Pakistan bowling coach Morne Morkel yesterday said that the whole team “will put their arms around” Usama Mir after his dropped catch opened the doors for Australia to clinch a crucial World Cup victory.
Leg-spinner Mir, playing in his first match of the tournament, spilled an easy-looking catch that would have seen the back of David Warner in the fifth over of Friday’s game bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi.
At the time Warner was on just 10 — he went onto make 163, hitting nine sixes and 14 fours to propel Australia to an imposing 367-9.
Photo: AFP
Warner and Mitchell Marsh (121) put on 259 for the opening wicket.
Pakistan lost their way with a middle-order collapse and were bowled out for 305 in 45.3 overs to lose by 62 runs.
“Luckily, the team atmosphere is very strong and everybody in that dressing room will put their arms around Usama and support him,” former South Africa fast bowler Morkel said. “It was a dropped catch. Anybody can drop catches on any day, it’s part of the game.”
Photo: AFP
Mir, 27, was playing in only his ninth one-day international in Bengaluru after replacing fellow leg-spinner Shadab Khan.
“This is a big opportunity for Mir to learn and I am sure that he will overcome this,” Morkel said. “It is for us to support him in tough times. The character he has shown as a player is strong and I am sure he will get through it.”
Morkel, who played 86 Tests, 117 ODIs and 44 T20Is for South Africa, said that the pressures of a World Cup can weigh on players.
Photo: AFP
“This is a big stage and the margins are very small, and at times it’s brutal,” he said. “As a youngster and as a quality player, playing the World Cup in India is a great experience for all.”
Morkel praised Shaheen after the Pakistan strike bowler overcame the disappointment of seeing Warner dropped to go on and claim 5-54.
“He has shown character,” said Morkel of Shaheen, who had only four wickets in the first three games of the World Cup. “I think at the start he wanted to make a big impact and maybe tried too hard. He changed his strategy a bit and bowled a hard length. At the back end he bowled so well.”
Pakistan were fifth on the table in the 10-nation tournament, with only the top four making the semi-finals, ahead of one of two results yesterday.
In Lucknow, Sybrand Engelbrecht (70) and Logan van Beek (59) hit maiden ODI 50s as the Netherlands recovered from a poor start to post 262 against Sri Lanka.
South African-born Engelbrecht and New Zealand native Van Beek helped the Netherlands recover from 91-6, putting on a seventh-wicket partnership of 130.
Sri Lanka coughed up 33 extras, including 26 wides and five penalty runs after the ball struck the wicketkeeper’s helmet on the ground behind Kusal Mendis.
However, Sadeera Samarawickrama (91 not out) steered Sri Lanka to their first win of the tournament — a five-wicket victory with 10 deliveries to spare.
Elsewhere, England were playing South Africa, with a result not due until after press time last night.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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