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LAHORE: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq said on Tuesday that all the matches were important in the World Cup, but "the desire is to beat India."
The skipper made the comments as the Pakistan cricket team left on a World Cup mission with their first destination New Zealand where they play two one-day internationals before taking part in the mega event.
Misbah said all matches are important but his team will do its best to break the jinx against India whom Pakistan have never beaten in any of their five previous World Cup matches.
“All matches are important but the desire is to beat India and we want to play it with full heart and passion and break that trend,” said Misbah.
He said that the Pakistan team will do its best to win the World Cup.
“We will do our best,” said Misbah at the send-off ceremony at the national cricket academy.
“We should not think of results, win or lose: the focus should be to play at our best."
Manager Naveed Cheema also said the team will do its best to win the Cup.
“This team is a blend of youth and experience and has prepared well for the event and are going with high spirits and will to win,” said Cheema.
Paceman Junaid Khan had to pull out hours before departure because of a leg injury and was replaced by another fast bowler Bilawal Bhatti who will depart in the next couple of days.
Bhatti will play the two ODIs but the team remains hopeful that Junaid will recover in time to take part in the World Cup. In the event that he doesn't, Bhatti is likely to replace him.
Pakistan will play two one-day internationals against New Zealand on January 31 and February 3 before playing their first match against arch-rivals and defending champions India at Adelaide on February 15.
Pakistan is placed in group B of the 14-team event which kicks off in Australia and New Zealand on February 14.
Pakistan will also face the West Indies, Zimbabwe, United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Ireland in the first round. India, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Scotland and Bangladesh comprise group A.
Top four teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals.The final is in Melbourbe on March 29.
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Comments (92) Closed
Jan 20, 2015 09:31pm
Don't take this much unnecessary pressure. Just play and take it as other match then only you can win otherwise it will result in 6th defeat.
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Jan 20, 2015 09:32pm
With the way our bowlers are bowling, your desire may be fulfilled this time Misbah.
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Jan 20, 2015 09:32pm
“We will do our best,” said Misbah at the send-off ceremony at the national cricket academy. [ Well Misbah, Is there any event you didn't say the same thing. Did you ever say " We won't do our best.
“We should not think of results, win or lose: the focus should be to play at our best." Well said but on the other end you are again saying “All matches are important but the desire is to beat India and we want to play it with full heart and passion and break that trend,”
Why are you confusing the team and the nation???? Just focus on the whole World Cup.
In 1992, Imran just made one comment that they wouldn't let any team to go easily for the world cup.
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Jan 20, 2015 09:36pm
ah!!! obsession.
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Jan 20, 2015 09:44pm
Focus on the tournament not only on a paticuar match. This is a World Cup we are talking about nota bilateral series.
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Jan 20, 2015 09:48pm
Now social media use, no families, feels more like a boot camp rather than a global event. Pointless restrictions dont make you win big events! Everybody please show some confidence in our boys because if we dont, who will?
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Jan 20, 2015 09:51pm
Pakistan may be able to beat India this time. Indian bowling is pathetic now. Pak team is well balanced.
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Jan 20, 2015 10:10pm
Play honestly; win or loss is a part of the game. Do not make big statements in media rather get the players morally boosted in the dressing room and lastly play cricket in a cricketing manner.
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Jan 20, 2015 10:17pm
Concentrate on world cup win dear,beating India is no rocket science.
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Jan 20, 2015 10:17pm
The team is there for the world cup not just to beat India !! Comments like this make you question the mentality and readiness of the team.
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Jan 20, 2015 10:17pm
what a strange thinking. Misbah can afford not win world cup but can't afford a lose against india.
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Jan 20, 2015 10:22pm
The approach needs to be not to focus on India and focus on the tournament instead.
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Jan 20, 2015 10:25pm
Ofcourse winning world cup is the aim but every Pakistani's priority is to beat India!
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Jan 20, 2015 10:25pm
Insha Allah. May his dream come true.
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Jan 20, 2015 10:26pm
@MyTake Too soon to say this.
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Jan 20, 2015 10:31pm
This in a nutshell defines the goals of the PCB. Forget the WC but just win the India encounter and make it to the QF. After that prayers of the nation,hopes for a miracle and somebody giving the performance of a lifetime may take them to the SF. This is the absolute best case scenario.
This is a realistic goal given the complete decimation of the bowling attack due to injuries ( Junaid and Umar Gul) and suspect actions( Ajmal and Hafeez). These bowlers represent close to 35 overs out 50 between them. Can they be replaced? I don't think so. So a QF defeat is the best that I am expecting.
