Date-stamped : 14 May94 - 18:30
India v Pakistan : Australasia Cup Final

Sharjah, April 22, 1994

Azhar attributes Batting Collapse to Bad shots

Sharjah, April 22: Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin  attributed
the  Indian team's batting collapse on Friday to "bad shots", but
said that though the team kept losing wickets, they had been able
to maintain a good run rate.

He staunchly defended his decision to field  first  after winning
the   toss.   "Last  Friday,  Pakistan had asked us to bat first,
and we had not done too well. I thought it  would  be  better  to
try  and  chase  a  total  this time, as we had done successfully
against Australia in the semi-final", he said.

Azhar, however, felt it had been  Bedade's  wicket  which  turned
the   match  irrevocably away from India.  "Bedade was in so much
command that had he stayed  another  30 runs,  we would have  got
our target", he said.

Meanwhile a beaming  Salim  Malik   attributed   Pakistan's  hat-
trick of Australasia cup victories to a fine team effort, and the
ability of fight under  pressure.  He   especially  praised   the
team's  two  left-handed  opening  batsmen, Aamir Sohail (who was
named man-of-the-series) and Saeed Anwar for giving  the  team  a
superb start in every match.          "This is my first champion-
ship victory as captain and I feel it is my son  Osama,  born  in
January this year, who has brought me luck", said Malik.

Commenting on the match, he said he had  been  unhappy  with  the
eventual   Pakistani   total   of   250,  and thought India did a
splendid job of restricting them to that  score,  when  they  had
been looking at anything above 275 at one stage.

"I knew it would not be an easy score to  defend,   so   we  were
looking  for  an  early breakthrough, and by the grace of God, we
got it".

Malik felt that getting Vinod  Kambli's  wicket  was  the turning
point   in   the  Indian innings. "If Kambli had stayed, he would
have taken the Indian team to the target", he said.

"When we got Kambli, I knew we had as good as won".  Pak-  istan,
who he said were undoubtedly the better side on the day.

Thanks to G.N.Reddy
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