Misbah, who is in the form of his life, scored an unbeaten 83 off 91 balls to play a pivotal role in Pakistan's 11-run victory over the co-hosts. Towards the end of that beautifully crafted knock, Misbah could be seen limping and was forced to take a runner.

"It seems that Misbah is suffering from a minor hamstring problem," confirmed Intikhab Alam, the Pakistan manager. "It doesn't seem like a serious injury but we did ask him to have an MRI test just to be on the safe side," he told Arab News here on Sunday.

Intikhab said that Pakistan will get to know the details once they receive the results of the tests on Monday (today).

"I'm sure that everything would be fine with Misbah. He is one of our senior players and is in great form which is why he is one of the team's key members," said Intikhab, a former Pakistan Test captain.

Intikhab was confident that Misbah will be at his brilliant best when Pakistan play their next Pool A game against minnows Canada here at the Premadasa Stadium on March 3 (Thursday).

"There is quite a big gap for us before we play our next game and that will give our boys, especially Misbah with enough time to rest and get ready for the match against Canada," said Intikhab.

Intikhab said that Pakistan have the option of resting Misbah against Canada if the experienced batsman needed more time to get fully fit.

"Though I don't think it would be necessary but in case there is a need we can rest Misbah for the match against Canada," he said.

Pakistan are not expecting much resistance from the Canadians but will need all their firepower against New Zealand in their fourth Pool A game in Kandy on March 8. "It's a long tournament and we will need all our players to be at their best," said Intikhab.

Pakistan were scheduled to hold a training session here on Sunday morning but instead opted to give their players a day off. They will train on Monday (today) instead.

Intikhab promised that his players will get better and better as the tournament progresses.

"The good thing about my team is that the boys are really enjoying their cricket," said Intikhab, who was manager of the Pakistan team that won the 1992 World Cup and later coached the Greenshirts when they clinched the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009.

"They are all completely focused and backing each other up," said Intikhab. "The team spirit is impressive and the main reason why I'm optimistic that they will play even better in the coming matches."

By beating Kenya by 205 runs and overcoming Sri Lanka, Pakistan have catapulted themselves to the top of Pool A. Now they have realistic chances of finishing the top two teams from the group.

Intikhab said that Pakistan will push for more wins to ensure that they qualify for the quarterfinals in an emphatic manner. "It always helps to go into the knockout stage of a tournament with good results in your pockets," he said.