Cricket: Pakistan aim to leapfrog Sri Lanka
Victory would ensure hosts fifth place in Test rankings as third match starts today.
KARACHI:
As the three guilty and banned Pakistan players prepared to face their fate, the team remains unperturbed in their quest to conquer Sri Lanka in the third and final Test that starts today in Sharjah.
Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir are likely to be sentenced soon for their role in the spot-fixing scandal but Pakistan’s interim coach Mohsin Khan has said the team, 1-0 up in the Test series, has not lost its concentration.
“We are not paying attention to that case,” Mohsin Khan told The Express Tribune from Sharjah. “From day one, the players were instructed to stay away from its developments. The topic is neither discussed nor is it affecting our morale or concentration.”
Pakistan captain Misbahul Haq echoed the views.
“The key for us is to control what we can control - the effort we are putting in and we are only focusing on that,” said Misbah. “We have a good bunch of boys and everyone is focusing on their own performance.”
Aiming for fifth place
For Pakistan, the aim will be to go all-out for a win in the final Test that will see them displace fifth-placed Sri Lanka in the International Cricket Council Test rankings.
A squandered opportunity in the first Test, followed by an impressive all-round performance in the second, sets the stage for Misbah’s men to beat Sri Lanka, who have failed to win a match in cricket’s longest format since Tillakaratne Dilshan took over as captain. The batsmen’s failure, coupled with the retirement of spin king Muttiah Muralitharan, has not helped Sri Lanka’s cause either.
On the other hand is a Pakistan team, which has gelled and performed, and barring missed chances, has done everything perfectly this series.
Misbah, whose leadership has been praised by many, is yet to lose a Test series since taking over as captain but here his aim will be to win, a sentiment voiced by Mohsin.
“We’ve performed well in the series. All the players are keen to give the same in the final Test and play with a positive approach.”
The coach added that the team has shown improvement in the fielding department, which let them down in the first Test.
Meanwhile, Misbah praised his players and also pointed out an excellent relationship among the team members.
“The guys are focused and that makes my job easier,” said Misbah. “There’s a good relationship among the players, the management and the captain.”
Dilshan tells batsmen to stand up
While Pakistan look to carry on the momentum, Dilshan has asked his batsmen to step up and score as they aim to level the series.
Poor first-innings batting let Sri Lanka down in the first Test before an epic double hundred by Kumara Sangakkara and a fighting century from Prasanna Jayawardene salvaged a draw in Abu Dhabi. But the batsmen failed to show an improved performance in the second Test and Dilshan was aware of the shortcoming.
“Our batting has let us down but we’ve worked really hard,” said Dilshan. “We’ve talked a lot about that and I hope guys stand up and turn these 20-30s into hundreds.”
(With additional input from AFP)
Mohsin Khan
“I’m not fond of following rankings. I just tell the players to win because that will automatically improve our rankings. The way players are performing in Tests this year, we can improve our standings as the current lot of players have shown the potential.”
Misbahul Haq
“Sri Lanka are fighters and we’re ready for them. Our focus is to do the basics well and play like we have in the last year-and-a-half. The Sharjah pitch looks good for batting. There’s lot of Pakistani support here and that’s why we’ve played well here.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2011.
As the three guilty and banned Pakistan players prepared to face their fate, the team remains unperturbed in their quest to conquer Sri Lanka in the third and final Test that starts today in Sharjah.
Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir are likely to be sentenced soon for their role in the spot-fixing scandal but Pakistan’s interim coach Mohsin Khan has said the team, 1-0 up in the Test series, has not lost its concentration.
“We are not paying attention to that case,” Mohsin Khan told The Express Tribune from Sharjah. “From day one, the players were instructed to stay away from its developments. The topic is neither discussed nor is it affecting our morale or concentration.”
Pakistan captain Misbahul Haq echoed the views.
“The key for us is to control what we can control - the effort we are putting in and we are only focusing on that,” said Misbah. “We have a good bunch of boys and everyone is focusing on their own performance.”
Aiming for fifth place
For Pakistan, the aim will be to go all-out for a win in the final Test that will see them displace fifth-placed Sri Lanka in the International Cricket Council Test rankings.
A squandered opportunity in the first Test, followed by an impressive all-round performance in the second, sets the stage for Misbah’s men to beat Sri Lanka, who have failed to win a match in cricket’s longest format since Tillakaratne Dilshan took over as captain. The batsmen’s failure, coupled with the retirement of spin king Muttiah Muralitharan, has not helped Sri Lanka’s cause either.
On the other hand is a Pakistan team, which has gelled and performed, and barring missed chances, has done everything perfectly this series.
Misbah, whose leadership has been praised by many, is yet to lose a Test series since taking over as captain but here his aim will be to win, a sentiment voiced by Mohsin.
“We’ve performed well in the series. All the players are keen to give the same in the final Test and play with a positive approach.”
The coach added that the team has shown improvement in the fielding department, which let them down in the first Test.
Meanwhile, Misbah praised his players and also pointed out an excellent relationship among the team members.
“The guys are focused and that makes my job easier,” said Misbah. “There’s a good relationship among the players, the management and the captain.”
Dilshan tells batsmen to stand up
While Pakistan look to carry on the momentum, Dilshan has asked his batsmen to step up and score as they aim to level the series.
Poor first-innings batting let Sri Lanka down in the first Test before an epic double hundred by Kumara Sangakkara and a fighting century from Prasanna Jayawardene salvaged a draw in Abu Dhabi. But the batsmen failed to show an improved performance in the second Test and Dilshan was aware of the shortcoming.
“Our batting has let us down but we’ve worked really hard,” said Dilshan. “We’ve talked a lot about that and I hope guys stand up and turn these 20-30s into hundreds.”
(With additional input from AFP)
Mohsin Khan
“I’m not fond of following rankings. I just tell the players to win because that will automatically improve our rankings. The way players are performing in Tests this year, we can improve our standings as the current lot of players have shown the potential.”
Misbahul Haq
“Sri Lanka are fighters and we’re ready for them. Our focus is to do the basics well and play like we have in the last year-and-a-half. The Sharjah pitch looks good for batting. There’s lot of Pakistani support here and that’s why we’ve played well here.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2011.