SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Pakistan cricket team who was at the verge of exclusion from the World cup has surprisingly cleared its way to the quarter finals with four consecutive wins. Hats off to skipper Misbah-ul-Haq and his men for regrouping in style and bouncing back strongly to make the quarter-finals against all odds. To their credit, they have successfully managed to put behind them the ignominy of the early losses, the selection snags, the scores of injuries as well as poor form to win four games on the trot, including a famous one over favourites South Africa, which is no mean feat. Here, one must point out that more than the diligent workouts on the field, some clear thinking and rational decision-making on the part of skipper Misbah and the team management in the latter phase of the Cup has paid off for Pakistan that was regretfully missing earlier on. The imbalances in the playing eleven have thankfully been dispensed with and the results are there for everyone to see. The belligerence of Sarfraz Ahmed, who was inexplicably ignored in the earlier games, as well as the bold step to go in with five specialist bowlers have been key factors in the recent turnaround. With the inception of the knockout round, however, there’s hardly any room for error now. Misbah and his team will be up against the formidable Aussies this week in what is seen as the toughest quarter-final of all. But with Pakistan playing to their strengths at the moment, there is nothing that should be seen as beyond them in this World Cup.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
