Rashid Latif satisfied with Pakistan's performance

Pakistan's captain Rashid Latif said today that he was a satisfied man after achieving more than expected in a closely contested one-day series, which England won 2-1.

"I don't think many people had given us any chance of putting up a fight here, in the background that traditionally England is a tough place to tour and even tougher when you have a young team. But I am pleased with the way the youngsters have responded.

"I think the boys have the vibe and they have shown the world that they have the capacity to carry the green flag in days to come. They are young and raw but would certainly improve after getting more international exposure," Rashid said in a statement from London.

"Although it hurts deep inside that we couldn't win the series despite being on the verge of victory, I think that since the people have accepted the need of rebuilding [the team], they wouldn't be disappointed with our performance."

Pakistan, without Saeed Anwar, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq and Shahid Afridi, beat England in the first one-day international by two wickets but lost the second at The Oval by seven wickets. In the series decider at Lord's, Pakistan went down fighting by four wickets.

"We had promised that we would play hard and positive cricket. And that is what we have done on this tour. There had to be a winner and a loser, but at the end of the day, what matters most is the way cricket was played. And I have no hesitation in saying that we played entertaining and probably better cricket than England," said Rashid, adding that the match at Lord's showed the mental toughness of his team: "I mean the way we were thrashed at The Oval, not many teams would have bounced back the way we did. And we nearly pulled off a victory [at Lord's] but that wasn't to be the case as luck deserted us at vital times.

"We had our chances but didn't pounce on them. Nevertheless, we were graceful in defeat and there is no shame in losing the series," he said. "I am sure that after this performance, the media and the public would continue to support and back us in the future."

Pakistan dropped three crucial catches, two off Man of the Match Marcus Trescothick, and also missed three run-out opportunities. But they were also on the receiving end when umpires Darrell Hair and Peter Willey gave the benefit of the doubt to Trescothick and Chris Read after leg-before appeals. To rub more salt in to their wounds, England's captain Michael Vaughan was bowled by Mohammad Sami off a no-ball.

"I don't want to comment on the umpiring," said Rashid. "You have seen the match and the replays, therefore, you can make a better judgment than me."

Analysing the tour, Rashid said it was a difficult one for his young team. "It was a tight tour and had it been a longer one with a five-match series, the results could have been even better. But it was an enjoyable visit which the players enjoyed, and throughout the visit they remained gelled together. We developed an understand that is so very vital to produce positive results."

Pakistan won matches against Scotland, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, but lost to Essex as well as going down in the last two ODIs. "We won the first one-day international while chasing and stretched England to the limits in the third," said Rashid. "The youngsters came good while the seniors performed in bits and pieces. The other significant aspect of the tour was the aggressive but positive attitude of Shoaib Akhtar who bowled with fire and venom but without any luck [at Lord's]."

Rashid, on behalf of the entire team, thanked Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf, who took time off to visit his team's dressing-room before the Oval match. "As we are not accustomed to meeting dignitaries prior to any match, the youngsters got carried away. But his visit and words of advice were invaluable as they gave the boys a much needed confidence and support."

Pakistan now face a back-breaking domestic international season in which they will play six Tests and 13 one-day internationals between August 20 and the end of November. During that time, Pakistan will host Bangladesh, South Africa and New Zealand.