Long live Pakistan Cricket team

Pakistan once again routs Australia in International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup to prove in quite crystal clear terms without any shadow of doubt whatsoever that we are potentially very lethal team which does posses the required arsenal and is quite capable to topple and upset any team at any given time at any level on any ground.

The much fancied Australians who were earlier beaten by Pakistan way back in 1999 in World Cup were too loud and proud of boasting of being never beaten by any country since 1999 had at last  to swallow the bitter pill of quinine today again after many long years. It is very much pertinent to pen that today Australians really struggled very hard  even just managing to score 176 after losing all wickets which, as such, earned them their ever lowest score in ICCWC whereas Pakistan scored 178 at the cost of losing only 6 wickets instead to tear them apart. Earlier Australians, not only in this tournament but in other games too, have scored at free will and raced to very respectable run rate but today it was very surprisingly other way round and they utterly failed to impress their lovers who must have prayed for their flying success. Today their run rate was not impressive at all since it managed to mere 3.77 per over while, on the contra, Pakistan very rightly flew at 4.34 per over.

Comparatively speaking, the credit goes more to our bowlers than our batsmen simple because our bowlers did not let them breathe as their wickets kept on tumbling quite regularly and none of their world fame batsmen could really hold the fort.  Our bowlers very rightly suffocated their opponents who really struggled and toiled hard to at least keep their name high but we did not let them come over. Needless to mention none of our opponents could score even half a century what to talk of a century in the whole innings though earlier they did pile very good scores both collectively and individually. Today on Australian’s side only Brad Haddin; Michel Clarke and Steven Smith out of their long batting line up succeeded in netting 42, 34 and 25 runs respectively which is nothing to be proud of to be honest. The Australians had never ever even thought in their wild dreams that they could be beaten so mercilessly by Pakistan before the whole world but they simply could not face the brunt of our bowlers since all of our bowlers  got at least one wicket to their credit. Umar Gul spearheaded our bowlers attack getting 3 wickets whereas Abdul Razzaq sent back 2 batsmen back to pavilion.

Honestly speaking, our batsmen did not lag behind either in delivering what was asked from them at such a critical stage otherwise the result could have been very much different. Needless to mention, ever since Australians have batted earlier hence they have posted a target to be surpassed by our batsmen and not bowlers. Asad Shafiq who is not that seasoned as others opened his innings and number three and batted so magnificently with full confidence and faced the world known bowlers who proclaim to be equal to none but Asad did not care the least and went on to score as much as 46 and can be rightly proud of scoring the highest runs in the match. Our veteran batsman, Younus Khan who even captained our team, hit superbly 31 runs at prolific rate of 73.81-heighest in the match. Of course, our star batsman Umar Akmal, brother of our wicket keeper Kamran Akmal duly supported by all rounder Abdul Razzaq was not only very much calm and quiet in saving his wicket but also hitting as and when required and scored much needed 44 runs and the beauty is that he never lost the confidence and concentration even though he was under dire pressure as the game closer to end.   He remained not out to earn the title of Man of the Match.  Abdul Razzaq scored last two boundaries in sequence to overrun the score of the opponents and hence Pakistan became victorious on the day. Now Pakistan leads in its group.

I, from the core of my heart, congratulate all of my country men and women alike whether living in my beloved Pakistan or overseas like me and humbly request them both individually and collectively to please do join me in prayers that eventually Pakistan lifts the Cup, aameen.

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Prayers / Sincere Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Pakistani in Kuwait since 1978