Former Pakistan skipper wants Pakistan to play offie Saeed Ajmal in all Cup games.By Jepher Christopher Nickels
"Every game is important and Pakistan 's plan should be to top the group. They won an important match against Sri Lanka , but they batted badly against Canada . On the other hand, New Zealand may not be consistent but are surely a dangerous lot," former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram told Mobile ESPN on Monday evening from Kandy.
"The Kiwis have a few match winners like Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and all-rounders like skipper Daniel Vettori and Nathan McCullum who provide variety in the team. So it will be a close game," he added.
When asked about Pakistan 's strategy ahead of the game, Akram said: "It depends what the team management opts for, but I want Saeed Ajmal to play this tournament."
Akram also hailed the depth in batting in Shahid Afridi's team. "With skipper Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Abdul Razzaq coming lower down the order, Pakistan batting can actually be lethal against any bowling attack," he said.
He was also not in favour of playing three spinners and said the team should play pacers instead. "They got to go with at least three medium pacers. Afridi is bowling the best so they will have to pick between Abdur Rehman or Saeed Ajmal and I would prefer Ajmal because he is a wicket-taking bowler," Akram said.
The former swing specialist also praised Afridi for taking the team's pressure on his shoulders. "He is enjoying the pressure, he is performing in every game and he is actually playing much better. His leadership is improving as well. Pakistan should not lose any game from here on and must top their group. But after quarterfinals it's anybody's game."
