<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Former champions Pakistan are counting on fit-again pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi to be back to his destructive best at the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 22-year-old was on Tuesday given the green light to join the squad after recovering from a right knee injury sustained in the first Test against Sri Lanka in July.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He missed the Asia Cup, the Twenty20 series against England and this week's tri-series in New Zealand.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The tall left-arm fast bowler has completed an intensive period of rehab in London and will travel to Australia, where he has two warm-up games in Brisbane next week to regain his rhythm, the first against England on Monday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pakistan will have a final warm-up against Afghanistan next Wednesday to prepare for their blockbusting opening match against India at the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 23, which is expected to draw 90,000 spectators.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Shaheen destroyed India's top order in the T20 World Cup in Dubai last year, dismissing Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, returning figures of 3-31 as Pakistan romped to a 10-wicket victory.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pakistan's maiden World Cup win against India set up the team's march to the semi-final, where they lost to eventual champions Australia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"He has recovered well and we are confident that he will be at his best come the India game," captain Babar Azam told AFP.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We have a very good fast bowling attack which Shaheen leads."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Top-order batsman Fakhar Zaman, who scored 55 not out against Australia in last year's semi-final, is also on the road to recovery after a knee injury.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Zaman, who is one of the three travelling reserves for the T20 World Cup, will travel to Brisbane with Shaheen and will complete his rehabilitation," the country's cricket board said Tuesday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>- Fragile middle order -</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Since last year's World Cup, Pakistan have swept to 3-0 T20 series wins against Bangladesh and the West Indies, lost to Australia again in a lone T20 in Lahore and reached the final of the Asia Cup in the UAE where they lost to Sri Lanka.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">England edged them 4-3 in a home series. Pakistan won their first two games in the current tri-series against Bangladesh and New Zealand before losing the third to the Black Caps on Tuesday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Our team has done well, so I am optimistic about our chances in the World Cup," said Azam, whose team faces India, Bangladesh, South Africa and two qualifiers in Group 2 with the top two progressing to the semi-finals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pakistan have a potent and varied bowling attack, with fast-improving Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain supplementing Shaheen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Leg-spinner Shadab Khan leads the spin quartet alongside left-armer Mohammad Nawaz, off-spinner Iftikhar Ahmed and leg-spinner Usman Qadir.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pakistan's middle order batting has been their achilles heel despite the presence of the prolific Azam and Mohammad Rizwan at the top of the order.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The pair set a world record for the highest chase without losing a wicket when they posted 203 to beat England in Karachi last month with Azam making an unbeaten 110 and Rizwan 88 not out, their second double-century opening stand in T20s.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But if the pair fall early then the team's batting fragility can be exposed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Apart from the positives, we had some concerns and I think our middle-order needs to step up," admits Azam, who has seen Iftikhar, Shan Masood, Khushdil Shah, Haider Ali and Asif Ali all given chances but failing to make any consistent impact.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We have tested our bench strength by sending different combinations in batting and bowling. We are working on our fielding too." AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>