Win not an answer
Pakistan were desperate for a positive result after enduring a "difficult" week following a below-par performance against India in the World Cup but the win over South Africa is "not an answer to the critics", says skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed. Pakistan faced severe criticism from fans and former players alike after their seventh World Cup defeat to arch-rivals India on June 16 but the team bounced back to outwit South Africa by 49 runs on Sunday, reviving their semifinal hopes. "Our win is not an answer to the critics. We are here to play cricket, and like any other side, believe we can win the World Cup," said Sarfaraz in an interview released to the Pakistani media by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The under-fire Pakistan skipper insisted that the mantra of the team was "we lose as a team and we win as a team". "This has been the mantra of the Pakistan cricket team," he said. "The win over South Africa was the result of a complete team effort. We badly needed a positive result following a difficult last week, when our below-par performance against India was followed by severe criticism, some justified and some unjustified."
Jr Sachin at nets
India Under-19 pacer Arjun Tendulkar, son of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, was seen helping England batsman at the nets ahead of their crunch World Cup tie against Australia here on Tuesday. Arjun, who impressed with his bowling in the three-day Second-XI Championship contest in High Wycombe, was seen bowling in full tilt to English batsmen, who are all set to take on fellow favourites Aussies at Lord's. Playing for MCC Young Cricketers, Arjun recently took two wickets against Surrey Second XI, including one off a beautiful delivery that was shown on a video on Twitter via Lord's Cricket Ground. It made quite a buzz on the social media platform. Arjun ended his spell with figures of 2 for 50 in 11 overs.
Mohsin returns
Former Test batsman and head coach Mohsin Hasan Khan is set to return in an important role in Pakistan cricket either as chief selector or national team manager after the ongoing World Cup. Mohsin, who was head coach and also the chief selector in 2012, recently stepped down as head of the PCB's Cricket Committee. But a reliable source said Mohsin is being considered for an important responsibility after the World Cup. "Mohsin is being considered for the job of chief selector or manager of the Pakistan team," the source said. Mohsin, 64, was chief selector in 2010 and 2011 before the PCB made him the interim head coach of the national team. But after Zaka Ashraf took over as PCB Chairman, Mohsin was replaced for a foreign coach, Dave Whatmore despite the fact that Pakistan whitewashed England in the Test series in early 2012 in the UAE. The PCB has announced that after the World Cup its Cricket Committee, which until now was dormant, would hold a robust inquiry into the team's and support staff's performances in the last three years before making recommendations to the Chairman and Board of Governors.