BENGALURU
\nPakistan bowling coach Morne Morkel on Saturday said the whole team will \u201cput their arms around\u201d Usama Mir after his dropped catch opened the doors for Australia to clinch a crucial World Cup victory.
\nLeg-spinner Usama, playing in his first match of the tournament, spilled an easy-looking catch which would have seen the back of David Warner in the fifth over of Friday\u2019s game bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi.
\nAt the time Warner was on just 10 — he went onto make 163, hitting nine sixes and 14 boundaries to propel Australia to an imposing 367-9. Warner and Mitchell Marsh (121) put on 259 for the opening wicket.
\nPakistan lost their way with a middle-order collapse and were bowled out for 305 in 45.3 overs to lose by 62 runs.
\n\u201cLuckily the team atmosphere is very strong and everybody in that dressing room will put their arms around Usama and support him,\u201d said former South Africa fast bowler Morkel.
\n\u201cIt was a dropped catch. Anybody can drop catches on any day, it\u2019s part of the game.\u201d
\nMir, 27, was playing in only his ninth ODI in Bengaluru on Friday after replacing fellow leg-spinner Shadab Khan.
\n\u201cThis is a big opportunity for Mir to learn and I am sure that he will overcome this,\u201d added Morkel. \u201cIt is for us to support him in tough times. The character he has shown as a player is strong and I am sure he will get through it.\u201d
\nMorkel, who played 86 Tests, 117 ODIs and 44 T20Is in a distinguished South Africa career, admitted that the pressures of a World Cup can weigh on all players.
\n\u201cThis is a big stage and the margins are very small and at times it\u2019s brutal,\u201d said Morkel.
\n\u201cAs a youngster and as a quality player, playing the World Cup in India is a great experience for all.\u201d
\nMorkel praised Shaheen after the Pakistan strike bowler overcame the disappointment of seeing Warner dropped to go on and claim 5-54.
\n\u201cHe has shown character,\u201d said Morkel of Shaheen who had only four wickets in the first three games of the World Cup.
\n\u201cI think at the start he wanted to make a big impact and maybe tried too hard,\u201d said Morkel.
\n\u201cHe changed his strategy a bit and bowled a hard length. At the back end he bowled so well.\u201d
\nHe added: \u201cHe\u2019s back in the wickets, he was down for four days with a viral infection and could hardly train. But to come out with a performance like that after just one training session was great.\u201d
\nAfter winning their opening games against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, Pakistan have now lost two in a row with the Australia setback coming after they were completely outplayed by India last weekend.
\nThey are fifth in the 10-nation tournament with only the top four making the semi-finals.
\nMorkel admitted that the absence from the World Cup through injury of pace bowler Naseem Shah had dented the team\u2019s fast bowling resources.
\n\u201cNaseem is a very fast rising bowler. Fast bowlers hunt in pairs and I had Dale Steyn. Losing Naseem is one of the factors.\u201d
\nMorkel also backed Haris Rauf, the pace bowler who has eight wickets at the World Cup. Haris claimed three against Australia but conceded 83 runs.
\n\u201cHaris gave a hundred per cent and I can\u2019t find fault,\u201d said Morkel.
\n\u201cHe had a tough first few overs and Australia were looking for 400. He and the others came back and stopped that.\u201d
\nMeanwhile, opener Abdullah Shafique bemoaned Pakistan\u2019s failure to chase down a record World Cup 368-run target to beat Australia.
\nAbdullah insisted dropping Warner was crucial.
\n\u201cCatches obviously change a game, you get wickets and you get momentum. All fielders are trying to do their best, but sometimes you don\u2019t get that value,\u201d he said. \u201cAustralia played very well. Our batting was also good, but in the middle overs we couldn\u2019t finish well.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BENGALURU Pakistan bowling coach Morne Morkel on Saturday said the whole team will \u201cput their arms around\u201d Usama Mir after his dropped catch opened the doors for Australia to clinch a crucial World Cup victory. Leg-spinner Usama, playing in his first match of the tournament, spilled an easy-looking catch which would have seen the back […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":363314,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-363287","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n