Decoded: Pakistan pace bowlers' domination of the Asia Cup

There is a volume of opinion doing the rounds on just why Pakistan is ranked as the best team in the world.

It is a distinction that they have earned, deserve, and will do anything and everything to protect. Even if it means resorting to a lethal battery of fast bowlers who breathe fire with every meteor that they hurl down at the crouching target standing 22 yards across the patch.

Together, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah form arguably the most formidable bowling attack on the planet and, a three-man consortium who consistently bowl at speeds pushing the 150mph barrier.

They are gentle off the field and they do not mind sharing a light moment with their opponents after the end of a battle.

But when they are in the middle, they allow the opposing batsman no respite or time to breathe.

With a deadly combination of pace, swing and relentless accuracy, these three fast bowlers have terrorised the batsmen in the ongoing Asia Cup, even troubling the vaunted Indian top-order in the rain-marred clash.

It's too early to make predictions, but Pakistan will be brimming with confidence when they reach India for a tilt at the World Cup.

Being the hosts, India will start the big favourite alongside defending champions England and Australia, but this Pakistan team have what it takes to go all the way.

And it's primarily their fast bowlers that have made them a formidable force.

When you think of it, with two balls and rules that heavily favour the batsmen in white-ball cricket, it's quite incredible to see the control of this Pakistan attack.

They complement each other so well. Shaheen, with his left-arm pace and the ability to move the ball both ways, can outfox the best of the batsmen in world cricket.

The 23-year-old's performance against the Indian top-order when he unleashed his scorching in-swingers and variations during the 2021 T20 World Cup and last Saturday's Asia Cup clash would continue to send shivers down the spine.

Naseem, Shaheen's new-ball partner who only made his white-ball debut at the age of 19 last year, seems to have mastered the format very quickly.

And, the 29-year-old Rauf, the third pacer in the bowling attack, is the late bloomer who was bowling to Virat Kohli in the nets during India's Australia tour in 2018 when the Pakistani bowler was playing club cricket Down Under.

For years Pakistan cricket has pursued creating a production line of fast bowlers that have physicality, ability, and guile. It’s the legacy that former greats like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis have left behind for a whole new generation of fast bowlers to build on.

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