 | Pakistan desperate to avoid ODI whitewash
21 February 2012
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DUBAI - Haroon Siddiqui - Pakistan eyeing consolation victory to avoid the one-day series whitewash while England are sighting cleansweap against the hosts here at the Dubai Sports Stadium on Tuesday (today).
Pakistan will make couple of changes in the squad as reportedly Imran Farhat has been injured during a practice session and would be replaced by Younus Khan and young all-rounder Hammad Azam likely to make his way in the playing XI to strengthen bowling and batting of the hosts in the final one-day match of the series.
Earlier, Pakistan bowling won the match on their performances for country but in the limimted-over series they failed to deliver according to their abilities and batsmen's poor show also handed series to England and now struggling to avoid whitewash.
On the other hand, England skipper sighting cleansweep by winning the fourth one-day to complete 4-0 Pakistan rout. England players are gunning for Pakistan 4-0 rout after losing Test series 3-0 to Pakistan to take sweat revenge from the hosts. English are also looking to snatch the three-match Twenty20 international series as well. Andy Flower, Cook and English selectors have been doing tough home work to achieve desired results for England.
England lanky pacer Steven Finn, who destroyed top order batsmen of Pakistan in the three previous one-dayer, said the one-day series win gives England an opportunity to become a good one-day side. "I wouldn't say it makes up for the Test series defeat," said Finn of England's 3-0 Test loss to Pakistan in which he only came on to serve the team drinks.
"I'd say it shows we've improved and adapted to the conditions and now have the chance to make it 4-0 today (Tuesday). It is a great opportunity for us to ram home what a good one day side we've become."
Finn, who was not included in any of the Tests, said he was bowling well since the start of the tour in January. "I said at the beginning of the trip that I thought I was bowling well. I thought that I was capable of playing. It's nice to just get an opportunity and helping the team win games really spurs me on," said Finn.
Finn stressed getting early wickets is important in one-day matches. "Early wickets in one-day cricket are something that we target. Thankfully we've been able to do that in the games so far. Obviously, opening the bowling, I've a big part to play in that. It feels like I'm bowling pretty quick. It's not something that I strive for or something that I try and do. It's just something that has happened over the last six months or so. Long may it continue."
Finn hoped he will get his Test place back. "Yes, playing Test cricket is something that I want to do. It's something I want to do for the rest of my career. Playing one-day cricket is obviously very different from playing Test cricket."
"There are different skills and pressures. But Test cricket is where I want to be. By no means do I think I deserve to walk straight into that Test team. I haven't done myself any harm by bowling relatively well out here, so we'll see where we are if I'm picked in the Sri Lankan squad."
Steven Finn expressed his excitement at England's progress as a one-day team after clinching an unassailable 3-0 lead in the four-match series against Pakistan.
The lanky fast bowler has been a star in England's three wins, finishing with identical career-best figures of 4-34 in the first two matches before taking 3-24 off ten overs in the third on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the both teams will hold practice sessions in different grounds of the city later in the evening. The cricket board chief Zaka Ashraf has also been arrived in Dubai and during a talk with the mediamen he pleaded for three different teams for all the formats of the game. Zaka Ashraf was also annoyed by the Pakistan team's poor performance in the ongoing 4-match one-day series.
He will also meet Aaqib Javed, who bent upon to leave the Pakistan national team's coaching job and to join UAE as head coach on his family pressure as he want to settle in Dubai to improve his standard of living, to convince him to serve Pakistan team in future also.
He would also meet the International Cricket Council's officials to apprise them of the security steps finalised for the Bangladesh Cricket Series to be held in April that will help bring international cricket to Pakistan. | | See Also in Sports News
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