Focus is on improving performance, not series sweep: http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Misbah-ul-Haq-c1972
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has urged his side to keep the focus on improving and not a 2-0 series sweep.
“Actually we are just determined to perform well and want to improve our performance and then we will see what the result is,” Misbah told reporters. “All we want is to perform at 100 percent and then let's see,” he said.
The Pakistan captain was talking to the media reporters at the Basin Reserve on Friday after a final practice session for the second Test of the two-match series which gets underway in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wellington-c864 on Saturday, 15
January, 2011.
After losing the three-match Twenty20 series against Kiwis by 1-2, the visitors made a stunning comeback by winning the first Test in Hamilton by 10 wickets.
While Pakistan are now gearing up for a first Test series win since 2007, the 36-year-old said the main focus of the side would be on giving an improved performance than their game at Seddon Park.
Misbah said that the 10-wicket win in Hamilton has boosted his side’s morale and it was the kind of confidence they want ahead of February’s ICC World Cup 2011.
“Confidence is the key in cricket, especially if you have good results then you tend to perform well and when you perform well, your confidence level is up,” he said. “It's really good for us that our team's confidence level is up.”
The visiting skipper, however, warned the side of complacency asking his players not to take Daniel Vettori's men easy after their comfortable victory in series opener.
“They're still a good side in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 and can give you a tough time at any time,” said Misbah of hosts. “It's not easy to beat them. It'll take really good, determined cricket from us for us to do that job here because these conditions
suit them more,” he added further.
Talking about the Basin Reserve wicket, which had a tinge of green on Friday, the Pakistan captain said that the wicket is expected to offer more pace and bounce than Seddon Park adding that his side needs to get ready for totally different
conditions than Hamilton.
The second Test begins on Saturday and a victory in the match will be ideal for Pakistan heading into the six-match One Day International series as they complete their preparations for the esteemed ICC World Cup 2011 scheduled to begin from
19 February in the subcontinent.
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