Team remained in good spirits after India loss: Sarfraz

Captain Sarfraz Ahmed on Wednesday said the heavy defeat against India in their opening match motivated Pakistan’s massive turnaround as his team decimated hosts and pre-tournament favourites England to enter their maiden Champions Trophy final.

Azhar Ali and the impressive Fakhar Zaman struck a 118-run stand for the first wicket before Fakhar fell for a 58-ball 57.

That brittle batting order of Pakistan continues to be a cause for worry, and if the willow-wielders don’t step up against England, their tournament will end in the semifinal stage.

The final is at The Oval on Sunday.

“I was thinking that if I play 50 overs, we would win”, he explained. “I think we played very well and that’s why we won”.

“One thing we didn’t do was adapt to conditions, coming from Edgbaston to a used wicket, Pakistan did that well and played better”.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Hasan Ali took three wickets as England collapsed to 211 all out in their Champions Trophy semifinal at Cardiff on Wednesday.

As good as the Asian nation were, England were woeful with the bat as they chucked their wickets away, with eight catches and two run outs seeing them fall to an unremarkable 211.

For England, Joe Root (46), Jonny Bairstow (43) and Ben Stokes (34) were the major contributors to the cause.

Big-hitting Stokes was in a restrained mood, failing to hit a single boundary and scoring 11 singles at the start. Left-hander Fakhar hit a six – something England didn’t manage in their entire innings – when a top-edge off fast bowler Mark Wood flew safe.

Rumman Raees, in for injured fellow left-arm quick Mohammad Amir, took two for 44 on his ODI debut.

“Obviously, he’s our main bowler”. Their bowlers bowl good lines, use the reverse swing well, the captain knows when to use which bowler, all the traits which are taught to you when you start cricket at the professional level.

Sarfraz, understandably elated with the performance, credited the team management for bringing the players in the right mindset after the initial blip.

“It’s no surprise any more to anyone that they are doing really well”, Kohli added. “They bowled really well”.

“Yes, I will have that India Under-19 game in mind”, he said.

Akram, Mushtaq Ahmed and Aaqib Javed then rattled the English batting line-up that comprised of Graham Gooch and Ian Botham, restricting them to 227 – helping Pakistan win their first and only World Cup till date. “Hasan is improving day by day”.

Just three had been prepared for the four matches in Cardiff but Pakistan showed it was far from hard and were on target to show it was a 300-run pitch before they cruised home. Hasan Ali was declared Man of the Match for his spell of 3 for 35. He is No. 7 in the ICC all-rounder rankings but had an all-round miserable game.

All Graham Gooch’s England had to do in 1992 was to show up at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and be handed the World Cup on a silver platter against a bedraggled Pakistan.