LAHORE: Pakistan head coach Moin Khan, expressing full confidence in his players, predicts they can win the Asia Cup for the third time if they play with a positive attitude.

“I was the captain when Pakistan won it for the first time. We won it the second time under Misbah-ul-Haq in 2012. And now Misbah is going to Bangladesh with almost the same team and I am going in a new role of head coach,” Moin said before the start of Pakistan cricket team’s training camp for Asia Cup and World Twenty20 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.

The team will leave for Bangladesh on Feb 22.

Urging a well-balanced side could guarantee a win, Moin said: “Though our bowling did not let us down on several occasions as compared to batting, I want a balanced team for the major events.

“Recently our team has inducted batsmen like Sohaib Maqsood and Sharjeel Khan into the batting line-up, making a good combination and I hope these players excel in future.”

It is the first coaching assignment of Moin with the Pakistan team. He has worked with the national team as manager during the last four series.

To a question, Moin said it was the unanimous decision of the team management and selectors to omit veteran batsman Younis Khan.

“Undoubtedly, no one has any doubt over Younis’ abilities and I personally like him but right now we want to continue with the same set of players. Younis can stage a comeback in the future,” Moin added.

He praised performance of his predecessor Dav Whatmore, saying although Pakistan could not win a Test series under his coaching, the success rate in one-day and T20 formats was quite satisfactory.

“As I worked with Whatmore as manager of the team, I noticed the professional way of his coaching, besides, I observed players’ psyche and their shortcomings. I am trying to overcome that to get maximum output from them,” he said.

Moin said no coach can make any side unbeatable but he would make sure that Pakistan players perform to the best of their abilities in every match.

He maintained that the main task ahead of him was to help players overcome their fear of failure. “For it, we have to keep consistency in selection,” he said.

He also defended Umar Akmal in his role as wicket-keeper, saying he had proved hits mettle with the gloves.

Moin also justified the selection of Kamran Akmal, saying he was a suitable option for an opener for the World T20.

He said lack of coordination between the head coach and domestic coaches had played a negative role but he would try to overcome that.

To a question, he said it was PCB’s decision to appoint him for four months.

He also defended the appointment of Shoaib Mohammad as fielding coach, saying during their playing days, he had found the former opener as one of the best fielders and he (Shoaib) had also delivered a useful lecture to the players on the first day of the camp.

Moin said Pakistan cricket had survived many crisis in the past like the current ‘Big Three’, but by giving better performance on the field Pakistan could overcome any problem.

Asked if his appointment was not a result of his close association with PCB chairman Najam Sethi, who had also appointed him as manager of the team, he said everyone knew that a high-profile committee of Javed Miandad, Intikhab Alam and Wasim Akram picked him as the head coach and Shoaib as fielding coach.