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169737
Mon, 03/21/2011 - 15:34
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Sports: Cricket: Pakistan in best position to clinch World Cup for over a decade: Iqbal Qasim
Karachi, March 21, 2011 (PPI): Pakistan’s four-wicket win over defending champions Australia has made many fans back home hopeful that this team could even win a World Cup and former Test cricketer Iqbal Qasim concurred and said that Pakistan now has an effective team, which could achieve the remarkable feat.
“Australia was the only unconquered side during the ongoing World Cup before the match played on Saturday, when Pakistan defeated the defending champions. So I think that match’s result has brought Pakistan up from an unpredictable side, which could go either way, and it has made them hot favourites for a possible claim on the prestigious title,” former Test cricketer Iqbal Qasim told PPI.
The former spinner said that Pakistan cricket team has now been synergizing and it looks that they have the best combination to claim the title for over a decade.
“I think Pakistan cricket is now in the best position to clinch a world cup for over a decade as they have been performing well all together. They are forming a good combination. Though there are not as much big names as we had in 2003 or 2007 but the team has now been in the best form for over a decade,” he added.
He further said that big names couldn’t won a World Cup for the nation but it is the passion and spirit of the complete team, which eventually clinch a World Cup.
“In 1992 World Cup, no one could have said with some confidence that Pakistan would win the world cup as the other teams were very strong then. But we saw a passion-filled lot of Pakistani players who brought the biggest honour to home. Now these boys in the team are showing the same kind of passion and spirit and they now need only to be highly focused,” he explained.
He said that he sees a lot of potential in the cricketers and the best thing is that the players are now playing as one unit.
“Unity and team-spirit is very important at the end of the day. When the players leave their individual interest and focus for a strong team instead, they form a kind of synergy, which makes them powerful enough to upset any team of the world,” said Iqbal, who has also been Pakistan cricket team’s selector in the past.
“Now I would advise our cricketers to stay focused and they should have the confidence that they have the thing needed to clinch the biggest honour in cricket,” he concluded.
Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan has also said that the win against Australia has lifted the morale of the team and it would also help them gain psychological advantage against the opponents, who are to face the green-shirts.
“Definitely the win has boosted the morale of the players and it would also give them a psychological advantage over other teams. They now has a brilliant chance to eventually lift the title as they are in the best position as compared to other quarterfinalists,” he said.
However, the former wicket-keeper batsman said that the players must stay focused as cricket is getting more and more unpredictable. “We now can’t say anything for sure what would happen in a match. Any team could win at the end of the day,” he added.
Pakistan topped Group A and they would now meet fourth placed West Indies of Group B in the quarterfinal match on 23rd March.
“Australia was the only unconquered side during the ongoing World Cup before the match played on Saturday, when Pakistan defeated the defending champions. So I think that match’s result has brought Pakistan up from an unpredictable side, which could go either way, and it has made them hot favourites for a possible claim on the prestigious title,” former Test cricketer Iqbal Qasim told PPI.
The former spinner said that Pakistan cricket team has now been synergizing and it looks that they have the best combination to claim the title for over a decade.
“I think Pakistan cricket is now in the best position to clinch a world cup for over a decade as they have been performing well all together. They are forming a good combination. Though there are not as much big names as we had in 2003 or 2007 but the team has now been in the best form for over a decade,” he added.
He further said that big names couldn’t won a World Cup for the nation but it is the passion and spirit of the complete team, which eventually clinch a World Cup.
“In 1992 World Cup, no one could have said with some confidence that Pakistan would win the world cup as the other teams were very strong then. But we saw a passion-filled lot of Pakistani players who brought the biggest honour to home. Now these boys in the team are showing the same kind of passion and spirit and they now need only to be highly focused,” he explained.
He said that he sees a lot of potential in the cricketers and the best thing is that the players are now playing as one unit.
“Unity and team-spirit is very important at the end of the day. When the players leave their individual interest and focus for a strong team instead, they form a kind of synergy, which makes them powerful enough to upset any team of the world,” said Iqbal, who has also been Pakistan cricket team’s selector in the past.
“Now I would advise our cricketers to stay focused and they should have the confidence that they have the thing needed to clinch the biggest honour in cricket,” he concluded.
Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan has also said that the win against Australia has lifted the morale of the team and it would also help them gain psychological advantage against the opponents, who are to face the green-shirts.
“Definitely the win has boosted the morale of the players and it would also give them a psychological advantage over other teams. They now has a brilliant chance to eventually lift the title as they are in the best position as compared to other quarterfinalists,” he said.
However, the former wicket-keeper batsman said that the players must stay focused as cricket is getting more and more unpredictable. “We now can’t say anything for sure what would happen in a match. Any team could win at the end of the day,” he added.
Pakistan topped Group A and they would now meet fourth placed West Indies of Group B in the quarterfinal match on 23rd March.
