Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh for each player
of its team for making the summit clash of the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup.
"The PCB Chairman has announced 500,000 each for the players for winning
the semi-final. Obviously if we win the final there will be more rewards for the
players," Ehsan Malik, media manager of the team, said from Johannesburg.
The Board had earlier announced a prize money of USD 10,000 to each player
for humbling Australia.
Malik said the players were not under pressure ahead of the
final against arch rivals India tomorrow.
"Obviously, there is always expectation from the team
when we play India but the players are relaxed and believe it does not matter
who they play in the final. They have to play well and to their strength to
win it," he said.
Pakistanis in South Africa and from all over the world were sending
sms', e-mails and making calls to wish the team luck.
Malik said President Pervez Musharraf had called up
captain Shoaib Malik after the semi-final win over New Zealand
and wished him luck for the final.
"The President was very happy with our performance and
he told Malik to keep it up in the final. He was happy with the spirit in which
we had played the tournament." Malik insisted the players had no preferences
about their opponents in the final after they beat the Kiwis.
"The team has no preferences. But yes, the players do
have the preliminary round defeat to India at the back of their minds.
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