A memo to Miandad and Inzamam

What a match. What an occasion. What a blunder. The Karachi match will go down in legend - Sharjah in 1986 is perhaps its only peer. But should the magic of the moment excuse the muddle of your strategy?

Imran Khan used to say that bits and pieces don't produce success. And he proved it by winning the World Cup with four front-line bowlers - a match you both played in. The fifth bowler was an opener who bowled more than competently, your recent adversary Aamer Sohail. Five decent bowlers, but even that wasn't enough, for there were times when Pakistan needed a sixth - and Ijaz Ahmed's round-armers were suprisingly effective.

Yes, there have been ups and downs since that time, but Pakistan has been a successful one-day side, particularly on the batting tracks of Asia and Sharjah. A success built on destructive bowling, daring batting, and a canny sixth option. Yes, cricket has progressed since Imran's days ... but your thinking has suddenly jumped backwards.

Your mantra is bits and pieces and more bits and pieces. This will not wash. Your public is bemused, confused, and angry. They can see that Abdul Razzaq is half the bowler he once was. Why can't you? They can see that Shoaib Malik is useful, but not a wicket-taker. Why don't you? They can see that Mohammad Sami is just as likely to implode as he is to explode. Why won't you? They can see that there is no need for nine batsmen. Why not you? And they can see that Pakistan need at least three front-line bowlers and a sixth option, but you resist this obvious strategy. Too many batsmen are spoiling this broth.

History is marked with heroic failures. Yet Karachi need not have been one. Indeed India helped you by fielding even fewer bowlers than you did. Yet your plight is less troublesome than India's, because you do have bowlers to call on, and you have many more allrounders.

Risk a little. Drop a batsman and choose a fast bowler or a high-class spinner: medium-pacers will not unsettle this Indian batting. Risk a little: go for daring over orthodoxy. Why waste Imran Nazir, or even Shahid Afridi, both of whom could devour this Indian bowling? Risk a little. Shove Abdul Razzaq up the order or throw in a pinch-hitter - go on the attack. Risk a little. Why not back the form of Taufeeq Umar? He could become your very own Rahul Dravid.

You are blessed with choices. Why not use six of them? Australia beat India with all-out attack. Why not follow them? Dare to win guys, don't lose sight of how to dare. Bits and pieces don't work for Pakistan.