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Jan 20, 2015 10:32pm
This is what u say is a 'Bad Start' to a tournament .... Grow Up !!!
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Jan 20, 2015 10:37pm
My request to Pakistani players from the bottom of my heart. Please stop making big announcements before the tournament. You always do that and fail. Just practise and give it your best. Beating India is not a huge deal. All the best. But please stop these announcements. They always backfire.
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Jan 20, 2015 10:39pm
@Nadu lal read or listen again. He said we want to play positive cricket.
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Jan 20, 2015 10:45pm
Here we go again! India centric in sports as well now?
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Jan 20, 2015 10:55pm
At least keep India out of focus on cricket ground..... Entire Pakistan has become India centric country.
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Jan 20, 2015 11:01pm
Misbah - Aim sould be winning the WC and not just beating India. Get out that India/Pakistan cacoon.
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Jan 20, 2015 11:02pm
As usual logic, beating India is more important than winning the cup.!!!!.
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Jan 20, 2015 11:08pm
You are putting pressure on to yourselves.
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Jan 20, 2015 11:15pm
Stop thinking for yourself !
As long as YOU aim for personal achievements (India only win, making the cut or reaching the semifinal) you will not achieve big !
Aim Higher ... a defeated heart can not lift the cup aim the cup
Like nation like leaders (Tall or False Claims) and hopeless to aim for higher forget about working to achieving
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Jan 20, 2015 11:16pm
Misbah we lost against India 5 times in the world cup. But won it once and qualified for semis 6 times. So your logic is wrong.
Please don't demotivate team and nation by giving such comments.
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Jan 20, 2015 11:25pm
Aim at beating Australia NOT India. Aim HIGH!!
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Jan 20, 2015 11:29pm
Arre yaar what's the big deal? Whoever plays good that day should win!
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Jan 20, 2015 11:39pm
We in India will be disappointed if India loses to Paksitan but its just 1 game, we are more concerned about winning the World Cup. That is the difference between the 2 teams.
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Jan 20, 2015 11:43pm
As much as I want Pakistan to never lose to India in anything, the focus of Pakistan should be to win the world cup. Making match against India WC final does not make any sense. Win the cup thats what it is all about not winning against India.
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Jan 20, 2015 11:51pm
Get over your hatred of India and be a sportsman. It is a game and nothing more.
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Jan 20, 2015 11:53pm
This is a bad statement from Pak skipper. If you lose to India, will your world fall apart ? Why do you pressure on yourselves to beat India only ? Think of posotives and beat every team, which come in the way. Such attitide will bring you back to Pakistan quickly.
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Jan 20, 2015 11:54pm
Just shows the mindset. More interested in beating India than winning the World Cup. How on earth can you win a tournament with such childish attitude.
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Jan 21, 2015 12:09am
best of luck to the pakistani cricket team.. i hope they also win the world cup this time. this will help to lift the spirit in your country..
may god be with you . best wishes.....
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Jan 21, 2015 12:20am
We should not think of results, win or lose: the focus should be to play at our best." says misbah.....but but...we want to beat india....hahahaha....
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Jan 21, 2015 12:29am
As always, it is nothing but an India centric obsession at an individual level.
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Jan 21, 2015 12:29am
I don't care if Pak beats India or not. I would rather be happy to see them in the Semi Final. If they beat India then they will relax and lose to SA and Windies. Their only objective should be to get to the Final and if they can beat India along the way then good. Also, because I have match tickets for QFs, Semis and Final.
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Jan 21, 2015 12:34am
What a terrible mindset to go in with. We waited 4 years for this World Cup and Misbah comes a month b4 and pretty much tells us we can;t win the World Cup but we will try to beat India. Win the cup even if u lose to India, look at the bigger picture for once!
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Jan 21, 2015 12:47am
good luck to Pakistan team.
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Jan 21, 2015 12:50am
Inshallah !!
Our current bowlers will definitely make Mishbah's dream come true.
I am glad Pakistan will get some happiness and it will bring smile to your faces.
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Jan 21, 2015 12:55am
misbah and pak team can become hero only if they do either of the two things:
first, if they win the world cup
second, if they win against india even if they r beaten by all other teams
fulfilling first means they have to do well against most of the teams whereas, the second options means they need to win only one game
and even if india goes on to win world cup (an unlikely probability in australia) after being beaten by pak team, indians would consider themselves losers in their hearts
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Jan 21, 2015 01:00am
Indian team is at its worst right now: if you can't beat them now- I wonder what else can be said
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Jan 21, 2015 01:11am
Our priority is to win against india not to win world. We should remember in 1992 we lost to india but won world cup.
