Pakistan will work to break this tagline
When it comes to unpredictability, no team can beat Pakistan. They can go from playing like novices one day to performing like world beaters the next more dramatically than any other side.
However, over the last few years, under Misbah ul-Haq's captaincy, this mercurial nature of the side has been replaced by a calmness and stability in the Test team.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the one-day side. The strange and inconsistent selection policy has prevented the emergence of a well-settled team.
Still, there are many talented players in their Champions Trophy squad that can make them a dangerous side.
As usual, the stronger suit for Pakistan is their bowling. In Mohammad Amir, they have a very capable new ball bowler who can utilize English conditions to great effect. He hasn't quite set the stage on fire since his return to international cricket but has become more reliable with time and has every now and then produced brilliant spells with the new ball.
But the man to watch out for could well be Wahab Riaz. He is most likely the fastest bowler in the line-up and has the ability to both reverse swing the ball as well as get the discomfiting extra bounce with his short deliveries.
Junaid Khan is another very talented bowler and some years ago, his star seemed to be in ascendant. However, injury derailed his career and he is now trying to re-establish himself in the side. He too relies on swing and can bowl at good speeds. Hasan Ali is a more conventional swing bowler who doesn't have express pace but can be useful in overcast condition.
The trump card for Pakistan, however could well be their teenage leg-spin bowling sensation Shadab Khan. He is able to get prodigious turn and also possesses a brilliant googly. Shadab may well be the player to watch out for in this event.
There are a couple of senior players in the batting line-up who would be expected to lead the charge for the team in that department. Mohammad Hafeez is a former captain and has had success at this level, however in the past he has shown great vulnerability against the swinging ball around the off stump. In England, that weakness could come back to haunt him.
Shoaib Malik, on the other hand, is a veteran now and is doing quite well in the ODI format. He will be expected to provide stability to the middle-order.
The captain of the team, Sarfraz Ahmed is a doughty and pugnacious player who is well-deserving of the job given to him. He is tenacious batsmen who can fight it out in tough situations as well as scrap for extra runs in the final overs.
Azhar Ali has been the rock of the Pakistani Test line-up at No 3 spot but inspite of three hundreds, is yet to establish himself on a similar footing in ODI's.
Ahmad Shehzad's looks as well as his batting style to some extent, reminds one of Virat Kohli. But he too has been a victim of shoddy selection policy and hasn't yet made himself the player he has the potential to be.
The young man now considered to be the emerging great is the prolific Babar Azam. With five centuries in just 26 games to his name, including three on the trot, it's no wonder that he is highly rated by keen watchers of Pakistan cricket. Though he doesn't yet have the destructive stroke-play that a Virat Kohli or Quinton de Kock possess, he is an extremely solid batsmen who is keen on building an innings and can be the fulcrum of Pakistan's batting.
Haris Sohail and Imad Wasim are two promising youngsters who will look to prove themselves. The latter is also a useful left-arm spinner who can contribute a few overs of spin.
With many talented players, Pakistan will always have a chance but whether they will be able to rise to the occasion, as always, remains to be seen.