In a bid to rejuvenate Pakistan's World Cup campaign, opener Imam-ul-Haq is drawing inspiration from the remarkable legacy of compatriot Saeed Anwar and Pakistan's winning history in Chennai.
Pakistan is set to face Afghanistan at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, where Saeed Anwar made history in 1997 by scoring an extraordinary 194 against India. At the time, it was the highest individual ODI score, and Anwar's brilliance led Pakistan to a 35-run victory over their arch-rivals.
Pakistan's success continued at the stadium with a memorable six-wicket win over India in 2012.
Imamul Haq, who was just two years old when Anwar stunned the cricketing world, expressed his excitement about the venue's history, saying, "We have a great record at this venue, so I am sure that will be a motivation. Although I don't have any memory of Saeed Anwar's record, that too will be a motivation."
Pakistan began their World Cup journey with victories against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. However, they faced consecutive losses to India and Australia, slipping to fifth place in the 10-team table, with only the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals.
Acknowledging their subpar performance in the previous matches, Haq mentioned, "We have to admit we did not play well in those games. We were not up to the mark, did not get the execution right, and defeat always lowers morale."
Imamul Haq, who scored 36 against India in Ahmedabad, hopes to make amends and contribute to Pakistan's resurgence in the tournament. He also emphasised the importance of rectifying the mistakes that led to their previous losses, particularly mentioning crucial dropped catches.
Looking ahead to the upcoming match, Imamul Haq expressed optimism, saying, "You will see a new thing tomorrow. We want to go to Kolkata with four wins in six games."
He also downplayed the threat posed by Afghanistan's spin trio of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi at a venue known for favoring spinners.
Haq cited Pakistan's recent 3-0 victory over Afghanistan in a one-day series in Sri Lanka under similar conditions and expressed confidence in Pakistan's readiness to face the challenge.
