DUBAI: Pakistan coach Waqar Younis was full of praise for his batsmen as they chased down South Africa’s total to set up a tantalising series decider in Dubai.Younis’ men recorded their second win of the five-match series with a narrow one-wicket victory as Zulqarnain Haider clipped the winning runs off the penultimate delivery.
The teams will now reconvene on Monday with the series squared at 2-2.
Younis said: “The best thing about the batting was we did not allow them to get on the top of us. We just made sure that we kept the momentum going and made sure the run rate would not climb on us. This is probably the major reason why we got home.
“This is a great boost for the team. Since that performance of Razzaq in the second ODI, we have been really doing well. We missed out closely in the previous match but we did well here and it’s a great moment for the boys.”
Younis Khan provided a vital innings as he struck 73 from 115 balls to edge Pakistan towards South Africa’s total of 274.
And Younis was full of praise, saying: “He is a great player. He has the experience with him. More than playing a great knock he said that staying at the crease at that stage was important. That is what helped Pakistan build the innings.
“Even Haider was good today. He might not be a batsman who can hit the ball hard but he can stick around there and play when it matters.”
The coach admits the fielding is still a cause of concern ahead of the final ODI but is showing continual signs of improvement.
He added: “The boys were really good on the field today.
“I won’t say they were at their best but compared to our fielding standards in all the previous matches the boys really did well last night.”
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