Australia vs Pakistan, World Cup 2023: Who will replace Pak's weakest link Shadab Khan in line-up?

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Pakistan are likely to make some key changes to their line-up ahead of a crucial encounter against Australia in the ICC World Cup 2023 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday (October 19).

Pakistan should be concerned with the form of Shadab Khan, who plucked just two wickets from three matches while leaking runs aplenty. The underwhelming Shadab is a big reason for Pakistan's failure to exercise control over rivals in the middle overs.

In that context, they might just think of giving a chance to Usama Mir, the 27-year-old leg-spinner from Sialkot. Mir, who recovered completely from the fever, has played eight ODIs and has taken 11 wickets so far.

Meanwhile, all the Pakistan players save reserve wicketkeeper Mohamad Haris attended the day's practice session. In the absence of injured Naseem Shah, Afridi is expected to shoulder the team's attack in the World Cup.

However, he was not delivered yet on the expected lines. Afridi has taken four wickets from three matches and his economy rate of 6.31 is the second worst among Pakistan bowlers behind leg-spinner Shadab Khan, 6.55. His average for the tournament stands at 34.75, and both those stats are significantly higher than his career numbers 5.51 and 23.87.

Not so long ago, Afridi was a fearsome presence with the new ball, inflicting some serious damage in the Powerplay segment to rob opposition teams of early momentum. But in this tournament, Afridi looked a far cry from that furious avatar of him. Along with his reduced efficiency, the Pakistan management will be even more concerned with the sharp dip in Afridi's pace.

A bowler capable of touching close to 150 clicks, Afridi has crossed the 140-mark only intermittently in this World Cup, as batsmen tackled him with consummate ease on the slower Indian pitches.

The match against India at Ahmedabad was a case in point for that. Rohit Sharma flicked and pulled Afridi for fours and sixes, and Virat Kohli unfurled a delectable cover drive while leaning on his front foot, and those were the shots a fast bowler would loath to see being played against him.

But here Afridi was left with no real answers as his first four overs went for 32 runs and the wicket of Shubman Gill would hardly have been of any solace. Pakistan will hope that Afridi will slip into his best on Friday against Australia, and that will be imperative for them after a pasting by India.

With inputs from PTI