Plenty of hard work ahead for Pakistan at ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup

Defending champions Pakistan have plenty of hard work ahead of them if they are going to retain their ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup (ICC U/19 CWC) crown in Sri Lanka next month.

To start with, history is against them because no team has ever won back-to-back titles. In fact, only one team - Australia, in 1988 and 2002 - has been ICC U/19 CWC winners on more than one occasion.

Pakistan are about to discover that the defending champions are no longer the hunters; they are the hunted with every other side eager to claim their scalp and that is a pressure the players will have to cope with in every match.

On top of that, Pakistan's form coming into the tournament has been modest as they finished a disappointing fourth behind India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the Afro-Asian U/19 Cup in India last November.

However, the last thing any pundit can do is to write them off before a ball has been bowled in anger because there are also several factors that will count in their favour in Colombo.

The tournament is, after all, taking place on the sub-continent and that should be a help to the Pakistan players whose experience will be based almost exclusively on playing in extreme heat on dry, turning surfaces.

They have a decent draw too, as although Bangladesh (who beat them by one wicket in a thrilling encounter in the Afro-Asian U/19 Cup) are in their group - Group A - so too are New Zealand, whose players will be in alien conditions, and the Associate side Uganda.

Also in Pakistan's favour is the fact they still have the nucleus of the side that won the trophy in Bangladesh two years ago. The experience those older players have, especially if they make it to the latter stages, could prove crucial.

And while history says no team has ever successfully defended the title, it also shows Pakistan have a proud record that will be the envy of several other teams taking part.

After reaching the final of the first tournament in 1988 when a side including Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mushtaq Ahmed lost to Australia by five wickets, they have reached the Super League stage on every occasion since, something only India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka can match.

And as a further positive for the side, they will arrive in Sri Lanka with high-quality match-play under their belts thanks to a five-match series against the West Indies that is currently taking place in Pakistan.

That series is locked at 1-1 and it should ensure that when Pakistan play their opening match against Uganda at the P.Saravanamuttu Stadium on February 6, they will not be short of competitive practice.

With the bat, Pakistan will be expecting plenty from Muhammad Ibrahim, a right-hander who batted at number three in the first two matches of the West Indies series, scoring 65 and 56. He also bowls some medium pace which gives his side extra options in the field.

Two other key performers with the bat are hidden away in the middle order - the left-handed duo of captain Safaraz Ahmed and Ali Asad.

Both made runs in that disappointing Afro-Asian U/19 Cup campaign with Safaraz, who also keeps wicket, scoring fifties against South Africa and Bangladesh while Ali Asad made an unbeaten 79 in that match against South Africa.

That innings saw his side to one of only two wins they enjoyed in the tournament and Ali Asad showed his abilities to finish off a match again this week with an unbeaten 70 from 77 balls to take Pakistan to victory over the West Indies in Karachi.

All-rounder Ali Khan and the left-handed Nasir Jamshaid have opened against the West Indies while Riaz Kail, Rameez Raja and Laiq Muhammad will all be vying for middle-order berths.

Left-armer Jamshaid Ahmed and Anwer Ali Khan, a right-arm fast bowler, have taken the new ball in the early matches against the West Indies with seam support from Muhammad Ibrahim and Laiq Muhammad.

Interestingly, there are no frontline leg-spinners in the Pakistan squad although Riaz Kail and Muhammad Malik (off-spin) and Syed Wasim and Muhammad Fahim (left-arm) can provide slow-bowling options.

There is no doubt Pakistan's task to win the title again is a tough one but if they can get through the group stage then anything is possible because the draw means they will avoid both favourites India and the hosts Sri Lanka in the Super League quarter-finals.

Victory at that stage against qualifiers from either Group B (including Australia, South Africa and the West Indies) or Group D (England's group) would leave them just two wins away from their goal.

Pakistan have won the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup before and you can be sure they will believe they can win it again.

The Pakistan squad is: Safaraz Ahmed (captain), Nasir Jamshaid, Jamshaid Ahmed, Ali Asad, Akhtar Ayub, Muhammad Fahim, Riaz Kail, Ali Khan, Anwer Ali Khan, Muhammad Malik, Ibrahim Muhammad, Laiq Muhammad, Rameez Raja and Syed Wasim.

Manager - Aftab Baluch, Coach - Mansoor Rana, physiotherapist - Thomas Grant.

The ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup 2006 will take place between February 5 and 19. 16 teams are scheduled to play 44 matches in 15 days at five different venues in Colombo.