No complacency for bullish Pakistan

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At some level it probably suits Pakistan that the focus on them at these big dos is usually on the circus of controversy and scandal that travels with them. "Look here come Pakistan after the death of their coach, here come Pakistan after the spot-fixing brouhaha, here come Pakistan after the terror attacks, here come Pakistan with their 17th captain this month." Generally, it tends to be overlooked - though probably not by their opponents - that they come with a hefty bounty of talent, capable of equally hefty things. It is why no right-minded, field-based discussion can ever ignore them.

This World Cup, for the first time since 1999, they bring genuinely fresh personnel, players waiting to make a name, not players living off their names. Waqar Younis, coach and veteran of a number of World Cup heartbreaks, sifted patiently through a raft of spot-fixing questions before a practice session in Hambantota, ahead of his side's opener against Kenya on Wednesday, before coming to the crux of his job: his team.

There is, as Waqar noted, a blend in this squad, of youth and experience, of flair and pragmatism, of stars and shopfloor assistants. "In every big tournament there are some youngsters, and they will be in other teams as well, who are the livewires of the tournament," he said.

"We too have such players like Ahmed Shehzad, who has played two very good knocks, and I hope that Umar Akmal, another youngster, can come good here. Younis [Khan] is in good form. We have Wahab Riaz, who we hope will do well. We have got a good blend, good spinners, fairly good fast bowlers. All that matters is that we click at the right time."

Over six months, significant ODI wins in three different countries has shown as much. What has worried Waqar has been an inability to finish off close games, or longer contests such as bilateral series. Eight of their 19 ODIs since Waqar took over last year have been close ones: of their 10 losses, three have been by 24 runs or less and two, by three wickets and four wickets that went to the last over. Of their eight wins, two have been by a wicket, one by two wickets and another by 23 runs; two bilateral series have needed a fifth, deciding game - which they've lost - and six-game series they won 3-2. Almost always, they are nearly there.

"It carried on for a while, when we played the Asia Cup, World Twenty20 and then even in England we came very, very close to the games but couldn't finish it," Waqar said. "Eventually we started finishing in New Zealand and yes, it is something which you can improve. Even I go out and learn something new from a youngster in cricket every day, so we are on a learning curve. We have learnt how to finish and make sure we don't get to the situation in the first place where the game gets tight."

Under normal circumstances Kenya should not provide too stern a challenge, but given Ireland and all that, understandably Waqar is wary. "Everyone knows this is an important tournament so every match is important, whether the opponents are Kenya or Australia. We will play as if we are playing against any big team. We will not take anything lightly and go out to win every match."

Calling it a personal mission to undo miserable past World Cups would be overdoing it, but a good run here will mean something to Waqar. At his absolute peak in 1992, he had to pull out of the squad at the last minute in Australia with stress fractures of the back; he later greeted his team-mates, with a tear in his eye, at the airport in Lahore as they returned with the trophy. In 1996 he was hit for 40 runs in his last two overs of the quarter-final, swinging the match decisively in favour of India.

He was a peripheral member of the 1999 World Cup squad, playing in just one game - the loss to Bangladesh. In 2003, he was captain as Pakistan crashed out in the first round. "I don't have any regrets, because 1992 was a glory for Pakistan cricket. I wasn't part of that team but that does not matter. I have been part of several World Cups, this is different role I've got, different challenges and hopefully, if as a cricketer I didn't succeed in the World Cup, this is my opportunity as a coach."