World T20 team preview: Back Pakistan at your own peril

The coast has almost cleared. The Pakistan cricket team seems likely to travel to India having finally overcome security concerns and a venue change. But beyond all the politics and board bickering, the focus now shifts to their cricket, which lately hasn't been much to brag about.
Pakistan's performance in the recently-concluded Asia Cup suggests they are far from a finished team.A sad total of 83 against India and a defeat to Bangladesh sent them crashing out of the tournament. They have no match form to bank on. The batting looks clueless and fragile - that Ahmed Shehzad was hastily granted an Indian visa as PCB chairman Shahyrar Khan admitted that recalling Khurram Manzoor was a mistake speaks volumes - and their bowling has reasonably underperformed.
In the firing line: Shahid Afridi (AFP)
In charge of the team is Shahid Afridi, who continues to receive flak from close quarters of the Pakistan cricket administration. A quintessential trouper in his own right, Afridi has been horribly out of touch in both batting and bowling, which makes it difficult for him to justify his place in the squad, much less lead the side. The World T20 could be his swan song, and only Afridi knows how to pull the curtains down.
Pakistan's biggest trait - unpredictability - has turned against them and the side is a far cry from the Younis Khan-led side that lifted the trophy in 2009.
Super 10 Group: B (Australia, New Zealand, India and Group A winner)
Captain: Shahid Afridi

Squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Khalid Latif, Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Sami.
Strengths: Despite former Pakistan greats' claims of their national side being equally capable in both departments, the fact remains that their bowling is several notches above the batting. The left-arm pace-bowling trio of Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Irfan has dished out some unforgettable spells in the recent past.
Leading the pack is a rejuvenated Amir, who became the cynosure of many eyes during the Asia Cup. A lot will rest on his shoulders to provide the early breakthrough. Couple Amir's docile spells with Wahab and Irfan's pace, and Pakistan form one of the best pace bowling line-up in the tournament.
Weaknesses: Pakistan's bland form in T20Is has largely to do with their abrupt batting. Despite countless experiments, their top order still remains unstable with Mohammad Hafeez and Sharjeel Khan combining for just 94 runs in Pakistan's four games in the Asia Cup.
They've also struggled in Powerplay overs, having produced a run-rate of 6.29 in the format since 2012, which is the worst by any team. Another alarming fact: Pakistan batsmen score a fifty every 9.6 innings, which is again not the ideal recipe of success in T20Is. The only exception has been Sarfraz Ahmed, Pakistan's top scorer in the Asia Cup. Too much dependency on an experienced Shoaib Malik and a fluctuating Umar Akmal may not work for them every time. Both Akmal and Malik lack consistency, and it has become more evident since the retirement of Misbah-ul-Haq.
X-factor: Amir injected life into what looked like being an otherwise dull India-Pakistan Asia Cup contest. The sling-arm action was enough to remove Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane in one over, and Suresh Raina in the next. Whoever watched that spell will undoubtedly call it one of the best in recent memory. Starting afresh, Amir has shown what Pakistan have been missing out on the previous five years. Provided he can bowl with the same intensity and venom, Amir can be the difference between the two sides at the end of the day.
Mohammad Amir has ticked all boxes since his comeback. (AFP)
Trump Card: "He is more than just a Virat Kohli lookalike". It's time Ahmed Shehzad proves that statement correct. Pakistan replaced Manzoor with Shehzad in their WT20 squad, admitting that Manzoor's selection was a gamble. Shehzad was initially dropped from the World T20 squad announced last month after he managed just 65 runs in five T20Is. However, he batted well in the last phase of the Pakistan Super League, where he scored 290 runs in ten games at a strike-rate of 143.56, including a half-century in the final. Shehzad should also draw confidence from his run in the previous World T20, where he managed 138 runs from four matches, including a century.
T20I record
Overall: P 102 W 59 L 40 T 3
World T20: P 30 W 18 L 11 T 1
In 2016: P 7 W 3 L 4
World T20 summary
2007: Lost in the final to India
2009: Beat Sri Lanka to win title
2010: Lost to Australia in the semi-final
2012: Lost to Sri Lanka in the semi-final
2014: Failed to qualify for the knockouts
World T20 fixtures
v Qualifier A1 at Kolkata, March 16
v India at Kolkata, March 19
v New Zealand at Mohali, March 22
v Australia at Mohali, March 25
Prediction: Only on one occasion in the past has Pakistan not made it to the final four. However, things look bleak for them this time around. Similar conditions will give them hope, as will many of their players' stint in the PSL. But with strong teams in their group in India, Australia and New Zealand, a low-on-form Pakistan side will have to climb a mountain to add a second World T20 title.