Keeping early wickets is key to success, says Inzamam by AFP

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Ground:	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Player:	Inzamam-ul-Haq, Naved-ul-Hasan, ML Hayden, MJ Clarke
Event:	VB Series 2004/05

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DateLine: 2nd February 2005

 

Preserving early wickets will be vital if Pakistan are to continue their recent run of form into the Tri-series limited-overs cricket finals against Australia, skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq said.

 

Pakistan completed back-to-back wins over Australia and West Indies on Tuesday to grab a finals berth and help erase memories of their 3-0 Test whitewash by the hosts.

 

Their massive 307 innings against West Indies -- highlighted by a knock of 105 from Yousuf Youhana while Inzamam himself scored 74 -- was the second highest in a one-day international at the Western Australian Cricket Association Ground.

 

Just as importantly, strike bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan grabbed 4-29 off 9.1 overs to end the Windies' hopes of overhauling the total.

 

Inzamam, who has been under pressure to keep the captain's job, said Pakistan had been working on keeping wickets intact early in the innings, setting the scene for big-hitters such as Shahid Afridi later on.

 

"If you look at the last couple of games .. if you save wickets then in the last 20 or 30 overs you can score anything," he said on Wednesday.

 

"The last game against the West Indies they had a couple of wickets in hand and they scored 340-odd runs so it is important that we apply that."

 

The win over the Windies prompted captain Brian Lara to declare them a big threat to world champions Australia in the best-of-three finals, starting on Friday, and Inzamam said Pakistan was optimistic of playing well.

 

"I know it is tough opposition but if we really work hard then well, hopefully we will perform well in the finals," Inzamam said.

 

He said his own form had improved at the right time as had that of Yousuf and allrounders Afridi and Abdul Razzaq and strike bowler Rana.

 

"My form is good, that is why I am looking good," he said.

 

"The last two games he (Rana) has really done well -- they (the bowlers) really feel hunger and I think he has set the example," he said.

 

The Australians are still under pressure over their opening combination following the continuing poor form of Matthew Hayden.

 

Coach John Buchanan again threw his support behind Hayden, whose position is under threat from the richly-talented Michael Clark, who has moved up the order to open at various times with huge success.

 

Hayden has scores of six, 27, three and six in his four matches in the limited overs series while Clarke has a strike-rate of almost 95.

 

But Buchanan believes it is only a matter of time before Hayden finds his touch.

 

"If we go to the usual scenario of a snapshot versus movie-length, we're in a period of time in Matthew's movie where we're at an ad-break," Buchanan said when asked if Hayden should play.

 

"So right at this time, we're waiting for the ad-break to finish so we can get back to the real movie.

 

"So hopefully he gets that opportunity to get back there and do it."

 

Despite Australia's loss to Pakistan on Sunday, Buchanan was confident the team had the depth to prevent a repeat -- regardless of who was on the field.

 

"Out of the squad of 14, at the moment we could place any group, I believe, on the field and play just as well," he said.

 

Constant rain forced Australia to train indoors on Wednesday, while Pakistan rested.

 

Both teams are expected to name their sides on Friday.

(Article: Copyright © 2005 AFP)