Islamabad: Mar 10, 2014

Pakistan shifts focus to the upcoming World Twenty Twenty following the Asia Cup loss to Sri Lanka as a result of their failed bowling attack, despite speculations over the team’s fragile batting line ahead of the tournament.

Sri Lanka chased down Pakistan’s 261 for victory in the final of the Asia Cup and apart from Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal, who returned figures of 10-26-3, the rest of the team’s bowling line up appeared helpless against their final rivals, the report added.

According to the Dawn, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has said that despite Ajmal giving the team ”good breakthroughs” he could not get a bowling partnership as he could not get the support from any other bowler, which made it easy for Sri Lanka to chase down the target.

Haq reportedly feels that the bowling unit was relying too much on Ajmal and said that matches cannot be won with only one bowler adding that no bowler could ”exert pressure” except Ajmal.

However, the skipper praised the rare consistency of his team’s batsmen saying that Afridi played two excellent innings, Mohammed Hafeez and Umar Akmal also played some ”fantastic knocks” and also praised Ahmed Shehzad and Fawad Alam for their batting, the report added.

Although Pakistan is reportedly struggling with its bowling line, which conceded 1303 runs in five matches at the Asia Cup, Haq feels confident about Pakistan’s, who would be captained by Mohammed Hafeez, chances at the World T20 tournament.

Sri Lanka defeats Pakistan to take out Asia Cup

Opener Lahiru Thirimanne hit a magnificent century to help Sri Lanka thump Pakistan by five wickets to regain the Asia Cup one-day cricket title in Dhaka on Saturday.The left-hander notched 101 for his third one-day hundred to anchor Sri Lanka’s successful chase of a 261-run target in 46.2 overs for his country’s fifth Asia Cup at Dhaka’s Shere Bangla stadium.

Thirimanne, who also scored a hundred in the tournament’s opening match against the same opponents, hit 13 boundaries during his 108-ball knock and steadied the chase during a solid 156-run third-wicket partnership with veteran team-mate Mahela Jayawardene, who made 75.Thirimanne, who reached his hundred with a single off Khan, was finally bowled by main spin weapon Saeed Ajmal who finished with 3-26.

Sri Lanka had also won the Asia Cup in 1986, 1997, 2004 and 2008.

‘‘We wanted to break the barrier between us and finals,’’ said skipper Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka’s failure to win the World Cup finals of 2007 and 2011 and the Twenty20 finals of 2009 and 2012.

‘‘The credit goes to the whole team. It was a very good run chase and big victory not only for me but for the whole team,’’ said Mathews whose team won all the five matches in the event.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq blamed defeat on his side’s loss of early wickets.

‘‘I think losing the first three wickets quickly put us under pressure and although we managed to reach 260, it was some 20-30 short,’’ said Misbah.

Pakistan, who won the toss, were helped to 5-260 by a brilliant unbeaten 114 by Fawad Alam and a solid 65 by Misbah. Alam’s knock helped Pakistan recover from early devastation caused by paceman Lasith Malinga, who took the first three wickets to force Pakistan on to the back foot, before he finished with 5-56.

Alam added an invaluable 122 for the fourth wicket with Misbah and then another 115 for the fifth wicket with Umar Akmal who made a 42-ball 59.Alam, who returned to the team with a brilliant 74 against Bangladesh on Tuesday after a four-year absence, hit eight boundaries and three sixes off 134 balls.

Alam became the first left-handed Pakistan batsman, other than openers, to hit a one-day century. He hit paceman Thisara Perera over long-on for a six to reach his century off 126 balls.

Akmal hit seven boundaries to give impetus to the innings as Pakistan scored 101 in the last ten overs. Five-times champions India, hosts Bangladesh and Afghanistan were the other teams in the competition.