Asia Cup final: Pakistan eye SL scalp despite injuries

Reserved players are also potential match-winners, says Misbah.

KARACHI:

Laid low by injuries but high in their resolve, Pakistan are confident about retaining their Asia Cup title with a victory over Sri Lanka in the final in Mirpur on Saturday.

The Islanders are enjoying supreme form in the tournament, with victories in all their league matches.  They also have a better win record over Pakistan in the tournament, winning nine of the of 13 Asia Cup fixtures played between the two teams since 1984.

Sri Lanka’s fine form, and a spree of injuries for Pakistan, have made the final an uphill task for Misbahul Haq’s side.

Uncertainty surrounding injured players

On the eve of the all-important clash, the defending champions were uncertain about the availability of four of their key players including the maverick Shahid Afridi, who steered the side into the final after the magical knocks of 34 and 59 against India and Bangladesh, respectively.



Opener Ahmed Shahzad, Pakistan’s top scorer in the tournament so far with 223 runs, was confined to light training in the last practice session due to a shoulder injury.

Experienced fast-bowler Umar Gul is a bit ‘stiff’, while Sharjeel Khan strives to recover from an injury that sidelined him during the Bangladesh encounter.

Pakistan confident of good show

Despite the injury woes, Pakistan are upbeat about taming Angelo Mathews’ team in the final.

“Injuries are part of the game,” Misbah told a press conference ahead of the crunch match. “We’re ready to face any situation as we have our plans.

“Our players sitting on the bench also have the potential to win the game for us — look at how Fawad Alam successfully replaced injured Sharjeel [against Bangladesh].”

The captain stated that the team’s fightbacks in the last two games had lifted the players’ morale.

“We are very confident and looking to continue playing positive cricket.”

Misbah was also unfazed by fast-bowler Lasith Malinga, who wreaked havoc in Pakistan’s batting earlier in the league phase by taking his and Afridi’s wickets in an over to turn the tide.

“There is no doubt that he is their main bowler. But we have played well against him recently in the UAE. The important thing is that our main players stay on the wicket and try to play till the end.”

Meanwhile, an official close to the team management told The Express Tribune that no player would be ruled out for the final due to an injury.

“We are hoping for their recovery,” said the official. “The injuries are not serious and we are yet to make a final assessment on their fitness.”

Sangakkara, Mendis key for SL 

While Afridi is expected to light-up Pakistan, seasoned Kumar Sangakkara and Ajantha Mendis appear to be the key players for Sri Lanka.

Sangakkara is having a golden run with the bat and is on top of the list of the most run-getters in the tournament so far, with 248 runs aided by a century and two half centuries.

On the other hand, Mendis is heading the list of bowlers with nine wickets at an average of just 14. Sri Lanka are hoping to see runs from another experienced batsman Mahela Jayawardene, who has just scored 36 runs from four matches.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2014.

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