'Our running leaves a lot to be desired'

During a game I keep my 'game notes' as it helps me remember the details - the good as well as the not so good moments - of the proceedings. I attach a small example of how they look for your interest.

* Hot morning, cloudless sky, Inzamam [ul-Haq] wins the toss and elects to field first. It is the general consensus that is what we should do. "The pitch is drier than the ones we have been playing on but it is reasonable to think that it will do something," he said hopefully.

* The stadium looks terrific and the warm-ups go well.
* Gul to Gayle, "off we go"
* Very hot conditions. We need towels for the sweat.
* Gul strikes in his second over with Gayle edging to Kamran. Short ball swinging after it pitched and getting big on Gayle.
* Sarwan replaces Gayle and was dropped (very tough chance at second slip climbing and going away from Younis Khan).
* Danny [Danish Kaneria] throws four overthrows while returning it to the keeper - very funny! Except for the bowler.

The opening match of the World Cup was the type of game we can expect from all the sides here. It was a tough, no-holds-barred game. In the end West Indies deserved to win. I had wondered, before the game, if the pressure of the occasion might get to them. I had also wondered if the occasion would spur them on to greater deeds. The wondering is now over.

There were a number of turning points in the game. The first was when Sarwan came in as though he had a train to catch. His aggression might have taken the game away from us but the bowlers held their nerve and a good ball from [Iftikhar] Rao dismissed him. [Marlon] Samuels, after a circumspect start, decided it was time to accelerate and played a gem of an innings in the context of the game a gem. He is a sweet timer of the ball and can also hit it very hard.

West Indies eventually totalled 241 on what looked like an excellent track but we thought that they might be 20 to 30 runs short. We needed a solid start, something like 40 for 0 off ten overs would have been great but West Indies were dynamic in the field. They exuded energy as they dived, stopped and caught everything. Their bowlers bowled a superb length and line. Despite having two of the best batsmen in world cricket today the Windies bowlers bowled with consummate discipline and as the run rate went from 4.7 to 7.3 I knew that it was going to be very hard for the lower order to score at such a high rate.

West Indies rose to the occasion and played with pride, passion and steel. Pakistan's effort was good for they worked hard all the time but in the end it wasn't enough. To sum up I will add some more from my notes.

* It is easy to point fingers and I really thought that 241 was a good effort in the field but if you add up all the little things then you can see that scoring 242 to win needed a good start and wickets in hand. Danish's throw and Rao's last over - all these little things add up. Our running between the wickets leaves a lot to be desired and we hardly turned a single into two runs. West Indies bowled with great discipline and two early wickets has not helped our cause.
* Statistically West Indies ran seven more twos, hit seven more sixes, and scored 10 more fours than Pakistan. It quietly highlights why we are behind the eight ball.

Our game against Ireland will be a tough one as they have proved that they are one of the best equipped of the Associate sides and are very keen and well-organised. There will be no easy games in this World Cup.