| Player: | Younis Khan, Intikhab Alam |
| Event: | ICC World Twenty20 2009 |
DateLine: 17th June 2009
Pakistan skipper Younis Khan and head coach Intikhab Alam are confident that their team can go all the way and lift the ICC T20 WC. The Pakistan team finished runners up to India in the inaugural edition losing the finals by a whisker in the last over.
This time though the team and the support staff look confident and all this despite having to face a strong South African side in the first semi-finals at Trent Bridge, England.
"The players are in a confident mood and we are ready to take on anyone in the semi-final. It does not matter if we are playing South Africa. They are not unbeatable," Alam said from London.
"If you play to your strengths and do the basics right any opponent can be beaten," he said.
The last match that Pakistan played at Trent Bridge was when they lost to South Africa during the warm-up games.
But Alam said that the major reason of the defeat was the inability of his players to get acclimatised to conditions so early after reaching England.
"Now things are different and the players are working hard," he added.
Skipper Younis Khan also was confident that his boys would deliver, though they don't flaunt that great a record against South Africa.
"The momentum is there now and every player is enjoying playing hard on the field. Our batting still has to fire a bit more because in both matches against New Zealand and Ireland we fell short by 20 to 25 runs.
That is something we have to work on before the semi final," Younis said.
Younis also was happy that he was happy with the form of his bowlers who were firing in unison.
"Our bowling has been great and all of them are now bowling in rhythm. The batsmen have to support the bowlers if we are to win this Cup," he said.
Younis said Pakistan was just two matches away from bringing a lot of joy to their countrymen who are facing hard times and in making the international cricket world realise that Pakistan was still an important force in world cricket.
