Hats off to Pakistan team

[Reverse_Swing]

Osman Samiuddin draws some positives from the disappointing loss against NZ and is also right on the money about powerplays

There have been good things about Pakistan here. They have seemed more together than in many campaigns, no scandal has rocked their boat. Key players have returned and others have continued their growth.** The younger Akmal looks, with each innings, a proper find. There is a smartness and thoroughness to his work that has been missing in most young Pakistani batting talent, an ability and willingness to complement his natural range of strokes, with less flash matters, such as running well and rotating the strike.** **Likewise Mohammad Aamer, who from the moment he bowled his first ball for Pakistan has looked - scarily actually given how young he is - like he has been doing it for the last ten years. He was outstanding again tonight with ball; and surely with the bat he deserves to be higher than Umar Gul? **
Saeed Ajmal has brought a real edge to the middle overs. Though he aims to stem the scoring first, he is a wicket-taking threat and that is something they missed often under Shoaib Malik’s captaincy. And Mohammad Asif is around again, though that must be a meticulously-handled comeback.
**“It has been a good experience for us,” said Younis. “We finished in the top four and it has always been my aim to finish in the top four. After that, in the semis and final you need some luck, a good catch, a good run out, an umpiring decision. But we didn’t get any so we lost. But overall, after a long time, we looked like a team and we fought as a team. Overall in this tournament I think we looked good. We have two excellent young players in Mohammad Aamer and Umar Akmal, who is a very mature batsman. Even Saeed Ajmal, who has been around, has done really well. If our youngsters are performing well, then the future is bright.” **

Pakistan need to have a better strategy for powerplays

The Pakistan ODI way has always been to expect a poor start, then consolidate and build and end strong. It is the batting template that has most often seen them reach 300-plus totals and to be fair, it hasn’t been without success since 1992. But Powerplays allow you to begin the onslaught early, at your choosing and ideally when batsmen are set. There is no need now to wait till the very end, as Pakistan have done, for in the death overs, common sense dictates that you will hit out in any case.

http://www.cricinfo.com/iccct2009/content/current/story/428244.html