The hosts could not have asked for a better start. The West Indies displayed spirit and panache to dispel memories of their loss to India in a warm-up game. Pakistan, on the other hand, did almost everything wrong. Why didn’t they bat first after winning the toss? How much of a difference does a wicket make in a one-day game that spans just eight hours? Not much, I can tell you. Inzamam should have given his batters first use of the track. Let’s get one thing straight: When a team bats first and puts up a score, the team batting second then has to get those runs. There is always some pressure on the side that is chasing, irrespective of whether the target is 150 or 350. The Pakistani side wears a shaky look at the moment, and they would have been better off defending rather than chasing, with three spinners in the eleven.

I thought the Pakistani team was guilty of absent-mindedness. Their biggest asset in the recent past has been their deep batting line-up, with the likes of Razzaq batting at No. 8. But things are no longer the same, and they probably forgot that. They basically failed to adapt.

The bowlers did a decent job, although I would have preferred to see Sami play instead of Rana Naved ul-Hasan. They were subsequently ‘outbowled’ by their West Indian counterparts. Pakistan lost three wickets very early and none for a long time thereafter, but the bowlers kept things tight. It is not easy to sustain a run-rate of eight or nine for over fifteen overs even if you have wickets in hand, and the Pakistani batsmen allowed themselves to be pushed into precisely such a situation. They seemed to have forgotten one of one-day cricket’s fundamentals, which is to keep the scoreboard ticking without taking undue risks. If the required rate is five, a batting side should look to proceed at a rate of 3.5 - 4 per over. But scoring at less than three is asking for trouble.

The captain should be in charge of everything that happens on the field. But it is vital that he is complemented by a strong and forthright coach. If the coach notices something amiss with field-placements, bowling changes, slots in the batting order, or anything else, he should not hesitate to bring it to the captain’s notice. The fact is that most cricketers are content to stick to their comfort-zones. The coach should be bold enough to command every player to fall in line with the team’s strategy.

That brings me to the obvious question — Is the current Pakistani management drawing up any strategies in the first place? In our time, the fast bowlers were made to practice yorkers relentlessly, and people were encouraged to think on their feet on the field of play. I don’t see that happening today. The job of the coach of a national side does not begin and end with the national team. It is his responsibility to nurture the ‘roots’ and unearth players for the future as well. ‘Coaching’ a national team of eleven players is easy, as those who make it to that level are quality cricketers anyway. The actual challenge is to identify and then prepare lower-level players for international cricket. It was a mistake to persist with a pool of around 15 players in the four years since the last World Cup. More players should have been tried out, observed closely by the coach, and made match-fit. When you restrict yourself to a small group, you are bound to be in trouble if injuries strike. That is exactly what has happened. Imran Nazir and Azhar Mahmood, to name just two members of the squad, have played hardly any international cricket in the recent past.

The team needs to plan well and then perform accordingly. The players need to be more flexible. Let’s get another thing straight: If a laptop were really as potent a force as some claim it is, then every innings would finish in ten deliveries.