Sports

How Imran saw New Zealand thrashing

Imran Khan advises team not to panic or else their "World Cup campaign will be in tatters".

Reuters March 09, 2011

KARACHI: Pakistan's 1992 World Cup winning captain Imran Khan fears that their crushing Group A defeat against New Zealand on Tuesday could lead to the team self-destructing in this year's tournament.

Here are his thoughts as told to Reuters on Wednesday:

What should captain Shahid Afridi do now after this 110-run defeat?

"I just hope that they don't press the panic button. If they panic they will destruct and their World Cup campaign will be in tatters. You could see the players were nervous and tense. They need to recover quickly."

So what went wrong?

"I say it is good that this defeat has come at this stage of the tournament. The management must now rethink their team combinations and define new roles for the players. The batting order has also been wrong. You can't have your two best players, Younis Khan and Misbahul-Haq, batting low down the order."

How big a setback is it?

"We shouldn't panic. The format is such we have made the quarter-finals and it is the knockout matches that will matter. The team must now start preparing for the quarter-final."

Should wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, who twice missed match-winner Ross Taylor early in his innings, be dropped now?

"There is no other choice right now so the management must persist with Kamran, make him train hard and shore up his confidence. Any more experiments will only trigger more trouble."

COMMENTS (13)

Amer Khan | 13 years ago | Reply The job of a wicket-keeper is to be as cool as a cucumber and have concentration of a ninja. This guy is whom every player in the field rotates to...Hence, when this guy does not perfom, the morale of the whole team suffers. So mistake number one: Dont have an emotional imbecile at the keeping. Secondly, Razzaq is too old to bowl the last few 'containment' overs. He does not have the speed or the swing so let him just concentrat on his batting as he is a fabulous 'run getter..' some guy made a remark about Akhtar...He may be old but he won you the crucial SriLnakan wickets and also had Ross Taylor if he hadnt been fumbled..so keep Shoab for the WC atleast. Whaba Riaz, Gul and Soab are a scary pace trio...so keep them looking for blood..I think Afridi should open with Kamran Akmal and let Umar A keep the wickets...lets see this combo versus the Zimbabwe. My love and prayers are for Pakistan Team, InshaAllah. Also, Imran Khan knows very well what he is talking about and you make yourself look dumber than a doorknob when you so gratuitously insult him..

Rafique Shaikh | 13 years ago | Reply True Enough. No Need to Press Panic Button! it was overall dissapointing perfomance by entire team and not only Kamran. Come On Guys. it is a wakeup call

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Kalim | 13 years ago | Reply If they play with akmal and hafeej they will out of the w.c.

Arindom | 13 years ago | Reply Why has Akhtar not improved his batting even after all these years of experience? Other pure bowlers like Vettori, Harbhajan even Kumble improved their batting steadily over time....Does the other batsmen in the team hesitant to coach Akhtar to bat - fearing their own spots in the team????

FIAZ AHMAD DAR | 13 years ago | Reply I would like to say only one thing that Pakistan must review its Batting order. Younas Khan must be given a chance to play at one down. Our all best wishes are with Pakistan Team. May almightly help him in giving all success. FIAZ AHMAD DAR GOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOL JAKKAR. DISTRICT JHELUM.

Iftikhar Ali Khan | 13 years ago | Reply just cant get over the last line by uza..... how come u guys print such crap!!

Khalid Rahim | 13 years ago | Reply Panic and self-pity are worst enemies of a commander and his team. Shahid Afridi should have a critique of the game lost.Let every player analyze his performance honestly then come up with his stategy to face the remaining two matches. At the close of session the team would come up with a winning strategy.And turn Defeat into Victory.

Kashif Jan | 13 years ago | Reply Sound advice - but lets hope Afridi can listen

Farhan | 13 years ago | Reply @Uza Syed: Imran Khan studied Economics and Politics at Oxford University. He is also an ex-MNA who was a key player in the struggle for democracy against Musharraff, and as such I think he is eminently qualified to discuss politics. Perhaps you should take your own advice.

Much amused | 13 years ago | Reply Shoaib Akhter is unfit and a liability. It makes no sense to keep trying him again and again. Drop him and chance it with some other deserving & fit pace bowler.

Asim+Ali | 13 years ago | Reply This is exactly how we are thrashed in hockey, squash, foreign affairs, internal security, law and order, economy, education, skill development.......All of this can be fixed by putting the right man for the right job.

Uza Syed | 13 years ago | Reply This is a good analysis and valuable advice and for a change, sounds, positive. See, Imran Khan, when you talk about things that you know makes lot of sense and certainly can be useful ----- as oppose to ------ when you get carried away and allow yourself to lecture us about complex subjects, which you have no clue about, things like economics and politics and religion, then you make a complete ass of yourself and too boring.

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply O.K dont drop Kamran Akmal during W-C but after the tournament PCB should find replacement of this CATCH DROP SPECIALIST Watch these links http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU-qcIqJkYs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79k07eu-yyQ

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