The washout of the one-day international against arch-rivals India in Glasgow
had deprived Pakistan of a chance to boost morale and confidence, captain
Shoaib Malik has said.
"In Pakistan, a match against India is above everything else and the players
were also looking forward to it although it was for a charitable cause. If we
had performed well, it would have been good for our morale and boosted the confidence
of the people in us," Malik said on his return from Glasgow yesterday.
The charity one-dayer, oraganised in aid for Prince Charles'
Foundation, was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to persistent rain
and a soggy outfield.
The Pakistan team did not get to play against hosts Scotland
either as that match was also washed out due to inclement weather. They also
did not get a chance to have any outdoor practice.
"It was very frustrating but there was nothing we could
do. I was very keen for the match against India because Shoaib Akhtar
was making a comeback after a while and was fired up for the game," he
said.
But the players of the two sub-continent teams took the opportunity to interact
with each other and exchange notes.
"Some of our players get along well with some of their
players. But on the field there is no love lost between us," Malik said.
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