Pakistan Twenty20 prospects

Pakistan factbox for the Twenty20 World Cup opening at Lord's in London on Friday:

Pakistan factbox for the Twenty20 World Cup opening at Lord's in London on Friday:

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Strengths

Skipper Younis Khan needs to do little to motivate a team hungry for success after being starved of international games due to security concerns at home. The 2007 finalists know success will go a long way to revitalise Pakistan cricket and if the batsmen play to their potential, their bowlers led by Sohail Tanvir and Shahid Afridi can come into play.

Weaknesses

Players missed out on useful practice in the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to political tension between Pakistan and India following the Mumbai attacks last November. The team are also notoriously inconsistent, exiting the last 50-overs World Cup in the first round.

Key player

Afridi, whose all-out aggression seemed to have anticipated the demands of Twenty20 cricket, is a vital component. Although unpredictable and without a half-century in 16 Twenty20 internationals, he can be explosive with the bat. His good recent form with his fast leg-spin and sharp fielding will be crucial.

Odds: 6/1

Squad

Younis Khan (Captain), Fawad Alam, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Aamir, Salman Butt, Shahzaib Hasan, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat, Ahmed Shehzad, Rao Iftikhar, Misbah-ul-Haq, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Umar Gul.