We got our momentum and confidence back: Misbah-ul-Haq
After back-to-back defeats against India and West Indies in the start of the tournament, being pounded by their media back home and former players, the Pakistan cricket team has come a long way and have rediscovered their form back. They won three games in a row against Zimbabwe, UAE and South Africa and their captain Misbah-ul-haq has urged the team to ensure they don’t throw away the second chance they got in the ongoing tournament.
"We played against two tougher teams up front at the start of the tournament and they played better cricket than us," Misbah said of their successive losses to India and West Indies.
"Then after that we got, you could say, weaker sides, we just got our momentum back and got our confidence back.”
“When you are up against tougher sides at the start sometimes (you) lose your confidence and momentum. The confidence and momentum is back now that we have won three matches." he said.
The pacers are really bowling well: Misbah
The Pakistani captain felt that his trio of pace bowlers, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan and Mohammad Irfan had kept his side in the tournament. These three pacers have claimed 28 of the 38 wickets his side has taken in the ongoing World Cup.
"The pacers are really bowling well," he said. "All of them are wicket-takers, aggressive bowlers. And that's what we need if we are not batting well. All the pacers are doing their job of getting wickets, putting pressure on the opposition. We have got a new life in this tournament and we must ensure we do not waste it." he said.
"There are four must-wins games to play starting with the one against Ireland. Then three more and you could win the tournament, so our approach has to be straightforward.
"There will be no second chance. Just go there, be positive, try to get wickets when you bowl and score runs when you bat. The bowlers have done very well so far, it's now the turn of the batsmen to deliver."
The Pakistani team gets motivation from the 1992 World Cup says Misbah
Pakistan's progress in this World Cup is similar to the one by Imran Khan's men when the tournament was last played Down Under in 1992, rising from the brink of elimination to be crowned champions.
Misbah said while his team will be inspired by the events of 23 years ago, success could not be achieved just by dreaming of it.
"We can certainly take some positives from that and be motivated to do well," he said. "But you just can't sit back and say that since we did it in 1992 we will do it again.”
"It does not work that way. We have to perform well on the field to succeed." he concluded.