Pakistan’s chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq is confident that the national team will break its six-match losing streak in the World Cup against India when it takes on the arch-rivals at the mega-event on June 16.
Pakistan have never won against India in a World Cup matchbut the former Test captain feels that they can post a breakthrough victoryagainst the neighbours this time around when the two teams meet at Manchesternext month.
“People take a Indo-Pak match very seriously and someeven go on to say that ‘we will be happy even if only we can win against Indiaduring the World Cup’,” said Inzamam.
“I’m hopeful that we will end our losing streak againstIndia in World Cup matches,” he told a Pakistan Cricket website.
The veteran of 120 Tests, however, said that the World Cupis not just about the match against India, and “Pakistan have thepotential to beat other sides as well”.
Pakistan go into the World Cup having suffered 10 successiveODI defeats and were also beaten by Afghanistan in the warm-up match of theWorld Cup.
Inzamam, who is under-fire in recent times for making latechanges in the World Cup squad, spoke about the difficulties of selectingnational team and the pressure that comes with it.
“People think it is easy to jot down 14-15 players inorder to form a squad but it’s nothing like that because there is a lot ofpressure. For example it was very difficult for us to select fast-bowlers forthe World Cup because there were a lot of good names around including the likesof (Mohammad) Amir, Junaid (Khan) and (Usman Khan) Shinwari,” said the49-year-old.
Defending the selections of pacers Mohammad Hasnain andWahab Riaz, Inzamam said: “Like I said before pace of Hasnain, who cantouch 150 kph, would add a new dimension to our bowling attack because the restof the bowlers penetrate only around the 130-140 kph mark.”
On threat posed by minnows like Afghanistan during theupcoming tournament, Inzamam said no team should be taken lightly in the WorldCup.
“I think we should not take any team lightly during theWorld Cup. Teams like Afghanistan can upset some of the bigger teams. Even ifyou play, for instance, against Afghanistan or England, you get the same valuewith two points.”
He said it was important to get off to a good start in theWorld Cup.
“Getting off to a good start is important and I thinkour team has the ability to do that.”
Inzamam included Pakistan along side England, India and NewZealand in his list of four semi-finalists. “I think England, as they are the numberone side in the world, India, because of the balance of their side, NewZealand, as they have played good cricket in the build up to the event, and ofcourse Pakistan will be my final four,” he said.