Thaindian News

Abu Dhabi, Nov 2(ANI): Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam believes that all-rounder Abdul Razzaq’s match-winning century against South Africa in the second ODI will lift the team’s morale in the lead up to next year’s World Cup.

Razzaq had played an innings of sheer class on Sunday to lead Pakistan to a morale-boosting one-wicket win at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Cricket Stadium.

The 30-year-old scored an unbeaten 109 off 72 balls, as Pakistan reached 289 for nine with one ball left in reply to South Africa’s 286 for eight.

“This could be the turning point for our team. Things haven’t gone well for us in the recent past, but I’m sure all of it is going to change,” the News quoted Alam, as saying.

“This knock will lift the morale of the entire team, I’m sure about that. We needed such a flash of brilliance after losing the two Twenty20 games and then going down tamely in the first ODI,” he added.

The team manager further insists that Pakistan is now in a perfect position to launch an assault to win this five-match series - a result that he reckons will put Pakistan back on track in their preparations for the World Cup.

“Our team has shown a lot character. It was time it did because our results were not up the mark and because the World Cup is not far away, the team has to get back on track and I’m sure that it will after the way we won last night,” Alam said.

Pakistan had lost the opening ODI and both Twenty20 internationals of the tour so far, but have now squared the ODI series at 1-1.Pakistan and South Africa will play three more ODIs in Dubai before a two-Test series that concludes on November 24. (ANI)