Pakistan eye T20 title win, hold celebrations

KARACHI: The Pakistan team has put its celebrations on hold despite registering exciting wins over Sri Lanka and Australia in the Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa.
    
Pakistan reached the semifinals of the Twenty20 World Cup after back to back wins over Sri Lanka and Australia, who played in the final of the World Cup in the West Indies earlier this year.
    
"Definitely the victory over Australia is a big milestone for us. But there have been no wild celebration in the team and it will come after and if we manage to win the trophy itself," Ehsan Malik, the media manager of the team, said from Johannesburg Wednesday.
    
Malik said the players were overjoyed after beating Australia, but they knew they still had three more matches to go before they can really celebrate.
    
Malik admitted that after the Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif brawl, which led to the former being sent back home on disciplinary grounds, the performance of the team had been a surprise for him. "We always have a lot of talent but to win big matches in pressure situations is what has lifted us up in this tournament."
    
Malik said the team was now focused on the match against Bangladesh and not taking them lightly.
    
"We know it is not everyday you beat Australia because they are the world's top side, but still we still have a lot of hard work to do in this competition," he said.
    
Malik said performances of newcomers like Misbah-ul-Haq and Sohail Tanvir are the highlights of Pakistan's success.
    
"The atmosphere in the team is very good and the morale is high. So just pray it can continue this way and lead us to the title," he added.