Here the coach should have used his Authority to tell Misbah uI Haq, that we are going to bat first, if we win the toss, regardless the look of the pitch, or what we did in the last match, but today we are going to bat first if we win the Toss.

Pakistan again made a blunder by not batting first after winning the toss.The home work of coach Dav Whatmore, captain and touring team management has been very poor as it was evident from the decision of batting second. The coach and captain thought after they won the second ODI by chasing, they will do it again. They should have realised that in that match they were chasing a small total of under 200 runs, which is manageable by any team, & they did it.

How short version games are played?

The game depends on the last 20 overs in a 50 over match, where a big total can be set or a target chase can be made successful, provided, you have at least two batsman still to come in these last 20 overs the batsmen on no 1 to 4 have provided good start in the first 30 overs. A good total/target is only achieved when the last ball of the 50th over is bowled the match is only won when the last ball is hit by a batsman. Again top order of Pakistani batsmen failed after settling down for big score as they got out after reaching 20’s & 30’s. Chasing a big total doesn’t mean that you have to maintain 6 to 7 run average from first ball to the last ball of the innings.

There is an art of playing short version games in limited time and overs and the best examples are set by great players like Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, M Yousuf and Inzamamul Huq who were usually remained on the pitch till the last ball of 50 over.In today’s game the game plan should have been chart out in such a way that ok we are chasing a big total, but it can be achieved by applying yourself and not to go to try in achieving the target in 45 overs, but play it out with a plan.

It’s a big total to chase, chart out a planDon’t worry about run rate, just stay on wicket & play safe shotsFirst 10 overs total 40 runs without losing any wicket.11 to 15 overs total should be 60 to 65 runs with may be one wicket16 to 25 overs total should be 120 to 135 runs with two wickets down at the max.

We know that with such planning, we are falling behind run rate, but at least take the game till the 50th over with batsman to play the last ball of 50 overs. Gradually we excel rate towards target with planning and only a batsman can hit out correctly towards the end of the match while chasing or setting a target, like the above mention legendary batsmen.

Therefore with this type of planning, we would have had proper batsman to finish the game. One cannot go mad in chasing a big total. It just needs planning, tactics and proper batsman in achieving a big target. Our openers looked so much in a hurry in all the matches. They were not calm at all. They both wanted to make run on every ball. One has to respect the bowlers.

Kamran, when playing so well, should have been sent a message to calm down in his stroke play and stay on the wicket for a long inning. But there was no plan by Kamran nor by coach. Toward the last 20 overs, when Shahid Afridi was striking the ball so well, which doesn’t happen every time with him, he should have been sent an instruction to play sensibly and keep command of the game in his hand, don’t get out and try to stay on the wicket till the 50th over,

It was Afridi’s day. Though it was a difficult target at that stage, but he was playing so well, he should have planned himself to win the game for Pakistan by scoring 100 plus score with the tail-enders and especially with Wahab Riaz who was playing so well. Shahid should have played a situation game.

In the third ODI the management forgot that they are playing against a top team. But South Africa are not very good in chasing a target. Pakistan regardless the look of the pitch should have batted first after winning the toss in the 3rd ODI and put pressure on South Africa, keeping in mind that South Africans are not a good team in chasing even a modest target.

One must remember that at present South Africa are playing with so much confidence. All their players are performing so consistently and gracefully in all department of the game. Most of their batsmen are in good form. Especially Hashim Amla, captain De Villiers, Ingram, Petterson who are piling runs in one-dayers too after performing the same in the Test series.

Pakistan top order batsmen kept getting out in 20’s and 30’s from 1st ODI. None of them tried to play the 50 overs To win a match the team need the most important of all plans to try to survive till the 5oth over whether batting 1st or 2nd by trying to keep wickets in hand.
(The writer is Pakistan’s Ex-Test Cricketer)