Injury setbacks are threatening to hamper defending champion Pakistan’s chances but skipper Misbah-ul Haq said his team’s morale is so high that last-minute changes would not make much of a difference to it in the Asia Cup summit clash against Sri Lanka here on Saturday.
In-form senior all-rounder Shahid Afridi is among the four Pakistani players nursing injuries right now — the other three being the opening duo of Sharjeel Khan and Ahmed Shehzad and pacer Umar Gul. But Misbah was unfazed.
“At the moment he (Afridi) is really playing well. The kind of impact he is creating on the opposition and his own team, he should play for us. These injuries are part and parcel of the game,” Misbah told reporters here.
“We’re just positive about that. Let’s see tomorrow how he feels and then we’ll decide. The in-form batsmen are always crucial for the team but injuries are part and parcel of the game. If somebody can’t make it then we have to go to someone else who can really live up to the role.
“Considering the scenario, we are prepared to face any situation, and have our plans ready for the final. The morale of the team is high with the way we have won the last two matches. The team is fully confident. We hope to continue playing positive and good cricket. If you play good cricket, results go in your way.”
Citing the example of Fawad Alam, who scored a 74 in their chase of 327 against Bangladesh, Misbah said, “You may have seen Alam played really well in the absence of Sharjeel Khan. The confidence level is very high.
“Obviously your main players make a difference to the side. We are however mentally strong. All the members of the team have been performing well.”
Speaking about Sri Lanka, Misbah said they were not in awe of Lasith Malinga and ready to tackle the Sri Lanka pacer.
“Everybody knows he’s their main bowler. But recently we played well against Sri Lanka in the series held in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. The whole team faced Malinga well, scored runs. Even did well against Malinga in the death overs.”
