Pakistan can win World Cup despite lack of preparation, says spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed

Pakistan cricket team spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed has claimed that the national team is confident of wining the World Cup, despite acknowledging that the squad might be 'behind in preparations' for the tournament.

Ahmed believes that being behind in preparations is not an excuse for Pakistan as they are professionals and want to enter the field with complete confidence. Ahmed, who was speaking on the last day of the training camp, set up at the Gaddafi Stadium for preparation for the World Cup, said that their batsmen have practised on marble pitches to make themselves familiar with pace and bounce they would face in Australia and New Zealand, The Dawn reported.

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And, he added that he requests the media and the nation to believe on them that they would try their best to win. Ahmed, who was a member of the 1992 World Cup winning squad, also said that they played like a unit in 1992 as the nation had a belief that they would win. He added that head coach Waqar Younis is inculcating 'self-confidence and belief' in players, claiming that he himself 'badly wants to win the Cup' and expects a lot from the players.

Ahmed also showed complete faith in leg-spinners Shahid Afridi and Yasir Shah, saying that Australian pitches are 'quite bouncy' and added that if a leg-spinner finds a bounce he can be lethal.

Pakistan start their World Cup campaign against archrivals India on February 15 at Adelaide, the report added.