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| | Thursday, 20 June, 2002, 07:38 GMT 08:38 UK Pakistan dream of World Cup glory Can Pakistan triumph in South Africa in 2003? Pakistan's Super Challenge victory in Australia has increased optimism among the country's senior cricket figures that the team can win next year's World Cup. They won the three-match series 2-1 after paceman Shoaib Akhtar inspired them to a 91-run triumph in the deciding game in Brisbane. "It is a great win for us. The Pakistan cricket team has always been respected worldwide for its potential, but now we are finally playing like a team. "There has never been any doubt about our talent. It has been our ability to perform as a team under pressure that has always been questioned," said chief selector Wasim Bari. His view was echoed by former captain Javed Miandad, who believes playing as a unit will be the key to World Cup success in South Africa in 2003.
"Shoaib Akhtar has provided the firepower, but everyone has contributed. You can only beat a team like Australia with a combined effort," Miandad commented. The victory provided belated consolation for Pakistan, who lost to Australia in the 1999 World Cup final and last year's NatWest Series final in England. And Australian one-day captain Ricky Ponting has acknowleged that they will pose a serious threat to his side's chances of retaining the World Cup. Destructive force Ponting singled out Shoaib for special praise following the Rawalpindi fast bowler's figures of five for 25 in Brisbane and said Australia must find a way of coping with him. "He bowled well, he bowled quick and he got his deliveries in the right areas. "When you're bowling at 150 kilometres per hour (94 mph) and swinging the ball, you're always going to be hard to play, but we have to find a way to combat that when the World Cup comes around. "We have to identify when someone is bowling well and get through those tough times," said Ponting.
Although Australia won 6-1 in South Africa earlier this year, Pakistan's victory was their second successive setback on home soil, having failed to reach the final of the triangular VB Series last season. Pakistan, meanwhile, see the win as a stepping stone towards repeating their 1992 World Cup triumph, when they beat England by 22 runs in the final in Melbourne. "This is very good preparation for the World Cup because we are learning to win against different opposition in different conditions," said Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Tauqir Zia. "In the World Cup it is all about learning to win under pressure and that is what the team is slowly achieving." Australia and Pakistan are in the same first round group for the 2003 World Cup and will meet each other in Johannesburg on the third day of the tournament. | |
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