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Friday March 29, 2024

Good start must for much-needed big win, stresses Misbah

NAPIER, New Zealand: Sunday’s 20-run win against Zimbabwe has lifted Pakistan from bottom-placed seventh to sixth spot in Pool B, writes Khalid Hussain.Statically, at least, it has done nothing more and nothing less.Pakistan, with just two points and a net run-rate of -1.373, are just ahead of UAE because of

By our correspondents
March 04, 2015
NAPIER, New Zealand: Sunday’s 20-run win against Zimbabwe has lifted Pakistan from bottom-placed seventh to sixth spot in Pool B, writes Khalid Hussain.
Statically, at least, it has done nothing more and nothing less.
Pakistan, with just two points and a net run-rate of -1.373, are just ahead of UAE because of a slightly better net run-rate but they trail the trio of Ireland, West Indies and Zimbabwe. India and South Africa are at the top of the table.
A seasoned campaigner, Misbah-ul-Haq is fully aware of the fact that after Pakistan’s last Pool B game against Ireland in Adelaide on March 15, it might all come down to the question of which team finishes the group stages with a better average.
And the skipper wants that team to be Pakistan.
That’s why he declared on Tuesday that Pakistan will go all out for a big win against Pool B minnows UAE here at McLean Park on Wednesday (today).
But he urged his top order to provide the team with a better and faster start.
“We were (eyeing) a better run-rate against Zimbabwe as well but we couldn’t get a good start and then we even struggled to win the game,” he said referring to Pakistan’s tense victory against Zimbabwe at Gabba on Sunday.
“Against UAE we will certainly have a go but once again it will depend on how good a start we can get. It’s really important for us to go about the game, make a good start and then if we have control of that game in our hand, then we can just push for that net run-rate,” he said.
Misbah is confident that his batters will fire against lowly UAE in batting-friendly Napier conditions after failing to do so in the previous three games.
“Cricket is a game of uncertainties, and sometimes you’ve got four, five poor innings and suddenly you score a hundred. Our batsmen are capable of doing that including the top order,” he said.
Misbah is hoping that batters like Ahmed Shehzad will regain lost form here today. “Ahmed has played some good knocks in the past here and I’m sure he will be confident of doing well.”
Pakistan have tried three openers in the tournament so far and neither of them has delivered. Younis Khan has been consigned to the benches after failing against India and West Indies. Will Nasir Jamshed also suffer a similar fate after two failures?
Misbah is not sure even as pressure is mounting on the Pakistanis to try out the prolific Sarfraz Ahmed, who is yet to make his World Cup debut.
“Whatever is happening is just happening in a couple of deliveries. We are losing wickets in the first over, in the second over, so you can’t say much about that. But obviously we are thinking about other options because we can’t just go there the whole tournament like that.”
Knowing that Pool B remains an open group, Misbah asked his team to bring improvement in their game in the coming matches.
“It is an open pool and anything can happen. We have to stay focused, improve our performance and try to win the coming games because that’s the simplest way to go forward.
Misbah hinted that after demolishing Zimbabwe with a five-bowler attack, Pakistan will use a similar strategy against UAE. “This pitch is more suitable for batting and you need to have five bowlers,” he said.