Pakistan won the 3rd ODI against New Zealand today, successfully managing to defend a total set up by some explosive batting by Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal and a century by Mohammad Hafeez. Recent performances in matches against RSA, England and Australia show the team has a very good shot at the Cricket World Cup due to start in February 2011.

Pakistan has a lot of factors going against it, chief of which is the absence of star bowler Mohammad Amir, but there are other factors that Pakistan does have in its favour:

1. Without any shadow of a doubt Shahid Afridi. Boom Boom Boom. Record number of sixes in ODIs, fastest ODI century, three of the six fastest centuries, fastest spin bowler.  Today he scored 65 runs off a mere 25 balls, with a strike rate of exactly 260.  His half century was completed only in 19 balls. During the Asia cup last year, he scored 270+ runs in the three matches he played. Along with Abdur Razzak, he is also one of the most murderous batsmen in the death overs as well

2. Abdur Razzak.  One of the more lethal bowlers, but just as effective with his bat as well. Only three months ago, he stunned RSA with a century that totally turned the match around for Pakistan, and is one of the few batsman who possess the ability to turn the match a complete 180 degrees.

3. The brothers Akmal. Both are good batsmen, potentially explosive, capable of smashing away boundaries with a mere flick of their wrists. Omar Akmal is also beginning to prove his abilities as a wicketkeeper as well.

4. Solid and steady batsmen in Younis Khan and Misbah. Younis does not bowl very often, but when he does, he manages to break stubborn partnerships.

5. Shoaib Akhtar. The world’s fastest fast bowler. Very lethal when he clicks. Expensive when he doesn’t. Very injury prone however.

6. Omar Gul. Another potentially very lethal bowler. Like Akhtar, he too is very injury prone and very expensive on his bad days.

7. Abdur Rehman. Always manages to get away with a few wickets, without leaking too many runs.

8. Mohammad Hafeez. Solid batsman, lethal bowler.

9. Wahab Riaz. Proved how destructive he could be in the series against Australia and England.

10. Saeed Ajmal. No justification required.

Another factor I would like to mention here is the sheer resilience of the Pakistan cricket team. This is one team that never lets its problems and the controversy that has now become part and parcel of Pakistani cricket get in the way of victory (can’t say much about other obstacles though).

Despite all the above, I would not count Pakistan as one of the favored teams for the cup. – simply because of the unpredictability inherent in the team. One day they bring their opposition down on its knees, the next day they play like babies who never learnt how to hold a bat. They may possess the ability to recover a match from a losing position – but they also possess the ability to lose a match from a winning position as well.  They lose matches against minnows (Who can forget the debacle against Ireland in the 2007 edition of the World Cup?), but they win matches against the strongest of opponents. You never know when the items in my list above will all of a sudden stop working for Pakistan.

Who would want to bet money on a team like this?