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Jan 21, 2015 01:13am
If you don't win this time you can not win any time,, this indian team is a biggest weak team in the indian cricket history,,,You have to give more thanks to indian selectors..
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Jan 21, 2015 01:14am
It will be great if they could beat India but I do not expect any thing from this squad, let us be realistic, whatever next stages they get will be due to Nation's prayers. Watch out for Weather as well.
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Jan 21, 2015 01:18am
You cant, DRS will turn the balls for them :P
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Jan 21, 2015 01:25am
Play without any pressure, you will win.
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Jan 21, 2015 01:26am
your "full" statement has already decided the winner...
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Jan 21, 2015 01:29am
My good wishes for Pakistan team.
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Jan 21, 2015 01:29am
@Sri that is the only difference wao!!!!
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Jan 21, 2015 01:40am
With this pressure on mind, it is not going to be easy to beat India. I suggest Misbah must watch 1992 world cup matches.
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Jan 21, 2015 01:40am
more than focusing into winning the world
cup, they are more interested to beat INDIA
in anything and everything ,
Prove it by action.. else..... I leave others to comment
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Jan 21, 2015 01:55am
After our (India's )defeat to England on Jan 19, I am heartbroken and sad.
It is good news for Pakistan. Misbah's dream might come true...our batting and bowling are at lowest point now. Hope we go up from here not down.
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Jan 21, 2015 02:08am
India has its eyes on the World Cup and we only focus on India.
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Jan 21, 2015 02:14am
Doing your best should not be the focus. The only focus is to win. This statement is already an indication of not winning.
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Jan 21, 2015 02:15am
Desire should be winning the world cup!
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Jan 21, 2015 02:17am
This is against the sportsman spirit to target one opponent out of several teams. With this attitude in mind you are not going to win.
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Jan 21, 2015 02:18am
Same Nonsense, Beating India or India beating Pakistan means nothing, if you lose the WC cup title. Play to Beat everyone and win the title !!!
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Jan 21, 2015 02:25am
As Bruce Lee once said,(it's like a finger pointing to the moon concentrate on the finger and you lose all the heavenly glory).dont get to obsessive with just beating india that you get beaten by everybody else Good Luck.
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Jan 21, 2015 02:26am
Yuvraj will be missed
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Jan 21, 2015 02:37am
The current Indian team is not that difficult to defeat. Many teams outside of India and Pakistan are doing great and hence are most likely the favorites.
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Jan 21, 2015 02:47am
this was not necessary "Aha Bhail Muje Maar" kissa ho gaya you just happen to put unnecessary burden on yourself and take the focus out of worldcup, India's are not playing that well, our bowling is pathetic so you do have a good chance if you just play a good cricket
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Jan 21, 2015 02:48am
Talk about missing the forest for the trees.
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Jan 21, 2015 03:05am
These are a bunch of losers starting with Haroon Rashid [1979 WC], Waqar Younus [1996,1999,2003 WC], Younus Khan [1999, 2003,2007, 2011 WC], Hafeez and Misbah [2011 WC] Ijaz Ahmed [1996, 1999, 2003, 2007 WC] Wajahatullah wasti [2003 WC] Only Moin Khan and Mushtaq Ahmed had a better WC in 1992 and 1999.
What we can hope from this assembly of losers. Pakistan winners Wasim Akram, Rameez Raja, Aamir Sohail, Jawaid Miandad, Inzimam, Saeed Anwer, Abdukl Qadir and Abdul Razzak services have not been utilized.
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Jan 21, 2015 03:17am
@Paggri Sanbhaal and yet they have never beaten India.
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Jan 21, 2015 03:26am
This a very poor statement by Misbah, as much I think he is the best person now to be captain what is he saying? That PK can win their first game against India and then retire and lose all the others? Why do I get the feeling that India could care less about PK and are eyeing the cup while Misbah is eyeing winning one match. The fixation over India has to end. Besides India are not even favs, Aus and SA are the teams to beat.
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Jan 21, 2015 03:33am
@Devendra Sharma. Although a stupid comment by Misbah, but Indians feels exactly the same way. I have too many Indian friends and they all say that winning against Pakistan is the ultimate glory even if we exit first round out the world cup!
Grow up India and Pakistan!
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Jan 21, 2015 03:50am
Why are people so scared of India? Pak fans always belittle India , their bowlers, even Kohli and India as no good away from home. So why all the shivers when the teams meet?
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Jan 21, 2015 03:54am
Why can't you just play the game and enjoy it? Anyway, best of luck for winning especially against India.
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Jan 21, 2015 03:55am
Bhatti good choice. He has variation in his bowling and can also bat. He performed well in South Africa last year.
