Pakistan team asked not to underestimate Afghanistan, Bangladesh in next two CWC matches

ISLAMABAD: Former cricketers have advised Pakistan not to underestimate dark horses Afghanistan and Bangladesh in their next 2019 Cricket World Cup matches saying the warm-up defeat can still haunt the green-shirts.

As the nation celebrated victory, after Pakistan defeated New Zealand, we must also remember that Afghanistan beat Pakistan by three wickets in the CWC warm-up match and also gave a hard time to India as the Men in Blue narrowly escaped them by 11 runs in their World Cup clash.

However, the former cricketers have also come-out full of praise for the national team and they think now the Green-shirts are unbeatable in the tournament. The green-shirts will play their last match on July 5 against Bangladesh.

Former skipper Rameez Raja lauded Babar Azam for playing an awesome unbeaten knock of 101 runs on 127 balls and praised Haris Sohail who smashed 68 runs off 76 balls.

“Haris made a strong comeback in the game against South Africa as he was man of the match and Babar and Haris’s 124-run partnership was key to Pakistan’s victory against New Zealand,” he said in his YouTube channel.

Rameez said Shaheen Afridi also bowled the best spell of the tournament against Kiwis. “Afridi had barred News Zealand’s batsman from scoring runs and his three-wicket haul was a response to his strong comeback,” he said.

“At last Pakistan team can now say that we have A-Class batsmen and bowlers in the team who can perform superbly at pressure times in crush moments,” he said.

Rameez said now he has the feeling that it would be very difficult for any team to beat Pakistan in the tournament.

“Just concentrate on the next two games against Afghanistan and Bangladesh and give your 100 percent,” he urged the players.

Former skipper Rashid Latif said the victory credit goes to captain Sarfraz Ahmed for the game against Kiwis. “After losing to West Indies and India, Pakistan made a strong comeback in the tournament,” he said.

He said Babar also played a long and match finishing innings which proved beneficial for Pakistan. “Babar who had become the fastest Pakistani and Asian batsman to reach the milestone of 3,000 runs in ODI cricket was an honour for the whole nation,” he said and added Imam ul Haq and Hafeez need to work on their techniques.

Rashid said Pakistani fans will support India in their match against England as there would be bright chances for Pakistan team to make it in the semis, if the men in blue beat the English team.

Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar said Pakistan team just needs two matches to make it for the semis. “Whenever our team gets cornered in any tournament it makes a hard and strong comeback,” he said.

Shoaib, who feels the team management, must have included Haris in the Playing XI before said Haris must be played in place of Mohammad Hafeez.

“The 1992 CWC situation is being formed in the 2019 tournament for Pakistan and the green-shirts are gaining momentum,” he said and added that the match between Pakistan and Bangladesh would be a dangerous one.