Miandad urges Pakistan to chase consistency

KARACHI: Former captain Javed Miandad Thursday urged Pakistan to focus on consistency after their one-day series win away to Sri Lanka.

Pakistan thumped the hosts by seven wickets in the fourth one-day international in Colombo on Wednesday to take an unassailable 3-1 lead ahead of the final match in Colombo on Sunday.

The win boosts Pakistan´s chances of qualifying for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England but Miandad said the team must move on from the mercurial unpredictability of the past.

"Our team is looking good now but we need consistent work on it because we should belong to the top four. Nine-eight in the rankings is not our position and for that consistent work is needed," said Miandad, one of Pakistan´s greatest ever batsmen.

Miandad warned other teams were improving rapidly and Pakistan must take care not to slip back.

"We have to compete at the top level and with teams like Bangladesh and England showing great improvement we have to lift ourselves so that we can compete with teams like Australia, South Africa and India," he said.

"Bangladesh has proved their rise by beating teams like Pakistan, India and South Africa so cricket is changing and to be in that race we have to rise consistently and stick to basics which we had not been doing."

Bangladesh rose to seventh in the ICC rankings after crushing series wins over Pakistan, India and South Africa in home one-day series since April this year.

Another former captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, praised the team´s dynamism, after some unusually athletic fielding helped them to victory over Sri Lanka.

"Pakistan have shown they are a vibrant team and has shown improvement in all three departments and that is a good sign," he said.