Injury-plagued - Pakistan still picking up pieces

Sharjah, March 25: South Africa are on a high, India are beginning to find the groove while Pakistan are still in the process of picking up the pieces. That is the scenario at the moment in the Sharjah Cup triangular series.

The round one of the double-leg preliminaries clearly belonged to South Africa and it will be a big surprise if they don't end up winning the tournament. The biggest quality of the all-rounder-packed South African team is their consistency in cricket, a game better known for its inconsistencies.

They don't lose heart so early as it has been the case with the two other teams in the fray. They came precariously close to losing to Pakistan on Friday, but they handled the tense situation with a cool head to throw a spanner in all the hard work of Pakistan.

Like any other team, they too, rely on video analysis to study the weaknesses of rivals and at the same rectifying their own. But the only difference is that they do it pretty systematically. Applying themselves according to situation is the high-point of their game and that's why they have a good record against most of the teams in the world.

India and, in particular, Pakistan are a bit sentimental sides. They can do wonders on their day, but it doesn't happen so often. India arrived here after winning a high-scoring one-day series against South Africa, but fell flat in the opener when they went down by 10 wickets, handing South Africa their biggest-ever victory in a one-day international. Though, they quickly got their act together, winning against a depleted Pakistan side in the second match, still they haven't returned to their best form.

"The wicket here is a bit slow and therefore the matches won't be high-scoring ones," said Saurav Ganguly.

Pakistan have been plagued by injuries to their senior players and onus of lifting the team falls on young guns like Imran Nazir and Younis Khan. They both did a good job before Pakistan faltered in the closing overs.

It has been long since Pakistan batting has clicked. One victory, whether it's against India or South Africa, is all they need to get back in their senses. As for as bowling is concerned, they have enough stuff. And the return of Wasim Akram and Shoaib, who were sidelined due to groin injuries against South Africa on Friday, will be a welcome relief for a team who are also missing Saqlain Mushtaq and Azhar Mahmood.

How the scenario will unfold in the second round, one doesn't know but the prognoses does point to a thrilling battle with India and Pakistan going all out to stop South Africa, who have won both their matches.

"We have lost the first two matches, but we are not out. We will make a comeback," as Pakistan skipper Moin Khan said.

Another defeat and Pakistan will be out of the tournament and that's something they wont' like it to happen in the run-up to their tour of West Indies.-Dawn/KT Service