ICC World T20 - Pakistan don’t need match-winners – Opinion - Part 2 - Continued....
They will burden one player with expectations, and simply hope that he turns up for a particular game. Their capitulation at the hands of their arch-rivals magnified the loop holes in their cricket. Do we want Imran Nazir in the side just because he is basher, who has the ability to plunder any bowling attack or do we need him to perform that opening role day in day out?
Similarly, the more sensible heads in Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik, should be given more specified responsibilities. Hafeez is a genuine stroke maker but lacks the improvisation of AB de Villiers, so instead of just going with the motion, like he did against India, he must work on his game and find ways to accumulate.
If you are playing Malik, he then needs to be given the role of a finisher. His level-headed approach gives him an edge against the others in the squad right now, while one should use Umar Akmal as a proper middle-order player rather than someone who comes in when he has to rebuild an innings.
While this may not work, but by doing so, one can garnish some sort of sense to the team’s combination, which despite having match-winners, is prone to falling apart.
Teams like India might not be better overall, but they have extensive batting talent which is considerably stronger mentally, when compared to their teams in the past. So when in previous times, a Pak-Indo tie took place, it mostly favoured the Men in Green because they had the talent which could afford to sledge as they could handle the extra pressure.
The sport has indeed changed and mind games may not work in this era as International players are well equipped to cope with anything thrown at them. Ultimately, it was Pakistan’s anxiousness to suppress the Indians which got the better of them, and rather than focusing on the task, they buckled under pressure. The Men in Blue on the other hand, looked calm and collected, and opted to concentrate on the game rather than being carried away by playing in front of a packed house.
This sort of mentality needs to be addressed by Dav Whatmore, as winning matches may not be a problem for Pakistan but sustaining that winning run for a considerable period is what the whole nation wants. Only that way, a defeat on the road, be it against India, is acceptable.
The Green shirts might win their next match against Australia and qualify for the semi-finals, which may help forget the dismal record against the traditional rivals in the World Cup for the time being, but in order to match their counterparts in all facets of the game, Pakistan will need to accept the reality of playing to a set approach, which might not contain some of the most talented match-winners, but players who are equipped to handle particular situations.
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