Durham, September 11: Despite the disappointment in the first one-day international against England here, Pakistan coach Waqar Younis backed his boys saying they have taken a ‘positive step’ on the road to redemption. However, Waqar believes that the Pakistani players need to raise their game in order to secure a win in the second match at Headingley tomorrow and restore some pride following a tour tarnished by corruption allegations.
”This game was a positive step,” Waqar said. ”I am pretty confident that we will probably bounce back in the next few games.
”We need to just win a few games to take some pride back. It has been a tough last 10 days, the last 20 to 25, with what is happening back home with the floods.
”The only thing we can do is play good cricket, win a few games and put a smile back on Pakistani faces.
”I’m very pleased with the way the crowd came out and supported us and hopefully looking at the performance I’m hoping the crowd will get better and better.
”This was a definite improvement from the T20. We looked a much better unit. The boys really batted well and looked good. There are definitely positives,” he was quoted as saying by ‘The Daily Telegraph’.
The recent spot-fixing controversy involving three Pakistani players – captain Salman Butt, pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer – not only rocked Pakistan cricket but has cause major embarrassment to cricketing community.
The trio came under the scanner following a British tabloid ‘News of the World’s expose which alleged that Asif and Aamer deliberately bowled no-balls in the fourth Test at Lord’s against England.
Reports of a fourth player’s seamer Wahab Riaz involvement in the scandal also dropped a bombshell in the matter. He would be questioned by the London police on September 13.
Meanwhile, the trio – Butt, Asif and Aamer left for home after investigation yesterday. They left home without any charges levelled on them.
”He (Riaz) is in the 15 and all 15 are available as far as I am concerned,” Waqar said.
England captain Andrew Strauss paid tribute to his opponents, saying they have gone through a tough time and the tourists now need to come up with spirit performances.
”There’s no doubt it has to have been a tough time for the Pakistan players, so for them to continue putting in spirited performances is important for their group but also important for the game.
”Cricket was the winner today. It was a competitive game and excellent wicket to bat on so there were plenty of boundaries, some real entertainment and the crowd enjoyed themselves.
”We had to work pretty hard for victory and it ended up being a tight game. Now there are only 11 games between now and the World Cup and we need to win as many as possible,” Strauss said.
Pakistan yesterday succumbed to a 24-run loss against England, inspired by wicketkeeper-batsman Steven Davies’s 87, in the first of the five-match ODI series here. England has earlier crushed Pakistan in the two Twenty20 internationals 2-0, and have pocketed the Test series 3-1.
———Agencies