Pakistan has finally turned the corner and has signaled its intent in the tournament with a convincing win over one of the tournament favorites, South Africa. The Pakistan team had begun the tournament with two consecutive defeats against India and West Indies, they followed it up with two back to wins against Zimbabwe and the UAE. However it was the match against South Africa that was the real test, the Proteas have been in fine form, having scored two scores of in access of 400. Fans were expecting the worst with many hoping the weather would do them a favor with the match being abandoned, meaning shared points.
However fans were in for a surprise when the under-performing green shirts emerged victorious. Younis Khan who was dropped after the opening two games was included in the team in place of the injured Haris Sohail. Wicket keeper batsman Sarfraz also got the nod ahead of the misfiring Nasir Jamshed. Both the players proved their mettle with Sarfraz claiming the man of the match for his six catches and 49 runs knock. Sarfraz case was particularly surprising for the fans and pundits alike, there had been widespread frustration among the fans after coach Waqar Younis said in a press conference that Sarfraz isn’t suitable for the opening role, which the wicket keeper batsman proved wrong. After the victory Waqar also left the press conference when asked about Sarfraz’s exclusion from the team in the previous matches. Such behavior is not justified; the coach is answerable for his decisions, after all his big cheque comes from the tax payer’s money, who want answers. The team’s performance has given the fans a new hope and they are now expecting them to continue their fine form and progress in the tournament. We wish the team all the best for the coming matches and hope that they will make the nation proud.