Pakistan look to restore pride
Saturday, 1 May 2010
GROS ISLET, Apr 30 (AFP): Pakistan will look to bounce back from an embarrassing warm-up loss to Zimbabwe when they begin the defence of their World Twenty20 title against Bangladesh here on Saturday.
It says much about what has happened to Pakistan cricket in the intervening months since they beat Sri Lanka in the 2009 World Twenty20 final at Lord's that a defeat by Bangladesh this weekend is not unthinkable.
Against Zimbabwe, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq managed just nine runs between them.
Failing in a warm-up match is no barrier to the duo coming good when it matters most, but Pakistan have lost the steadying influence of Younus Khan, their captain at last year's World Twenty20: he was one of several players punished after the team's poor tours of Australia, New Zealand and the UAE.
In his case, it was an indefinite ban.
The fall-out has meant they have come to the Caribbean without Shoaib Malik, newly married to Indian tennis pin-up Sania Mirza, and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, both banned for a year.
The net effect has been to up the expectations on Afridi and Razzaq.
Leg-spinner Afridi did at least take four wickets against Zimbabwe and few bowlers can match his ability to cause batting collapses in this format.
It says much about what has happened to Pakistan cricket in the intervening months since they beat Sri Lanka in the 2009 World Twenty20 final at Lord's that a defeat by Bangladesh this weekend is not unthinkable.
Against Zimbabwe, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq managed just nine runs between them.
Failing in a warm-up match is no barrier to the duo coming good when it matters most, but Pakistan have lost the steadying influence of Younus Khan, their captain at last year's World Twenty20: he was one of several players punished after the team's poor tours of Australia, New Zealand and the UAE.
In his case, it was an indefinite ban.
The fall-out has meant they have come to the Caribbean without Shoaib Malik, newly married to Indian tennis pin-up Sania Mirza, and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, both banned for a year.
The net effect has been to up the expectations on Afridi and Razzaq.
Leg-spinner Afridi did at least take four wickets against Zimbabwe and few bowlers can match his ability to cause batting collapses in this format.