Waqar Younis feels it would be foolish to write off Pakistan after a crushing defeat at the hands of the West Indies in its World Cup opener at Trent Bridge on Friday.
However, it doesn’t mean that Pakistan’s poor start to the tournament can be justified by comparing it with its run in 1992 when it scripted a sensational turnaround to win its maiden World Cup.
READ: Pakistan can recreate 1992 magic, says Waqar Younis
“You have to remember that this World Cup is a very long tournament. There is a lot of cricket still to be played and it would be foolish to write off this Pakistan side after their defeat to the West Indies,” wrote Waqar in a column for the ICC .
“You have to give credit to the West Indies for the way they used the short ball to pepper the Pakistani batsmen,” he said.
“Andre Russell in particular was outstanding with those first three overs that he bowled at the top of the order. He may have only taken a couple of wickets, but it was his short-pitched barrage that showed the way for the rest of their attack.”
The 47-year-old reasoned why there is little point in harping over the unpredictability of the Pakistan team.
“A lot has been said before about Pakistan’s record in the past, the unpredictable nature of this side.
“They lost heavily in their first game in 1992 and bounced back to win that tournament after all. But we cannot really dwell on what happened 27 years ago. Winning the 2019 tournament is going to take some doing this time around.
“A defeat like that damages the confidence and we need to make sure that we take our time to try and bounce back, think positive and turn the ship around.”
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