‘Pakistan should have defended 313’

KARACHI: Failing to defend a competitive total of 313 against a second-string New Zealand team is alarming when the World Cup 2015 is just around the corner, said former Test cricketer Salahuddin Ahmed on Monday.
“The bowlers should have defended the total, especially when the New Zealand team didn’t have any big name,” former chief selector Sallu said in an interview.
Pakistan played a warm-up match against New Zealand’s Board President XI and conceded a humiliating six-wicket defeat even after scoring 313 runs.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq scored 107 runs off 119 balls.
“However, the match cleared the rumours that Misbah may not have recovered from the hamstring injury. With his century he has sent the message loud and clear that he has recovered and is now fit,” Sallu added.
He said it was a good thing that the team crossed the 300-run mark even when Mohammad Hafeez, Younus Khan and Shahid Afridi failed to score. Hafeez scored 2, Younus 1 and Afridi got out on zero. “The team management should now focus on our bowling department,” he said.
Sallu said it was a bit disappointing that pacer Ehsan Adil conceded 81 runs in 9.2 overs. “The team needs to do a lot of work and they must quickly acclimatise with the conditions Down Under. We must adapt to the conditions soon,” he added.
“In Australia and New Zealand, the ball used to bounce in the past but it doesn’t anymore,” he said. “Even Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson has complained of low-bounce, slow pitches. So I believe there will be high-scoring matches in the World Cup.”
The two teams will again clash on January 27 in Lincoln before the first ODI on January 31 in Wellington. The second match of the two-match series will be played on February 3 in Napier.