunity will become clear in a few days. For now, it appears that Pakistan is struggling to solidify its lineup. Today, we’ll focus on one increasingly severe issue: Pakistan’s troubles with its opening batsmen.

Looking at the squads chosen for recent series and Pakistan’s final squad for the T20 World Cup, you’ll notice about 4 to 5 openers in the team. Despite having so many potential openers, it has been challenging to find the right pairing for this critical role.

The severity of this issue can also be gauged by instances where some players were excluded from the team because there were already too many openers. Mohammad Haris is a prime example of this situation. Furthermore, players like Fakhar Zaman and Usman Khan, whose natural positions are as openers, have been forced to adapt to middle-order roles due to the overflow of opening batsmen.

The Decline in Pakistan’s Opening Partnerships: Impact on Team Performance

Now, let’s examine some statistics that demonstrate how the issue of opening partnerships could pose a significant problem for Pakistan in the World Cup.

We will compare stats from periods before and after the T20 World Cup 2022, taking the 2022 World Cup as a reference point.

Since the 2022 T20 World Cup, the average score of Pakistani openers has been remarkably low, with openers scoring just 19.86 on average. The failure of openers has meant that Pakistan has not managed to reach a total of 200 or more during this period. The win percentage for Pakistan has dropped to just 37%.

In contrast, in the 1.5 years leading up to the 2022 World Cup, Pakistan’s win percentage was 64%, largely thanks to the strong performances of our openers. At that time, Pakistan’s opening pairs averaged 50 runs per innings and contributed 32% to the team’s total runs.

Some might question the strike rate during that period. However, a comparison of the stats shows that the run rate of the opening partnerships has been almost the same in both periods. The only difference is the lack of stability in the partnerships compared to before the 2022 World Cup.

Evaluation Opening Pairs: Rizwan and Ayub’s Disappointing Partnership

Digging deeper into the current situation, Mohammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub’s partnership is turning out to be the worst in Pakistan’s history. This duo has managed only 98 runs at an average of 12.25 in 8 innings, with a highest score of 33. With the T20 World Cup just around the corner, this is highly concerning. It’s uncertain how long the team management will continue with this pair, but it’s clear that their performance as openers has been disappointing.

Another possible pairing is Babar and Saim, but their performance hasn’t been promising either. During the home series against New Zealand, they started the innings and accumulated only 80 runs across 4 matches, including one partnership of 55 runs. Aside from that, this pair also failed to impress. Babar has also hinted that he will mostly bat in the one-down position.

So, the question remains: how long can this situation continue, especially with the World Cup looming so close and our opening pair still being unstable? Will it be Saim and Babar, or Saim and Rizwan? Or will the team consider other options like Fakhar Zaman or Usman Khan? It’s a very confusing and critical time. Amidst all this, one thing the Pakistan cricket team lacks is the luxury of time, as they are set to play their first match in just 7 days.