Green-shirts lament exhaustive schedule

NAPIER, New Zealand: One could see Pakistani players trying to kill time at the Auckland airport less than 24 hours after winning a tense World Cup game against Zimbabwe in Brisbane.
They were on the way to Napier, a quaint city in the Hawkes Bay region In New Zealand’s North Island, to play Wednesday’s Pool B game against UAE. They would return to Auckland to play against South Africa on Saturday before taking another trans-Tasman flight to Adelaide for their last group game against Ireland.
“It is really tough,” lamented Misbah. “All the travelling and then playing three matches in six days but it’s a job and we have to deliver somehow,” he added.
Most of the other World Cup teams are also shuttling from one World Cup destination to another except for the tournament’s big three – the two co-hosts Australia and New Zealand and India. But Pakistan have been particularly given a raw deal.
They have to catch flights from Australia and New Zealand mostly for cities that have no direct connection. This means that sometimes one journey can consume a whole day and that’s killing for a side that has three must-win games packed in a week’s time.
Pakistan flew to Brisbane last week for last Sunday’s Zimbabwe clash and then arrived in Napier on Monday for Wednesday’s game against UAE here at McLean Park. They will fly out for Auckland on Thursday to play against South Africa on Saturday before returning to Adelaide next week for their final Pool B game against Ireland. Before that there was a long break after the opening game against India n Adelaide on February.
Misbah lamented that initially long breaks broke the omentum of Pakistan’s preparations and now they are being bogged by a hectic schedule.
“You don’t get rhythm so it’s tough for any team as you have to play in different conditions and weather but you can’t change that. We have to put this aside, handle it and this is the only way out.
“These are very important games. We have to travel almost after every game so that could be really challenging but we have to do that.”