With just a few ODIs left to play forward of the 50-over World Cup, Imam-ul-Haq has suggested towards experimenting with Pakistan's underperforming center order, despite the fact that the crew has taken an unassailable 3-0 lead of their five-match sequence towards New Zealand. Imam, the participant of the match within the third ODI, was particularly not satisfied by the choice of enjoying Iftikhar Ahmed or Mohammad Haris as power-hitters within the center overs.

"To be honest I don't think so because we don't have time to do experiments," he mentioned. "With Agha [Salman], Shadab [Khan], and [Mohammad] Nawaz, we have enough power-hitting to improvise. It's just a matter of giving them confidence. Their stats aren't as big as we have in the top three and it's tough for them because they get five to six overs but their chip-in is impactful and useful."

Pakistan have largely relied on their high three, consisting of Imam, Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam, who've scored 62.6% of the crew's runs - the very best amongst all nations - because the 2019 ODI World Cup. They common 19 runs per dismissal greater than the remainder of their batting - which can be the very best for any crew. The Imam-Babar partnership reaped a mean of 89.83 together with six hundred-run stands; Fakhar-Babar and Fakhar-Imam, in the meantime, have placed on 817 and 812 runs respectively.

On the opposite hand, Pakistan's center order has didn't constantly construct on the platform set by the highest order. The batters between No. 4 and No. 7 have averaged 26.9, marginally decrease than West Indies, whose middle-order batters common 26.2. While Imam mentioned he most popular to have a settled line-up with the bat given there's an ODI World Cup across the nook, he famous that their bowlers wanted to strike extra usually within the center overs.

"Both Nawaz and Shadab are outstanding allrounders so we have to give them the confidence," Imam mentioned. "Babar might be thinking differently but that is what I feel. We have only two games left and it's really very important to go into a bigger tournament, you have to be settled as much as you can with your main players. We have very less cricket and I don't think we have enough time to find a workaround.

Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam, along with Imam, tend to score a high percentage of Pakistan's runs in ODIs•AFP/Getty Images

"But I really feel inside 11 to 35 overs we have to take wickets in them and we aren't in a position to fetch sufficient. Sometimes, I really feel that is lacking and if our spinners within the center begin taking wickets then the match will probably be much more in our management. Today [last night], we took wickets in center overs therefore we managed to cut back them to beneath 270. So going ahead I feel fielding and health is one other division we should always make a distinction. Catches on essential phases turn out to be essential."

Pakistan's squad for the New Zealand series features many players with strong ODI records in recent years, thus increasing their chances of securing a spot in the World Cup roster. Their team combination, however, has forced a lot of top-order players - including Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Haris - to drop down to the middle order. When asked if the competition threatens his place, Imam said his ability to handle pressure has helped him remain relevant.

"When you play for Pakistan, you end up beneath strain in each state of affairs and popping out of it's one thing that defines you," he said. "It's vital to deal with strain and that's the place you create a distinction. Everyone may be very gifted and all the brand new openers making their approach into the aspect are good and it robotically creates a way of competitors inside. You at all times stay in your toes, you must notch up the extent of your efficiency and sustain your health, and with everybody round, it creates wholesome competitors which is sweet for the crew."

Imam said that of late, his role has evolved to include more aggression. But he tempered it to better suit conditions that weren't exactly batter-friendly in Rawalpindi.

"I'm no extra enjoying an anchor function as a result of one-day cricket is quick now and should you take a look at my final eight or 9 video games, my strike price is over 100. So now after we get a ball [that's in the slot] we could have a boundary however as we speak (final evening) particularly the wicket was enjoying otherwise and we have been within the Pindi section of thoughts.

"The ball wasn't coming on the up but Fakhar and I do not think a lot as we [have been] playing together for a long time now. The plan is [that it is] always good to have 50-60 runs in the first ten without losing a wicket and then if the wicket is good we try and settle it [total] around 330 to 350. But the wicket was on the slower side and the ball wasn't coming on the bat well, so we knew 270-280 [would be par] but if our top four went with runs it could have gone to 300-plus."

Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent