Momentum is with us as we head into World T20: Whatmore

Karachi: Pakistan head coach Dav Whatmore has stopped short of making claims that his team can win World T20 trophy but seemed confident that his wards will put their best foot forward during the three-week tournament in Sri Lanka starting September 18.

"We have already set a momentum. I am confident my boys will carry it into the World Cup," he added. Although Pakistan which recently won its T20 series against Australia is being seen as a strong contender for the title, Whatmore insisted anything could happen in the volatile T20 format. "Other teams have also started to take this format seriously and have built specialist teams for it," he told Geo News Channel. "We did well against Australia butT20 is a volatile format. One over can change the course of the game. It is a format where a player or a team has to be at their utmost best and that too within a short span," Whatmore stated. The Australian coach also under pressure to deliver after reports that he too has fallen under the influence of Hafeez and other senior players and is unable to take independent decisions said Saeed Ajmal would play an important role for Pakistan in the World Cup. He pointed out that Ajmal was a good bowler, who could get wicket on each of his ball. Replying to another question, Whatmore said that he expected good performance from all players in each match and the warm-up games against India and England on the 17th and 19th would be very important for the team. "Although it is a practice match against India, but the victory in this match is important," he said. The national cricket team coach said that it was not necessary that all the players winning against Australia be retained, some changes might be made in accordance with the circumstances. Pakistan has picked a combination of senior and young players for the tournament which it won in 2009 in England under Younis Khan`s captaincy. It also lost in the final of the inaugural World T20 in South Africa in 2007 to arch rivals India. Experts and analysts believe the current tournament could be a make or break one for many of the senior players including Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir and Umar Gul. "Some of the younger players are also under pressure to perform in the event notably Umar Akmal whose inconsistency remains a big problem," a source informed. PTI