Waqar Younis today vowed not to let a favour done by defending champions Australia go to waste as Pakistan make a last-ditch effort to stay afloat in the World Cup. Australia’s last-over win over England at Port Elizabeth yesterday threw a lifeline to Pakistan who must now defeat Zimbabwe by a very big margin here tomorrow to sneak into the Super Sixes. If England had won, Pakistan would have been knocked out even before taking the field at the Queens Sports Club, and Waqar was grateful to the Australians for showing them the light. “Relief is hardly the word,” Waqar said after Ricky Ponting’s men overcame England by two wickets to spare thanks to a 73-run stand for the ninth wicket between Michael Bevan and Andy Bichel. “It has left the door open for us and we must go through it. Michael Bevan and Andy Bichel in particular have done us a big favour. “Now we must work even harder given this chance. It might have been meaningless to train hard but now we can see it as well worth the while. “There is a lot more work to do now, not least to get the disappointment of our defeat by India out of our systems.” The entire Pakistan team watched the closing stages of the Australia-England game on television and leaped out of their chairs in relief when Australia won with two balls to spare. None cared that Zimbabwe only need a simple win tomorrow to qualify against a dispirited Pakistani side still recovering from a six-wicket defeat against arch-rivals India on Saturday. If Zimbabwe do not win, they can still knock Pakistan out of the competition by giving them a close fight. In that case England will join Australia and India in the Super Sixes. Pakistan face a huge task to win well and take their net run-rate beyond England’s. But Pakistani coach Richard Pybus insisted his team will fight all the way. “They’ve pulled themselves together after losing to India and they know they can still make it if they play flat out. They will.” Pybus said Pakistan may make “one or two” changes to the side that lost to India, but did not elaborate. Zimbabwe will be bolstered by the return of all-rounder Grant Flower who missed the last game against the Netherlands due to a finger injury. Either opening batsman Mark Vermeulen or spinner Doug Marillier will step aside to make way for Flower. There will probably still be no place for Henry Olonga, whose replacement in the side, Andy Blignaut, has had dazzling success with the bat. Olonga and Andy Flower, whose protest against “the death of democracy in Zimbabwe” caused such a furore, practised with the team and are therefore available for selection. We’ve flopped in all areas: Waqar Telford Vice Bulawayo, March 3: Skipper Waqar Younis has conceded Pakistan have failed to perform in all departments at the World Cup. “The batsmen have struggled and the bowlers have also been expensive,” Waqar said on the eve of Pakistan’s final Group A match against Zimbabwe on Tuesday. “The defeat to India (on Saturday at Centurion) has come as a huge disappointment. Unfortunately we have just not performed to our potential. We have not got the required wickets in the middle overs.” Before the tournament start, the 1992 winners and 1999 finalists were ranked as the side most likely to challenge world champions Australia, along with South Africa. But they need to beat Zimbabwe on Tuesday by a huge margin to qualify for the second round. “We have still not lost hope of getting into the Super Sixes through the back-door,” Waqar said. “But yes, it will require a big effort.” A Pakistan win would give them 12 points, alongside England and Zimbabwe, with each team boasting one victory in their head-to-head matches. The third Group A qualifier would then be decided on run rate, with England currently in prime position. Waqar said opener Saeed Anwar had batted “as well I have seen him do in a long time” against India in scoring a century while “Wasim has also been bowling well. But we need more telling contributions from others also”. Waqar said Pakistan were considering giving 21-year-old fast bowler Mohammad Sami his World Cup debut in Bulawayo. “He has been bowling well in the nets and his enthusiasm is very good,” he said. Sami has played 18 one-dayers and taken 25 wickets, with his best figures of four for 41 against Zimbabwe at Harare in November. Strike bowler Shoaib Akhtar conceded 72 runs in 10 overs against India on Saturday while Waqar went for 71 in 8.4 overs. Wasim, the team’s most successful bowler with 12 World Cup wickets, went wicketless in conceding 48 off 10 overs. Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan has criticised the team selectors for not giving Sami a chance earlier in the tournament. (Reuters)
