ICC World Cup 2019 | Indian players know their roles and execute them well, says Waqar Younis
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Waqar Younis has heaped praise on the all-round effort put in by the Indian team as they ran out comfortable winners against rivals Pakistan in Manchester on Sunday. The former Pakistan captain claimed that Sarfaraz Ahmed & Co. can still make the semis if they win all four of their remaining games.
The Indian cricket team established their superiority over neighbors Pakistan as the former ran out comfortable winners on the weekend at Old Trafford. Virat Kohli & Co. made their way to an 89-run win (DLS) to jump to the third spot in the ICC World Cup 2019 standings. Meanwhile, Pakistan's loss on Sunday meant that they have now gone seven matches without a win against India at the World Cup stage.Â
Former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis was critical of his nation's performance but heaped praise one the all-round effort put in by Indian players who pulled off a comfortable win in the end. In his column for Scroll.in, Younis wrote that each Indian player in the 15-man squad knew his role on the pitch and executed it to perfection which made the win look so flawless.Â
"In the last few years, there’s been a massive difference India and Pakistan – and again it showed at Old Trafford on Sunday.Pakistan are still trying to rely on talent alone, while with India it’s all about teamwork. They all know their roles, and they execute them superbly.
"We had good sides in the 1990s, but now I think this India team intimidates Pakistan. When Pakistan teams head into these games, they are always under pressure and feel like they’re the weaker team. That culture needs to change first, and then the fitness level needs to match the Indian players," Younis wrote.
The former Pakistan coach, who has a tally of 416 wickets from 262 ODIs, still believes his nation can make the semi-finals provided they win the remaining four matches at the ongoing World Cup in England.Â
"The good thing is Pakistan now have one week off before the next game against South Africa. They’ll have time to go back and reflect on the mistakes that have been made, and what needs to change. The South Africans are also down, so it’s a match between two teams that have not really justified their potential yet.
"All is not lost, despite the blow of this latest defeat. I feel that if Pakistan win all four games, there’s still a chance they go through. The chances of that happening are low now, but it’s simply a case of starting to win games first and then see where you are later in the tournament," Younis added.
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