Re: 23rd Match, Group F : Pakistan v Bangladesh at Cape Town, Thu. Sept 20th
This performence has nothing to do with the incentives. The extra money and the President calling Malik should increase the players energy level, not make it less.
You could tell from the players body language that they were taking this game easy. The intensity was missing. The way Asif was bowling..mid 60's mph. No one was putting in an extra effort...I guess they were trying to preserve their energy for the semi-final. And Malik said himself that he asked Asif to bowl slow since he thought the pitch is slow. Asif and Tanveer were trying a lot of slower deliveries, perhaps practising it for the semi-final?
Incentives or no incentives...this was not the greatest performence by Pakistan...but a win is a win...and hopefully we'll see the intensity back for the Semi-final.
Salman Butt should be dropped..but that is not going to happen since he is the vice captain. But, since he has to play, he should open..because he definetly cannot play spinners at all. At least against fast bowlers...he has some chance of scoring some boundries.