Sports

Pakistan won't create any fear in World Cup: Brian Lara

Lara says even if Pakistan reach the quarter-finals, they certainly won't make it to the semis

Web Desk March 03, 2015

PHOTO: AFP

Former West Indies legend Brian Lara said on Tuesday that none of the opposing cricket teams feared Pakistan anymore, while dismissing comparisons between the green shirts of 1992 and 2015 as irrelevant.

“This Pakistan won't create any fear in the opposition,” Lara said, according to NDTV.

Comparing Misbahul Haq’s men to Imran Khan’s ‘cornered tigers,’ Lara said, "Back in 1992, Pakistan had a lot of match-winners. Imran was an inspirational leader. His team members spoke of them being cornered tigers.”

Read: #PakvWI: Flopped, dropped and mocked

“Even if they do reach the quarter-finals, they certainly won't make it to the semis," Lara added.

The Trinidadian batsman further said Ireland would fancy their chances when they meet Pakistan -- for good reasons too. The Irish defeated Pakistan in 2007 to knock them out of the World Cup in the West Indies.

Read: 'Cornered tigers' claim their first World Cup win

Lara further said team’s senior players need to wake up from their slumber.

"Pakistan will have to wake up some time in the tournament. Some of their top players are still asleep, they have to wake up."

Read: West Indies bounce back with 150-run rout of Pakistan

But it was not just Lara who hit out on Pakistan’s World Cup squad.

"Pakistan are looking out of depth. Zimbabwe had a good chance of winning the game (on Sunday). They restricted Pakistan for 235, a par score. Pakistan batsmen have let their side down. They are talented, yes but there's too much responsibility on Misbah," former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman told NDTV, following Pakistan’s first World Cup win of the tournament.

Read: World Cup history repeats itself in Adelaide Oval as Pakistan loses to India

Following its back-to-back defeats to India and West Indies, Pakistan was at the bottom of Pool B. The team faced turmoil as Saeed Ajmal was was lost to suspected bowling action, and Umar Gul and Junaid Khan and Mohammad Hafeez fell prey to injuries.

Pakistan’s next game is against the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.

COMMENTS (13)

kami | 9 years ago | Reply Lara , Wait and see West Indies will play with Aus or NZ in Quarter Final...

Zafar | 9 years ago | Reply Respect for Lara, but I also want to know his views on the current West Indian team who was comprehensively beaten by Ireland.

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the Skunk | 9 years ago | Reply At least Brian Lara has complimented the team of Imran Khan by calling them 'cornered tigers.' This team? The less said the better. Salams

Tore | 9 years ago | Reply Pakistan s problem is its ultra week batting line, the infact dont have any reliable batsman at all, maybe Misbah, but thats not enough. Indias strong batting line to nr 7 helps India win one match after all. While South Africa keeps making 400 + runs, team pakistan have trouble making 200 runs, shame. And fielding i a separate story. No team drops so many catshes as team Pakistan.

Rafique Khan | 9 years ago | Reply The PCB must immediately call back to Nasir Jamshed alive dead body still playing in Pakistan Team. The shameful chapter is again opened in PCB. The whole world is making joke of Pakistan team and giving statement against them as Lara. The Indians are playing active role in making joke of Pakistani Team especially and Shoib Akhtar is also adding fuel to the fire.

Jawad U Rahman | 9 years ago | Reply Lara is absolutely right. Pakistan plays a very defensive and conservative class of cricket which may have been fine in the early 90s, but is woefully out of date today. Even minnows (Ireland, Scotland, UAE, Afghanishtan) play more attacking cricket than Pakistan. Pakistan does not try to dominate even a weak opposition.

Raisani | 9 years ago | Reply Brand Lara, you only used to be a cricketer. Don't try to be Pir Sahab Pagara or Shaikh Rashid of Pakistan.

In the name of love (what more) | 9 years ago | Reply Lara has just stated the obvious. Pakistan will have to play well to overcome Ireland to qualify. If they qualify, they'll either face Australia or New Zealand. In either case, there is no way Pakistan, with its current strength and form, can get past them.

ABKhan | 9 years ago | Reply It was evident from the day when Younis Khan was selected for playing 11

ICC | 9 years ago | Reply Pakistan should send Hafiz Saeed and his team. They will scare anybody.

@AzharNadeem | 9 years ago | Reply No doubt, green shirts are down but they aren't out yet. If they bounce back, they can blunce over anything

raider | 9 years ago | Reply well verdict by great player but a blind can judge it

MJ | 9 years ago | Reply It does not take a genius to draw these conclusions. The writing is on the wall. We are not only at a disadvantage due to missing match winning bowlers but also poor selection of the existing team. When out of form batsmen like Jamshed are being favored over in from batsmen what else can you expect other the "binary" scoring "1 0 1" that he has achieved so far?

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