Shut video games, particularly ones misplaced by the barest of margins can push you sufficient to overcome the world or break your spirit. Pakistan, needing a win in opposition to South Africa of their World Cup league stage recreation right here on Friday, got here as shut because it probably may earlier than letting the Proteas slip via with a one-wicket win.
MATCH REPORT | South Africa edges out Pakistan in nail-biter to go prime of factors desk
Coach Mickey Arthur couldn’t assist however smile helplessly on the end result his boys should abdomen over the subsequent few days.
“To be brutally sincere, we haven’t put collectively the proper recreation but. We haven’t batted properly sufficient as a unit. The par rating right here on this pitch was 300. I assumed we bowled very well, maybe this was our greatest bowling efficiency even however we didn’t put collectively sufficient runs on the board,” he advised reporters after the sport.
“It’s a must to have considered one of your prime 4 sticking round on the 40-over mark. Our success over the previous yr stemmed from there,” Arthur assessed.
Pakistan’s feeble defence noticed the aspect have little management over proceedings, besides in the direction of the top, when wickets started to tumble for the South Africans. The end result turns up the warmth on an already under-pressure skipper Babar Azam.
“It’s unfair to start out a witch hunt, definitely of Babar Azam, or Inzy (chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq) or on the teaching contingent. The efforts have been firstclass. Our fortunes usually are not due to a scarcity of effort. Tonight I’m pleased with the boys as a result of they fought. We had been beneath par with the bat however the bowlers had been superb at the moment, they gave it the whole lot,” Arthur added.