The two days that Pakistan lost to India by 228 runs
may have been fortunate for the group.
If it sounds like the kind of upbeat spin that can
only come from a coach, that is because it is. Grant Bradburn, the head coach
of Pakistan, referred to the game as a “gift” because it exposed the
weaknesses of his own team and gave Pakistan a glimpse of the challenge that
India presented.
“We’re very grateful for the gift that has been
these last two days, because to come at this stage of the tournament – and to
come before the World Cup – it’s a wonderful opportunity first to play
India,” Bradburn said. “We don’t get to play some of the best players
in the world very often. Also to play in conditions that may be similar in the
World Cup.
“We haven’t lost a game for three months, and
it’s a timely reminder for us to turn up every day, put our best on the park.
It’s actually a gift that over the last two days we haven’t quite done
that.”
“Our batting unit hasn’t quite clicked yet over
the past month, and we feel that’s a positive thing,” he said. “We
have full trust in them. We are very consistent in our selection. We’re very
consistent with the way that we’re developing contenders for each position.
We’ve got some wonderful bench players who are pushing hard. We’re believing
strong in the players we trust. And we will continue to. We know that they will
come right.”