Short bursts of brilliance have been unable to provide the much-needed win for Pakistan in the Twenty20 and the ODI series so far but captain Shahid Afridi believes his side is still capable of keeping the series alive if they can play to their potential.
“We can still win the series but for that we would have to show extraordinary performance as England are playing their best cricket,” Afridi told The Express Tribune.
Lost chances cost the match
Pakistan lost the first match of the series by 24 runs at Chester-le-Street and went down at Leeds in the second match with the captain ruing both losses.
“We had our chances in both matches and we could’ve been up two-nil but we failed to avail those opportunities, something we can’t afford to do in this do-or-die match,” said the allrounder before adding that the players seem to have lost the winning instinct.
“Every time we come close to winning and go onto lose that match, we then need to follow that up with a win in order to get back into rhythm.”
Fielding woes continue for the tourists
While fielding remains an area of concern, Afridi remained optimistic that the four-day break after the second ODI would ensure an improved effort in the field.
“Our fielding is still very bad and that is a big disadvantage for us given the situation that we find ourselves in. However, we got much-needed rest after the last match and the players have regrouped ahead of this important match that we obviously need to win at all costs.”
Captain asks youngsters to show up
While much emphasis was placed on the inclusion of youth for the tour of England, Afridi believes that the chances and the support the younger players got from the selectors and team management is yet to be repaid, especially in the ODI series.
“The youngsters who got chance in this series have failed to impress with their performance which is a concern. We need fighters in the team and unfortunately the newcomers have not shown this quality. They need to excel and perform, something that is very important for the team in the current circumstances.”
Razzaq regains fitness, likely to replace Irfan
Seasoned allrounder Abdul Razzaq, who missed the second ODI due to a sore back, has recovered and will form part of Pakistan’s playing eleven today, according to the captain.
“Wahab Riaz is available for selection but after Razzaq’s recovery, Riaz has little chance of being selected.”
Riaz has been omitted from Pakistan’s ODI squad following the spot-fixing investigation that confirmed him as the fourth player to be questioned by Scotland Yard.
England aim to seal series
While Pakistan ponder over their winning formula, England, in vastly-superior form are aiming to complete their third series-win over the tourists following the Test and Twenty20 series wins.
“We would be delighted with a victory and will give our best to seal the series,” said coach Andy Flower.
England defeated Pakistan 3-1 in the four-match Test series and whitewashed the two-match Twenty20 series in Cardiff before taking the first two ODIs convincingly.
Ravi Bopara
“I’m desperate to make things right. My job is to go out and play at The Oval and help to win the series. If you look too far ahead you get ahead of yourself, and stop thinking about the important things you are doing now.”
Andrew Strauss
“I’m very happy with my game at the moment, and even more happy we’re continuing to win. All I can do is do my talking with the bat and help England win matches. People can talk as much as they like.”
Graeme Swann
“It’s a game we need to win to wrap up the series. It’s been a long summer, and it would be nice if we could go out having won every series we’ve played. I think we’ve got ourselves in a very good position to do it.”
Shahid Afridi
“We had our chances in both matches and we could’ve been two-nil up but we failed to avail them. Our fielding is still bad. However, we got a much-needed rest and the players have regrouped ahead of the important match.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2010.
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