But we need atleast three front line wicket taking bowlers like Ehsan Adil, Mohammad Irfan and Yasir. CANNOT win without taking wickets!!!
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Jan 21, 2015 03:57am
Do you really need to say this Misbah !! The desire should be to play FULL fifty overs.
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Jan 21, 2015 04:08am
@MyTake
What about Indian Batting...
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Jan 21, 2015 05:02am
Winning against India should not be big deal, Indian selectors has already committed harakiri by picking this team.
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Jan 21, 2015 05:06am
If you want to beat India just sensibly and don't be emotional.
I have seen in the previous WC defeats against India TURNS EMOTIONAL AND START LOSING wickets unnecessarily by playing ambitious shorts.This thing builds up pressure on the team and let Indian grip the game.
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Jan 21, 2015 05:29am
Clearly- Pakistans problem is a huge inferiority complex they have from India. Not just in sports but anything and everything! Its understandable where Misbah is coming from!
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Jan 21, 2015 05:57am
This shows sick mentality and inferiority complex of Pakistani players.
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Jan 21, 2015 06:00am
Obsession with India even in sports? Get a life.
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Jan 21, 2015 06:38am
When will these guys stop focusing on one match.....seems as if the only match that matters to them is with india..... focus on the tournament n aim on the world cup, what good will u get from beating india but getting out of the tournament in first round. ..... think big and you will achieve g
big
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Jan 21, 2015 06:49am
Given the way our team is currently playing, your dream will soon become reality, India will break another record low of not yet beaten by Pakistan in WC.
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Jan 21, 2015 07:02am
Indian here. Unpredictability of the game makes it more interesting. Sometimes India should win And other times Pakistan. Play with sportsmanship and dedication. The winner should display magnanimity and 2nd winner should show grace.
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Jan 21, 2015 07:39am
this kind of comment shows Misbah's immaturity. the game against India is just one game. Pakistan can still qualify for quarter finals even they lose to India. its no big deal and there is no need to show patriotism like this.
the only way to do that is try your best and play for the country and treat others with respect.
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Jan 21, 2015 07:53am
With our current bowling line up Shahid Afridi's dream may also come true. For me it would be an upset if India wins against Pak.
Australia and SA are the most dangerous side. Sab ki dhulai hone waala hai re baawa !!
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Jan 21, 2015 08:15am
@nasir I am so surprised. This time he didn't say that we will play negative cricket, funny!!!!
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Jan 21, 2015 08:59am
So is Misbah saying if we loose against India, we should not bother playing rest of the matches ?
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Jan 21, 2015 09:11am
I am an Indian. This time there is no Indian team in world cup. The team which is being selected is of Dhoni and Srinivasan Co. ( India cement company ). So dont worry about Indian team guys as there is no Yuvraj, no Gambhir n no Sehwag. And Dhoni luck n helicopter will nt work on foreign soil. The worst Indian team ever selected for world cup. Just watch out for Kohli, Rahane and Rohit. Rest all are like dhoni who believe in luck n Srinivasan but not in performance. This time you can break that jinx.....Good luck
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Jan 21, 2015 10:13am
@MyTake Yes, Indian bowling is not that effective yet their batting line up is very strong, has the potential to convert it into victory.
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Jan 21, 2015 10:23am
@Abdul kadir So plan to loose to India time as well - that way you stand a chance of winning the world cup
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Jan 21, 2015 10:24am
I hate it when captains say 'don't think about winning or losing.. just play your best'. You play to win and not 'play your best' and stand to lose.
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Jan 21, 2015 10:30am
Also i think India is just a stepping stone towards a higher destination i.e. the World Cup. In terms of abilities Pakistan has always been a stronger side than India but its just that they succumb to pressure at key moments in the match resulting in losing the match. This time, however, I believe that Pakistan will comprehensively.
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Jan 21, 2015 12:46pm
Misbah - the tournament is not about beating India. Its about playing every match with full dedication towards a goal to victory! Stop thinking about India! You've already pressured the players and possibly jinxed the opening game!! Stop thinking about who you are facing! They are all extremely GOOD and you have to do your best against ALL of them!! Best wishes!!
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Jan 21, 2015 04:55pm
You have a good team and bunch of very good bolwers...to be honest India has a weak team this time and very poor bowling line up. This is your best chance to beat us in a world cup.....The results are evident in the OZ test series and kind of treatment they are getting in the triangular series so far. Your bowlers are better and they can get better of our good batsman, hope you field and bat better.
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Jan 23, 2015 09:14am
India obsession is quite apparent in Pakistan. This is one more.
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