Charged-up Pakistan ready for World Cup
Alam urges players not to under-estimate any team, even if it’s lowly ranked.
HAMBANTOTA:
Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam said his team is fully charged up for the World Cup despite losing their last warm-up against England. The 1992 champions play their opening match against minnows Kenya on Wednesday.
“The boys are confident of launching their World Cup campaign on a positive note,” said Alam. “We want to win all our group matches.”
Pakistan beat Bangladesh before going down to England in the lead-up to the tournament.
Alam, who was manager-cum-coach with the team which won the 1992 edition and the 2009 World Twenty20, said the aim is to take no team lightly.
“We know that it’s a World Cup and no team has come for an outing, so we have to be at our best to beat any side, whether it’s a lowly-ranked or a top team,” said Alam.
Prior grateful to Mushtaq
Matt Prior paid tribute to the influence of former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed after being labelled England’s best player of spin by teammate Stuart Broad.
Prior’s return to the middle-order for the World Cup campaign has been seen in the context of Kevin Pietersen’s promotion to partnering captain Andrew Strauss.
Prior played alongside Ahmed at Sussex where the leg-spinner twice took more than a hundred first-class wickets to the side to the 2003 and 2006 County Championship titles. Although Ahmed retired three years ago, he was employed as England’s spin-bowling coach.
“One of the biggest factors was having Mushy playing at Sussex,” said Prior.
“I spent a lot of time talking to him and working with him was a massive help.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 21st, 2011.
Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam said his team is fully charged up for the World Cup despite losing their last warm-up against England. The 1992 champions play their opening match against minnows Kenya on Wednesday.
“The boys are confident of launching their World Cup campaign on a positive note,” said Alam. “We want to win all our group matches.”
Pakistan beat Bangladesh before going down to England in the lead-up to the tournament.
Alam, who was manager-cum-coach with the team which won the 1992 edition and the 2009 World Twenty20, said the aim is to take no team lightly.
“We know that it’s a World Cup and no team has come for an outing, so we have to be at our best to beat any side, whether it’s a lowly-ranked or a top team,” said Alam.
Prior grateful to Mushtaq
Matt Prior paid tribute to the influence of former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed after being labelled England’s best player of spin by teammate Stuart Broad.
Prior’s return to the middle-order for the World Cup campaign has been seen in the context of Kevin Pietersen’s promotion to partnering captain Andrew Strauss.
Prior played alongside Ahmed at Sussex where the leg-spinner twice took more than a hundred first-class wickets to the side to the 2003 and 2006 County Championship titles. Although Ahmed retired three years ago, he was employed as England’s spin-bowling coach.
“One of the biggest factors was having Mushy playing at Sussex,” said Prior.
“I spent a lot of time talking to him and working with him was a massive help.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 21st, 2011.