Islamabad: Caught in the hype like anybody else, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan momentarily forgot that he is no longer the ‘kaptaan’ and advised Sarfaraz Ahmed to bat first and set a target, rather than chase one.
‘‘Unless the pitch is damp, the captain must win the toss & bat," he said in a tweet. However, the Pakistani captain Sarfaraz Ahmed had different ideas. He won the toss alright, but opted to bowl, contrary to Khan's suggestion to bat first.
In hind sight, it would seem Imran was possibly right because India putting together a formidable 336 runs for five wickets after a short break due to rain.
Khan had also suggested that Sarfaraz Ahmed opt only for specialist bowlers and batsmen to ensure that Pakistan does not go belly up against their traditional rival.
"Sarfaraz must go in with specialist batsmen and bowlers because 'Railu Kattas' rarely perform under pressure - especially the intense kind that will be generated today.’’
Khan also gave some pep talk to his cricket team, asking them to banish the fear of losing to India in the crucial match, saying the fear of losing leads to a negative and defensive strategy.
Pakistan has never won a match against India in ICC Cricket World Cups. "Finally, even though India may be the favourites, banish all fear of losing. Just give your best and fight till the last ball. Then accept whatever the result like true sportsmen. The nation's prayers are with all of you. Good Luck.
Highlighting the importance of mind, Khan, who is also known as 'Kaptaan' in Pakistan, said: "When I started my cricketing career I assumed success was 70% talent & 30% mind. By the time I finished playing cricket I felt it was 50-50 ratio. But now I tend to agree with my friend (Sunil) Gavaskar it's 60% mental strength & 40 % talent. Today role of mind will be more than 60%".
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is being hosted by England and Wales from May 30 to July 14. Pakistan won the championship in 1992 under the captaincy of Khan while India has won it twice -- 1983 and 2011.
