World Cup: Pakistan squad leaves for UK on Tuesday (27 April 1999)

27 April 1999

World Cup: Pakistan squad leaves for UK on Tuesday

The Dawn

Skipper Wasim Akram said on Monday that Pakistan will qualify for the Super Six round of the forthcoming seventh World Cup.

Talking to journalists at Shapes Health Club where some Test cricketers played a Mega Bowling match against the host club, Wasim Akram said that the team is in high spirit to bring honour and glory for Pakistan.

The skipper said that Pakistan team was strong enough in the bowling and batting departments and had the ability to defeat any team of the world. He said that all doubts about failure of batting line had been removed after Ijaz Ahmad and Inzimam-ul-Haq had retouched to their forms.

To a question, Wasim Akram avoided to say any thing about Javed Miandad's resignation as coach of the team.

"I have great respect for Javed Miandad and do not like to comment on this topic", Akram said.

To another question, Wasim Akram said that the team would play full 50 overs and would be in a better position to claim victory.

He said that Pakistan would play with five specialist batsmen and as many bowlers during the World Cup.

He said that the morale of the team was high and all the players were willing to perform well during the World Cup.

While replying to another question, Wasim Akram said that Pakistan fielding had also remarkably improved and expressed the hope it would be further better with the passage of time.

He appealed the nation to pray for the success of Pakistan team.

Besides Wasim Akram, the other Test cricketers who played the Bowling match were Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Ijaz Ahmad and Mushtaq Ahmad.

Source :: The Dawn (www.dawn.com)