T20 World Cup 2022: Three players to support Mohammad Rizwan

After losing the Asia Cup final, if Pakistan wants to have a successful campaign in Australia's upcoming T20I World Cup, these three players from the squad need to support their in-form opener Mohammad Rizwan.

Babar Azam- The skipper has been known for his discipline and level-headed attitude. Having been placed in the first spot in ICC rankings, the batter got dethroned by his fellow opener Mohammad Rizwan. 

He has been facing difficulty performing consistently in the past few months. Even his performance was below the par in Asia Cup. 

If only he is having a good day with his willow alongside Mohammad Rizwan, then they both are the deadliest opening pair in this format. 

They recently became the first to rack up 2000 runs in the T20Is. They both keep the potential to chase down even a total of 200 runs and win the game by ten wickets. Recently they achieved this against England in the second T20I, where they chased down 200 runs with three balls to spare and registered a 10-wicket win.  

Their 10-wicket win over India in the 2021 T20 World Cup remains memorable. So his form will be crucial for Mohammad Rizwan and Pakistan. 

Shadab Khan- He is a prodigious ball turner with an excellent ability to take wickets, maintaining a low economy rate and is also a helpful lower-order right-handed batsman. He gave an impressive performance in the Asia Cup and will be a crucial all-rounder for Pakistan in the World Cup. 

He has a strike rate of 137.70 in T20Is and an economy of 7.02 with best figures of 4/8. While he is dominant with the ball, the vice-captain's performance with the bat will be crucial for Pakistan's struggling middle order, accelerating innings towards the end.

The T20I World Cup will also be a golden opportunity for him to establish himself as a leader and play crucial knocks for Pakistan.

Shaheen Shah Afridi- "He's a wicket-taker. He sort of lifts the team. He's a guy that other players follow," said Mark Waugh.

Shaheen Shah Afridi's potential to turn the game in Pakistan's favour is scaringly infinite. His height, pace, and swings make him one of the most challenging bowlers a team could face on bouncy Australian pitches. 

Pakistan has been playing without their leading pacer for quite a long time due to his knee injury, which is still on the road to recovery. Having him in the squad with complete form will mean quick early wickets that will pressurize the opposition in any situation.

Mohammad Rizwan is already in good form and attacks from the very first ball with his bat, and if Shaheen Shah Afridi also starts picking early wickets, Pakistan's victory is guaranteed.