At one end, a team that has not quite recaptured its glory since Imran Khan bade it adieu, and at the other, one that has languished after its promise in 2003 never really took off. At the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, on Wednesday, Pakistan should be on their guard given their tendency to be shocked by the so-called minnows, as Kenya will look to rattle a vulnerable team early in the tournament.It will take the bigger hitters to yoke the vast boundaries of the new Hambantota ground in Sri Lanka. The wind will be a factor too and select cordons will be favoured for shot-making, depending on which way the wind blows. The Sri Lankans themselves, who played Canada here, were circumspect at the start as this is a pitch that appears to require some initial application due to the smattering of grass the surface warrants with the dry conditions.
Pakistan:
In the dynamic Ahmed Shehzad, Pakistan have another addition to the gaggle of promising openers that keep seeming to bubble up in the country. With two centuries this month, he seems to have found the ability to convert form and promise into big scores. Mohammad Hafeez’s bat has been dry since his century in Napier last month, but his stability should get him to open with Shehzad. Younus Khan, who has stuck it through thick and thin with Pakistan, stood out once more in the practice match against England, with a patient 80. Misbah ul-Haq came good in the warm-up against Bangladesh and has a reputation to hold down in the middle order, wherein the Akmal brothers, Umar and Kamran, will inject their charisma.
Expect Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul to get the Kenyan openers watchful and timid. A lacklustre Gul has not had the chance to rub shoulders against Kenya, and will want to use the match to rake up some form. Saeed Ajmal’s overused yet mysterious doosra will be a revelation to the Kenyans, and you can just see him pin down the scoring rate as the batsmen struggle to read him. Afridi should back him up with his own brand of stifling, fast wrist-spin, and together they can be expected to produce a tumble of wickets, or a worst, some sedate middle overs.
With left-armer Abdur Rehman not being in any sort of form lately, and pacer Wahab Riaz’s ascending figures, Pakistan may opt for the pacer given that dew might well play a part in the second innings. A consistent Junaid Khan may get a look in for this game, if the team wants to give him a go in the preamble to the bigger matches to come.
Mohammads Asif and Amir may be AWOL in this side, but the shortages in the Pakistani outfit are always filled up, ably, by someone or the other. Already, Hafeez and Shehzad are ensuring Salman Butt is not missed as much as he should be.
Kenya:
Kenya were beaten black and blue in their last outing against New Zealand, and the bad news for them is that up next is an even better bowling attack. However, after getting bowled out for 69, things can only get better for the Africans, and they will be desperate to show the cricketing world that they belong on this stage. One can expect a backlash from that opening game debacle, and Kenya will surely buckle down and put up some semblance of a score in their second outing.
To help Kenya achieve that, they have a promising opener in Seren Waters. A boundary-laden century against the Netherlands in a warm-up game showed him off for his form, application and flamboyance. A valuable Collins Obuya at no. 3 will look to take his form into this important match. Steve Tikolo has been Kenya’s second centurion in the past two weeks and holds the middle order together. As was seen in their match against the Kiwis, when the veteran fell cheaply, the batsmen who came after him just could not get going. Rakep Patel will look for the big ones once he gets his eye in.
Among the bowlers, Nehemene Odhiambo has performed consistently, with 7 wickets over four practice games. He will be partnered by spearhead Peter Ongondo, who has an economy rate of 4.50, and assisted by the bowling all-rounder Thomas Odoyo. Left-arm spinner Shem Ongoche has been among the wickets, as has Tikolo with his own brand of off-breaks. Sadly, due to the ineptitude of the batting unit, the bowlers had practically nothing to defend in the match against New Zealand, and their contribution was limited to just 8 overs. Given an opportunity to play a full game, the Kenyan bowlers will hope to put on a good showing against Pakistan.
With all their batsmen having performed equally poorly in their last outing, it is highly unlikely that Kenya will make any specific changes to their side, and one can expect the same starting eleven to take the field.
Form guide:
Pakistan:
Feb 18, 2011 - Lost to England by 67 runs
Feb 15, 2011 - Defeated Bangladesh by 89 runs
Feb 5, 2011 - Lost to New Zealand by 57 runs
Feb 3, 2011 - Defeated New Zealand by 41 runs
Feb 1, 2011 - Defeated New Zealand by 2 wickets
Pakistan’s mixed fortunes in recent tournaments can be put down to their disconnect from the advantage of form and momentum – a disease which people forgivingly label ‘unpredictability’. They have the talent and the glory -seekers, but seem to either fall short or overshoot.
Kenya:
Feb 20, 2011 - Lost to New Zealand by 10 wickets
Feb 15, 2011 - Lost to Netherlands by 2 wickets
Feb 12, 2011 - Lost to West Indies by 61 runs
Feb 8, 2011 - Defeated Ireland by 3 wickets
Feb 6, 2011 - Defeated Afghanistan by 49 runs
Kenya are clearly a team who have undergone a decline, having once been a team that made the semi-finals in the 2003 World Cup. They can crush the associate teams, but find it tough to match the test-playing nations.
Likely teams:
Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Younus Khan, Misbah ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman/Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul/Junaid Khan
Kenya: Seren Waters, Alex Obanda, Collins Obuya, Steve Tikolo, Maurice Ouma, Rakep Patel, Jimmy Kamande, Thomas Odoyo, Peter Ongondo, Shem Ongoche, Nehemene Odhiambo
Players to watch:
If the in-form Shahid Afridi happens to check out his non-descript record against Kenya, he will be spurred to make drastic amends, and Kenya beware!
If the same Rakep Patel who helped Kenya overhaul a total of 320 against the Netherlands in 2010 shows up at this game, expect a twist; or at the very least, some fireworks.
Prediction: Despite it usually being hard to speculate on matches involving Pakistan, you could place your bets on a win for them at Hambantota. If they can curb their mercury levels, and Kenya duly find it hard to negotiate the bowling, Afridi’s boys will know that it should be a walk-over. But, knowing the Pakistan side, one will have to add: “Insha'Allah!”
