Shoaib Akhtar ready to take on India in Sunday’s Asia cup match Ajit Parker, Colombo, Special Correspondent
July 24, 2004
According to my friend Sayeed in Islamabad, Pakistan team is gearing for a all out match tomorrow against India. Shoaib Akhtar and Inzt both have promised their life best performance against India.
Indian team is strong but lacks edge in bowling and fielding. Pakistan is planning use the wicket with its pacers. They plan to use fastest bowling world has seen up till now. Saurav is worried internally. When you are holding million dollar publicity contracts, you have to perform. And that makes you nervous.
In the betting market, India is still a favorite but the gap is closing every day as the match day is coming forward. I asked some of the Pakistan players if this would be a revenge match. All of them said no. However, Pakistan has to get back its cricket glory back from India. Pakistan’s performance against India earlier this year made Musarraf and others in the political circle very unhappy. The apparent tussel between Inzy and Shoaib Akhtar was seen as unnecessary and futile. Now is the time for Pak team to recover lost ground.
I asked one of the pacers - at what level you expect to contain India. He replied, if Pakistan can contain India within 225, the game is IPkistan’s. Pakistani pacers plan to go all out for it. Shoaib Akhtar has been in the net for months to perform on Sunday. According to some sources he hopes to pack India up within 150 runs.
Can that happen? Anything is possible. India is also prepared. When I talked with some Indian players, I realized they expect that kind of performance from Pakistan. But overall India is a better team and in a neutral environment, it will be extremely difficult to beat India. Tendulkar and Ganguli will be the key wickets for Pakistan to get over India. It won’t be easy. India is not under stress. They may pull this one through again.
According to my friend Sayeed in Islamabad, Pakistan team is gearing for a all out match tomorrow against India. Shoaib Akhtar and Inzt both have promised their life best performance against India. 
In the betting market, India is still a favorite but the gap is closing every day as the match day is coming forward. I asked some of the Pakistan players if this would be a revenge match. All of them said no. However, Pakistan has to get back its cricket glory back from India. Pakistan’s performance against India earlier this year made Musarraf and others in the political circle very unhappy. The apparent tussel between Inzy and Shoaib Akhtar was seen as unnecessary and futile. Now is the time for Pak team to recover lost ground.
I asked one of the pacers - at what level you expect to contain India. He replied, if Pakistan can contain India within 225, the game is IPkistan’s. Pakistani pacers plan to go all out for it. Shoaib Akhtar has been in the net for months to perform on Sunday. According to some sources he hopes to pack India up within 150 runs.
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