May 16, 2007	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 28, 1428

LAHORE, May 15: Pakistan cricket team’s manager Talat Ali Malik is hoping the team will be able to end a winning drought in the one-day series against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi.

“It is a bitter reality and a sad part of the story that in one-day cricket we have been a constant failure in recent months if we review our track record, however I hope finally we will overcome this in Abu Dhabi,” Talat said here on Tuesday on eve of the squad’s departure to Abu Dhabi where Pakistan will lock horns with Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI rubber from May 18-22.

Pakistan had a forgettable World Cup with their shocking exit in the preliminary stage, not before their one-day series loss in South Africa, England and in ICC Champions Trophy in India last year.

“I know things are not favouring us at the moment because of our poor run but I am confident that now the team has left behind the sour memories to put together collective efforts to win a series for regaining the confidence,” he stated.

He expressed the team is going through a rebuilding process with the induction of fresh talent.

“It is a slow process, we cannot chop the entire team in one go and have a brand new playing eleven as it is not possible to do because the presence of experience is a significant source of learning for the newcomers,” he noted.

Talat asserted that the prime focus is on enhancing physical fitness, adding there will be no compromise on this important subject in the team’s selection in future.

“Our target is to bring adequate improvement in physical fitness, raising its level to thirty percent from the existing level and surely we will be achieving this objective in the next three months before the Twenty20 World Cup,” he underlined.

Answering a question, Talat said the series in Abu Dhabi would be the first test of leadership for the newly appointed captain Shoaib Malik.

“Now Shoaib is in a different role; he has to motivate the team, to be a role model performer to inspire others and most importantly to justify his leadership qualities.”

“The Sri Lankans were the World Cup finalists and they are in high spirit and the impression being given that the absence of their three key players (Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and Kumar Sangakkara) will be an advantage for us in the Abu Dhabi series is unfair,” he said, adding, “We do not have Younis Khan, Danish Kaneria and most importantly former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and in the present scenario both the teams are equal in strength and have 50-50 chances of winning the series.”

The return of Mohammad Asif who is the vice-captain now, will be a plus point and will add fire to the pace battery, Talat said.—APP