Power-hitting is one of the most important aspects of modern cricket, especially in the shortest format. In a T20 game, each side gets only 120 balls (legitimate) to score. Therefore, there is hardly any room for a newcomer to play dot balls. The loss of one or two wickets does not prevent a team from launching a counter-attack.

Power-hitting now is not restricted to the late order batters nor is it the domain of top order batsmen. Sometimes if regular batsmen fail to deliver, bowlers take the responsibility and take the team out of the crisis.

With a comprehensive all-round performance against South Africa, Greenshirts kept their hopes of qualifying for semi-finals alive. Though it looks improbable, technically Pakistan are not yet out of the tournament. Today's matches will decide which two teams qualify for the last-four stage from this group.

The scenario is not new for Pakistan. Many times in the past, we have had to wait for other teams' matches to know whether we are advancing to the knockout stage. In the ongoing T20 World Cup, despite losing to India and Zimbabwe, the Green-shirts are waiting for a miracle from Zimbabwe against India or from Netherlands against South Africa.

The real problem for the Pakistan cricket team in the T20 format in recent times has been the shortage of power hitters, especially in the beginning of the innings.

Our openers Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan cannot hit big shots. If Pakistan need to chase 180-200 runs, both don't have the ability to score at 9-10 runs per over in the first six overs (power-play).

In the top order, Pakistan need players like Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Quinton de Kock, Rohit Sharma and Martin Guptill who can hit fours and sixes from the first over.

Pakistani batsmen have always remained in trouble on Australian soil. Pakistan first visited Australia in 1964 to play a one-off Test match and since then it's been a struggle for Pakistan to make their mark on Australian soil.

Over a dozen 50-over World Cups and half a dozen T20 World Cups, Pakistan have never beaten Australia in the knockout rounds. Win against Netherlands in the ongoing World Cup was Pakistan's first win in any T20I in Australia.

Babar and Rizwan, who have been successful openers in T20I cricket, have failed to do well in Australian conditions. Babar scored only 14 in the first four matches, averaging 3.5 and a strike rate of 46, while Rizwan managed 71 in the same number of games at an average of 17.75.

In the World Cup, the batting department looks heavily reliant on out-of-form openers. Repeated failures of big-hitters Asif Ali and Haider Ali have frustrated Pakistani fans.

The Green-shirts have lost so many matches due to poor batting by the middle order. Asif, Haider and Khushdil Shah have been given enough chances, but they all have disappointed the fans.

No doubt, Asif is a talented batsman who can hit sixes cleanly and he proved it in the World Cup 2021 in the UAE. First he won the game against New Zealand when Pakistan were 87-5 in the 15th over while chasing 135. Asif shared an unbeaten 48-run partnership with Shoaib Malik, hitting back-to-back sixes in the 17th over that helped Pakistan win easily. He scored 25 off just seven balls.

In the next game, against Afghanistan, Asif again emerged as the hero for Pakistan as he hit four sixes in the penultimate over. Pakistan needed 24 off 12 balls. Asif hit two of the first three balls of the 19th over bowled by Karim Janat for sixes before depositing the final two balls into the stands as well.

But in the ongoing World Cup, Asif failed to do well though he is one of the most destructive middle-order batsmen in PSL history. He has hit 216 sixes in 176 T20 innings.

Haider and Khushdil are regarded as great hitters in Pakistan domestic cricket, but unfortunately they failed to deliver in international matches.

At the time of selection for the T20 World Cup, chief selector Muhammad Wasim said: "We have tried to cover all our bases by catering for the modern day brand of T20 cricket that will be required to perform strongly in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup."

About Asif and Khushdil, he said: "They are the best in the available pool of middle-order batsmen and we remain confident that they will provide us solutions to our middle-order difficulties through solid performances."

Sharjeel Khan is an explosive opener and on his day he can take the game away from the opposition in the first few overs of the match.

Azam Khan is regarded as one of the finest power-hitters in the country. He hits the ball for mammoth sixes. He has a magnificent strike rate of 157.41.

One batsman cannot win every match. The management must develop power-hitters who can perform consistently.

Pakistan team needs some explosive players like Shahid Afridi who was known for his six-hitting ability. When on song, he could rip apart the opposition bowling. His career strike rate of 154.21 was incredible.

Now Pakistan cricket needs some fresh faces to help gain momentum especially in T20 cricket.

In July this year, the PCB appointed former batting great Mohammad Yousuf as permanent batting coach for the national side while former Australian batter Matthew Hayden is the batting consultant for the ongoing T20 World Cup.

Without any doubt, Yousuf is one of the finest batsmen Pakistan have produced in history. He was a classy player who played risk free cricket. With his batting style, he is useful for ODI and Test matches, but for the shortest format of the game he cannot be a good coach. He played T20 cricket for Pakistan only against England on English soil with a high score of 26 and a strike rate 116.66.

Now a power-hitting coach is the need of the team. The selectors must find out pow­er-hitters.

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