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| March 17, 2007 | Saturday | Safar 27, 1428 |
Pakistanis must click in crucial tie
PAKISTAN face selection dilemmas ahead of today's crucial World Cup game against Ireland. Apart from a buoyant Irish team, full of confidence after their battling performance against Zimbabwe, Pakistan will be concerned about the thunderstorms that are forecast for the Kingston area.
The exciting tie between the minnows of this group means that Pakistan must win both their next two matches. Any slip up will result in certain elimination from the competition. On the face of it there is nothing to fear, but Pakistan's unconvincing start against a joyous West Indian team has created alarm. It is a measure of the current plight of Pakistan cricket that defeat against Ireland is even being contemplated.
Ireland's strength lies in their batting. Jeremy Bray, their Australian-born opening batsman, scored over half his team's runs in the process of accumulating a commanding century against Zimbabwe. But even though Bob Woolmer has described Ireland as "tough" opposition and the best organised of the ICC associate members at this World Cup, there wasn't much else quality batting or bowling on show.
The two teams have never before played a One-day international although they played two sixty-over games in 1987, which were both won by Pakistan, thanks to centuries from Shoaib Mohammad and Manzoor Elahi.
Pakistan should use the match as an opportunity to correct their strategy and as a launch pad for the rest of the competition. The opening combination remains a worry for them but pitting Younis, Yousuf, and Inzamam at 2, 3, and 4 would give Pakistan's most experienced batsmen the responsibility of seeing off the early overs when the white ball is at its most dangerous. The way the Caribbean pitches have played so far there has to be some merit in this approach. But whispers from the Pakistan camp that Kamran Akmal might open point to a fatal indecision among the team management.
The other position under intense scrutiny will be that of Rana Naved-ul Hasan, whose lack of control has become a chronic condition.
Inzamam, though, continues to fuel doubts about his captaincy, particularly in the way that he juggled his bowlers against the West Indies. It is now or never for Inzamam to demonstrate some inspirational leadership.
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