http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Hafeez-c76898 cautions team about challenges ahead – Cricket News Update
Quick to move on from the 8-wicket victory over Bangladesh which propelled his team to the next stage of the ongoing http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World Twenty20 2012, Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez cautioned his team about the impending challenges in the Super Eights stage of
the tournament.
Placed in Group D for the first stage of the World T20, alongside New Zealand and Bangladesh, Pakistan all but secured a spot in the Super Eights stage of the tournament after clinching a 13-run win over New Zealand. Their last group stage match was against
Bangladesh, which the team went on to win comfortably by a margin of 8 wickets, securing a spot in the Super Eights.
As the competition narrows down to include only the toughest teams, Hafeez’s men find themselves placed in the much more challenging Group 2 for the Super Eights, alongside http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. The remaining four teams that made
it to the next stage are equally challenging, and Group 1 consists of hosts http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013.
In addition to tackling opponents that will grow increasingly more formidable, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 will also need to adapt as soon as possible to the new surfaces – their group stage matches were played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, while the Super
Eights Group 2 matches will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
“We have a stiff challenge. All the eight teams in the game are good,” Hafeez observed after the conclusion of the group stage of the tournament. “We will have to raise our game and our bowlers will have to do the basics right. Colombo will be a bit different
as far as the pitch is concerned.”
“We've had a good time here, playing positively and hopefully we will do better in the Super Eights,” he added.
The team’s final group stage match, against Bangladesh, suggests that their batting performances are steadily improving, with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-Nazir-c64248 having won the Player of the Match award for scoring the fastest half-ton in the tournament as yet – a 72 off 36. The
batting compensated for what had been a lacklustre bowling attack – a growing concern, seeing as their bowling has hitherto been the strength of the Pakistani team.
“As a captain of the team, there’s a little bit of concern as far as our front-line bowling is concerned,” Hafeez admitted. However, he brushed off the suggestion that front-line spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Saeed-Ajmal-c87859, who was unable to claim any wickets during the match against
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747, had fallen into a slump.
“Saeed has been good in difficult times,” Hafeez asserted. “He is a great bowler. He will come good.”
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