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| October 25, 2006 | Wednesday | Shawwal 1, 1427 |
Pakistan are a dangerous outfit: Fleming
MOHALI, Oct 24: New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming on Tuesday said his men were well aware of the difficult task in taking on Pakistan in the Group B clash on Wednesday which could be vital to their hopes of survival in the on-going ICC Champions Trophy.
“I think this Pakistan team is a very dangerous one,” he said on match-eve while talking to newsmen at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.
“I have always respected their natural ability, they are fantastic cricketers. Pakistan haven’t necessarily been as strong a side as they should have, but on their day they can be unstoppable,” he added.
Fleming opined that Pakistan tended to be inconsistent at times but “that depends on how much pressure you put on them.” “And that’s what we’re looking to do. We want to try and deny the natural ability they have —guys like Afridi and Razzaq. The bowling has been a bit depleted but they’re more than capable of winning games. We’ve to try and beat them as a team and that’s something Bob Woolmer has worked on.
The prolific Kiwi player said he was not unduly worried about the Mohali pitch since his team was coming to grips with Indian tracks after spending almost two weeks in the region. “We’re mindful of the time of the year and what’s happened in other games. So we think it’s going to be a much different game than what’s happening in Mumbai. Our batsmen are looking forward to it and the bowlers too are keen on some pace and bounce on the wicket.”
Fleming added: “We’re working on our game. Coming out of the winter, it takes a bit of time. So far, we have had only one substantial score, and no partnerships of note. But having made the adjustment to the slower pitches in Mumbai, this should be easier.”
Commenting on his team’s chances, Fleming said it was not harbouring any unrealistic hopes about winning the tournament.” We’re deservedly not favourites — we’re inconsistent as this tournament shows. But we’ve used the underdog tag to our advantage and we want to consistently beat the top teams.—Agencies
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