After winning both the warm-up games, including a seven-wicket win against number one ranked South Africa, Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq looked confident to give tough time to the West Indies in the World Cup, saying:"All our top order batsmen are able to get a good knock. Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan have all been batting well.
Our bowlers have also done well so we will go into the game against West Indies very confidently." Pakistan's victory over South Africa has raised some hopes and it was expected that Inzamam and his boys would take the hosts West Indies with a definite planning and strategy.
It was really shameful for the star-studded team, which crumbled in just 47.2 overs for 187 runs. Though bowlers, except for Rana Naveed-ul-Hassan, who was wayward and inaccurate, did well, but it was batting which failed to chase a modest total of 242 runs.
It was really pathetic that openers Imran Nazir, Mohammad Hafeez and one down Younus Khan could contribute six, 11 and nine runs respectively. Opener Imran Nazir, a surprise selection for the mega event, got Pakistan off to an exciting start, when he hit a six off the second ball of the innings bowled by Daren Powell, who then had the batsman caught behind in the next ball.
The real trouble started when Younus Khan was caught behind off Jerome Taylor top-edging a hook in the fourth over, and Powell returned to have Hafeez caught at mid-on for 11 to leave. At this stage, Pakistan were 39 for three.
When Inzamam joined Mohammad Yousuf, it was hoped the two most experienced batsmen would not only accelerate the run rate, although the runs were not flowing freely and the pressure continued to mount.
But all hopes for a big partnership, which Pakistan needed badly, Yousuf essayed a back-foot drive at a rising ball from Smith and was caught behind for 37 in the 29th over. He was followed by Inzamam, who played across a well-pitched delivery and was adjudged leg before for 36 to leave Pakistan 116 for five in the 33rd over.
MALIK'S Brilliant KNOCK:
All-rounder Shoaib Malik deserves a pat as tried to rescue his team from the trouble. He cracked a boundary-studded 62 to lead a late charge for the Pakistanis, but Dwayne Bravo snuffed the life out of the visitors' comeback with three for 42 from nine overs.
When Smith had Kamran Akmal caught low down at square cover for a first-ball duck next ball, Pakistan lost all hopes to stage a comeback in the game. The West Indies skipper Brian Lara mounted pressure on the tail enders and restricted the star-studded Pakistan to 187 runs in 47.2 overs.
It was Dwayne Smith, who was adjudged man-of-the-match, transformed the complexion of the game, when he snared three wickets, including Yousuf and Inzamam, for 36 runs from 10 overs.
MAJOR MISTAKE:
Earlier winning the toss, Inzamam invited the West Indies to bat first. It was Inzamam's first major mistake to field first in the bright sunny skies. The West Indies were on a tight rein when they suffered early losses of opener Chris Gayle for two and Shivnaraine Chanderpaul for 19, but Lara (37) along with vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarawan (49) and Marlon Samuel (63) played crucial knocks to beef up the total. Samuels struck five fours and three sixes in his score of 63 off 68 balls. Dwayne Smith scored a quickfire 32 runs from 15 balls.
Rao Iftikhar was the most successful Pakistani bowler with three wickets for 44 runs from his allotment of 10 overs, while Umar Gul took two wickets for 38 from nine overs and Mohammad Hafeez two for 39 from nine overs.
Cricket experts here are of the opinion the West Indies were as unpredictable as Pakistan and not the force they had been in the early days of Cricket World Cup when they dominated the tournament and won it twice.
They believed that the only player in the squad, who could be compared with the greats of that era is captain Brian Lara. It is true that the present West Indies squad is not filled with names that might panic the opposition - like Viv Richards, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and others - there is, however, very talented group of youngsters coming through ranks.
Pakistan, too, are plagued with fitness problem, inconsistency. But at the same time it is often said that you never know when they turn the table as the team comprises batsmen like Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf.
Batsmen blamed
Now Inzamam has blamed batsmen for the defeat. He said:"There was nothing in the pitch but our top order batting let us down," he told reporters in a post-media briefing.
It was a demoralising 54-run defeat, he admitted." It was a bit difficult in the first 15 overs, but batsmen failed to apply themselves. It was a big cause of concern for us," Inzamam said in Urdu while speaking through interpreter media manager PJ Mir.
"Losing three quick wickets in a space of 11-balls against Dwayne Smith was the turning point of the match for us," he maintained, and added: "It was a getable total, but batting could not come up in terms with the West Indies bowling."
" We got no options but to win the next two games against Ireland and Zimbabwe to go into the Super Eight round, Inzamam said, adding they missed all-rounder of calibre of Shahid Afridi because of four-match ban. "Afridi would have proved very good in this situation against the West Indies," he added. Meanwhile, random dope test of pace bowlers Umar Gul and Rana Naveed-ul-Hassan were carried out.
WOOLMER QUESTIONED: With Pakistan's defeat in the Cup opener, critics here lambasted Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer, who claimed that the players would prove themselves with their performances. He came under severe criticism for criticising Pakistan's two former greats Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, who described Woolmer as incompetent coach.
Both the cricket greats have been criticising his coaching and strategies in the recent past. His comments about Muhammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar that "I am disappointed what these people are saying that they are key players. They are so-called key players. Our teams have done well without them and these 15 players, who are in the West Indies are key players," Woolmer maintained.
Now one may ask Woolmer what happened to his key players, especially top order batsmen, who failed to glue to the wickets to chase the achievable target. Now arch-rivals India are flexing their muscles to welcome Pakistan in the Super Eight stage provided Pakistan win both the matches against Ireland and Zimbabwe. So, one should hope for the best.