WC Cricket: Ajmal may be option to counter WI

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DHAKA: On the eve of what is Pakistan’s biggest World Cup game since their forgettable appearance in the 1999 final at Lord’s, Pakistan’s players sat over the dinner table at the Sheraton here on Tuesday and vowed to give their best in the quarterfinal clash against West Indies.

They received a motivational talk from coach Waqar Younis and Shahid Afridi and later the captain said that the ‘boys are ready for the big game’.

“For most of our players, it’s the biggest game of their lives,” Afridi told ‘The News’. “They all know how important this World Cup is for our cricket and for our country and they are all pumped up to give their very best tomorrow,” he stressed.

Pakistan were thrashed by Australia in the 1999 World Cup final that turned out to be a huge mismatch and later the Greenshirts flopped miserably in the 2003 and 2007 editions.

But this time, when not many gave them much chance, Pakistan have been at their brilliant best and enter the quarterfinals after clinching the top spot in Pool A ahead of co-hosts Sri Lanka and defending champions Australia.

“I have played for 14 years and never seen the team train so seriously and focus on their game,” Afridi said while speaking at a press conference here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. “The entire team is together in the dream to do well in the World Cup.

“Our aim at the start was to make the semifinals and I am confident we can achieve that. The expectations back home are high and we are determined not to let our supporters down.”

Afridi is looking forward to stick to the ‘winning combination’ that helped the team beat Zimbabwe and Australia in the last couple of games but at the dinner meeting the idea of bringing in off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was seriously discussed.

Pakistan team’s think-tank believes that Ajmal can help tackle the four left-handers in the West Indian top order. Ajmal, they believe could be even more useful that left-armer Abdur Rehman, who is likely to sit out of the last-eight clash.

Afridi, however, refrained from confirming it saying that a final decision will taken this morning.

He made it clear that Pakistan’s won’t be taking anything for granted.

“We will not take the West Indies lightly. Any team is capable of winning on their day, there are no second chances in a knock-out match. I think they are a very good side.”

Afridi is urging his batters to get their acts together.

“Our success so far has been entirely due to the bowlers, who have done a very good job,” said Afridi. “I myself have not batted well and will focus on that tomorrow.”

Akmal has scored 211 runs at 52.75 and is Pakistan’s top scorer in the event. Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq scored prolifically when the event began but didn’t make any big contributions in the last three games.

The skipper promised he will do better with the bat after contributing just 65 runs in the last six games. “I know how important my batting is for the team and I will try to get some runs on the board.”

Afridi made it clear that he and his team is just focusing on today’s game, stressing that he is not concerned about a possible semifinal clash against old rivals India. “Our entire focus is on winning the quarterfinal, I am not even thinking of the next match, whether it is India or Australia,” he said.

West Indies bowled out Bangladesh for just 58 on their way to a nine-wicket triumph here at Shere Bangla in a group match but Afridi made it clear that the result has no significance ahead of the quarterfinal.

“That was Bangladesh, this is Pakistan,” he said. “It’s not that we are playing for the first time in these conditions. We feel at home anywhere in the sub-continent.”

West Indies have lost five of their last six matches against Pakistan and have won only three of their last 16 matches since 2005.

Teams (likely):

Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (captain), Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz.

West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kieron Pollard, Devon Thomas (wk), Andre Russell, Sulieman Benn, Kemar Roach, Devendra Bishoo.