Pakistan should have a decisive plan to beat England

It may be amusing to some, but to me its quite amazing that the fate of the world's premier cricket tournament may be decided by the weather. I am used to seeing rain and cricket go hand in hand during English summers, but the World Cup could certainly have done without the stormy weather. One team that will not be complaining too much about the weather is host nation South Africa, for whom the rain - which denied the West Indies valuable points against Bangladesh - was a shot in the arm after some shock losses.

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But the cricket itself, in all fairness, has been exciting, and there have already been some interesting results through the inclusion of teams like Bangladesh, Holland, Namibia and Kenya. Their inclusion has not only made things difficult by stretching the World Cup into a long drawn-out affair but also by wrecking a few teams' plans by collecting two points from rained-out games and almost pulling off an upset or two. One must give these spirited "minnows" a lot of credit. Many may think that the one-sided games involving lesser teams drag down World Cup standards to the level of farce, but the new blood, in my opinion, has made the tournament more interesting on a global basis and will certainly help in the growth of cricket.

Apart from the rain and the odd one-sided game, this Cup saw more drama when England and New Zealand forfeited their games against Zimbabwe and Kenya respectively. Highly charged global politics and security concerns have, I feel, driven some people paranoid. I don't think sport and politics should ever mix, for politics of any kind has only been detrimental to the game. If the International Cricket Council classifies a venue as safe, the teams should be willing to play there - simple as that. If some teams are going to opt out of a game or two, why play in the World Cup at all? The individual boards, moreover, are going against ICC rulings, so if there is talk of penalties imposed on the countries, the ICC would only have my support.

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Pakistan, in its World Cup foray so far, has had a different set of problems. Their approach in the first game against Australia was much too casual. Where has the famous fighting spirit gone? Where is the pride of playing for Pakistan? I thought Wasim Akram bowled a superb first spell and exposed the Australian weakness - the middle order - but once Wasim was taken off, the weaker aspects of Pakistan cricket allowed Andrew Symonds to take the game away. Given the opportunity, Pakistan should have been able to finish Australia off, for that is what wins matches in top-class cricket.

Controversy dogged this match too, and I was surprised to see Waqar Younis lose his cool and bowl two beamers at Symonds, consequently being barred from bowling further in that match. Waqar is a very senior cricketer and an experienced one. Surely he should have known that such adverse publicity can only harm team morale.

But bygones are bygones, and there is yet a World Cup to be won. To bring it home to Pakistan, their batting will have to play a more responsible role. After all, if Rashid Latif down the order can score runs, why cannot Inzamam ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana? These two batsmen have the responsibility of holding the middle order together and score the majority of their team's runs. Failing to do so against Namibia will be something that Pakistan would have discussed after the game. One must also remember that during Pakistan's sole World Cup win, in 1992, Inzamam was the key batsman for the side, and here too in South Africa, a decade later, he must start firing immediately.

Pakistan's fixture against Namibia ended predictably, with their batting hardly able to withstand the Pakistani pace attack. I was glad to see Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar have an extended bowling stint in that game, for their next match - against England - has the potential to be a deciding one as far as Pakistan's campaign is concerned. A win at Cape Town will help them breathe a little easier before their crucial encounter against India.

England too will be out of sorts after going through the wringer during the Zimbabwe controversy, and their win against Namibia was none too convincing. There is thus a big chance for Pakistan to beat them, but it will take a good game-plan and an excellent execution of it in the middle.

Strategy, indeed, seems to be the buzzword in this tournament. Watching this World Cup from the armchair, I can closely follow events on the field, watch replays over and over again, and this is exactly what Pakistan must also do - observe. If they learn from watching their opposition closely, it will help them formulate precise strategies that will go a long way in helping them win the Cup.