‘Pakistan will seek inspiration from Champions Trophy’ – Sarfaraz Ahmed
Captain Sarfaraz Ahmed hopes his Pakistan side can draw inspiration from their 2017 Champions Trophy victory in their World Cup opener against West Indies in Nottingham tomorrow.
Pakistan upset the odds two years ago when they thrashed India in the Champions Trophy final on English soil, but suffered a 4-0 series defeat at the hands of England earlier this month.
Speaking to AFP ahead of the game at Trent Bridge, Sarfaraz said: “We will seek inspiration from our Champions Trophy win because then also we were losing and then lifted ourselves at the right time to win the trophy. The boys are motivated and are eager to put these losses behind them and by playing in England for a month we are well prepared and you will hopefully see us doing well.”
The skipper also stressed the importance of Mohammad Amir’s role for Pakistan, after the speedster was narrowly included in the squad after a few underwhelming seasons. “We know Amir is an impact bowler and he knows his responsibilities and I am sure he will lift his bowling and get us early wickets,” he added.
Pakistan cut dejected figures after their loss to Afghanistan during a Cricket World Cup 2019 warm-up
The West Indies are also in confident mood ahead of the second group fixture of the World Cup. Shai Hope declared yesterday that he believes 500 is a realistic target for West Indies’ batters. “It is definitely a goal we can try to achieve at some point,” the 25-year-old said. “Definitely, it would be great to be the first team to cross that 500-mark, and I am sure we have the batting firepower to do it.”
West Indies skipper Jason Holder believes his team are capable of competing with the best but has called for his players to add consistency to their game. “If we are hungry and we’re detailed about what we’re looking to do we can become No.1.”, Holder told The Telegraph. “No doubt about it. I think we’ve got the talent. We’re sure we can beat top sides in the world.
“It’s just a matter of finding consistency. Consistency will come in all your actions. So when you have consistent preparation, consistency in planning, consistent analysis then I think you can have more and more consistent performances.”
Warm-up performances
Pakistan, fresh from a 4-0 ODI series defeat to England in the first half of the month, were beaten by Afghanistan in their first warm-up match. Babar Azam made 112 but the team were dismissed for 262, which was chased by Afghanistan with three wickets to spare. Their other warm-up match against Bangladesh was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
West Indies had their first match against South Africa ruined by the weather but enjoyed a run-fest against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. Windies piled on 421 in their innings thanks to a century from Shai Hope and a quick-fire fifty from Andre Russell. They restricted the Black Caps to 334 in reply where Carlos Brathwaite picked up three wickets.
Babar Azam’s runs at the top of the order will be vital for Pakistan
Head-to-head: Amir v Gayle
A small ground such as Trent Bridge will be enticing for Chris Gayle
Both of these players can be devastating on their day in their respective departments. Amir will be hoping for a similar powerplay spell to that of the 2017 Champions Trophy final, where he decimated India’s top order of Rohit Sharma, Shikkar Dhawan and Virat Kohli. However, Gayle has hit many bowlers out of the attack and out of the ground over the years, so this will be a mouth-watering dual. The sight of Gayle walking back to the pavilion is one that Pakistan fans will be hoping to see early before he inflicts irreparable damage.
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