Leave Test bashing behind, Javed Miandad to Pakistan team

Former captain Javed Miandad has advised the touring Pakistan cricket team to leave behind the Test series whitewash and try to win the Twenty20 and ODI games in South Africa to regain their confidence and pride.

"It is also important for Pakistan to do well in the limited over series in order to restore the people's confidence in the team," Miandad told reporters at the Gaddafi stadium here today.

Miandad, who is now the Director-General of cricket in the Pakistan Cricket Board, felt that the national team was capable of doing well in the T20 and ODI series that begins tomorrow.

"In the recent past we have been doing well in the shorter version of the game and recently we also beat India in India. I have a lot of confidence that our players will do much better in the coming matches and were good enough to even win the series," he said.

Miandad, regarded as Pakistan's best Test batsman, said Pakistan need to get over the 3-0 Test series loss to South Africa.

"Our players were just not prepared for the different conditions in South Africa and the variable bounce and pace in the pitches. And they played against the best Test bowling attack in my mind at present," he added.

"But it is of no use now to think about those defeats. If our players learn from them good but I would tell them just focus on the T20 and ODI series and try to do well in them."

Miandad said new players, who had joined the squad for the T20 and ODI series, would definitely give a boost to the confidence of the team.

"Afridi, Kamran, Umar, Wahab are experienced players and the rest are good players in the shorter format. I also think they will bring new energy and zest to the team in South Africa. I wouldn't be surprised if Pakistan beat South Africa in both formats now," he said.

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