KARACHI: Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik has been under a lot of criticism in Pakistan for the team's inconsistent performances. He is defensive and clueless at press conferences and his body language on the field leaves much to be desired. After yesterday's insipid and tactical blunder-filled batting performance, he is sure to receive even more flak.
Chasing Sri Lanka's competitive total of 302, Pakistan fell short by 64 runs. Malik himself was responsible to a large extent scoring too slowly using up 79 balls to make 52.
Malik was stumped by Kumar Sangakkara off Ajantha Mendis in the 32nd over, with Pakistan needing 180 off 19 overs. Pakistan were playing to their strategy of keeping wickets in hand before going for the final assault which had worked for them in the past few games. But yesterday, Malik and Co left the onslaught too late and also ran into Sri Lankan mystery spinner Mendis.
Mendis' brand of off-spin/leg-spin/straighter ones was too much for the Pakistani middle-order, who simply could not pick him. He started off by foxing Malik, who danced down the wicket and missed Mendis' split finger delivery.
He then had Mohammad Yousuf and Mansoor Amjad leg before wicket, both of whom failed to pick him up. Misbah-ul-Haq, for a brief while, threatened to do an encore of his World Twenty20 final heroics, scoring 76 off 70 balls with three fours and four sixes. But it was just too much for him. Mendis, who finished with 4-47, came back for his second spell to clean up Misbah.
Earlier, Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman Sangakkarra stroked a silken century to guide the islanders' innings. Sangakkara opened with Sanath Jayasuriya and was dismissed in the 47th over for 112 with the Lankan score on 271. Malik should have batted like Sangakkarra did and in the end, the result was a difference in the innings between the two.
