Bopara warns of Pakistan backlash

England batsman expects hosts to hit back in ODI series.

ABU DHABI: Return-to-form batsman Ravi Bopara warned England against thinking of a 4-0 win against a dangerous Pakistan team, labelling the opposition as an ‘unpredictable side’.

Bopara hit half-centuries in both games and assisted his captain Alastair Cook to help England post challenging totals.

But Bopara said Pakistan can still bounce back in the last two One-Day Internationals (ODI).

“Any series where you go 2-0 up is pretty good,” said the 26-year-old. “But we’re keeping our feet on the ground. We know from the Test series what Pakistan are capable of. They are a very unpredictable side.”

Bopara, part of the England team which lost 5-0 in India last year, said a win of this stature in sub-continent conditions would be great but said aiming for a whitewash could be a mistake.

“It is going to be a massive thing for us to win out here. We have not had a good ODI record in the sub-continent so it will be a big thing for us to win.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2012.