World T20: Rejuvenated Pakistan eye semi-final berth

Team Returns to action after week-long break to take on Bangladesh .

DHAKA:

Pakistan will return to World Twenty20 action after a week's break on Sunday, charged up to make a move for the semi-finals by winning their two remaining games in the Super-10 round in Dhaka.

Mohammad Hafeez's men, who lost their opening group two match to India by seven wickets on March 21, bounced back to beat Australia by 16 runs last Sunday and remain in contention.

Pakistan must defeat hosts Bangladesh on Sunday and defending champions West Indies on Tuesday to join India in the semi-finals as the second team from the group.

"The picture is clear," said Hafeez on Saturday. "We have to win both games to make sure we are in the last four. There is no margin of mistake now and we are eager to get back to the field."

Hafeez said the team used the break to iron out shortcomings ahead of the crucial matches at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

"We have trained and worked hard for the last six days. The management and the coaches worked on our weaknesses. The build-up for the crucial stage has gone well."

Hafeez praised archrivals India, who have won three consecutive games to ensure their place in the knock-out round even before their last league match against Australia on Sunday.

"India have played very good cricket so far in the tournament," said the Pakistan skipper. "It's good they are through, so the rest of the teams know what it will take to advance.”

On another note, Hafeez revealed that Umar Akmal, who strained a hamstring during that innings, was fit to play on Sunday.

Dhoni's India fly high amid upheaval at home

For the second time in less than a year, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team is making up for the sins of its administrators with a flawless display at the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.

Despite the upheaval back home – Supreme Court’s decision to replace Board of Control for Cricket in India chief N Srinivasan – India cruised into the semi-finals for the first time since triumphing in the 2007 inaugural event with three emphatic wins in group two of the Super-10s.

The charismatic Dhoni said the team owed its success to a “good dressing-room atmosphere, belief and enjoying each other's success."

"A lot of things happen around cricket but you have to be focused when you are representing your country," he said. "That is one thing that this team has done really well.”

India take on winless Australia in their last league match on Sunday hoping to iron out any shortcomings as they head into the knock-out rounds.

"We have given a very good performance so far but there are still some areas where we can improve," Dhoni said. "We have dropped some catches, but so have the other teams.

"If our middle-order has not been tested, then it's beyond our control. We can't do much about it. All we can do for the middle-order is give them the priority in the next match and send them up the order."

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2014.

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