ADELAIDE, March 8 (PTI): Staring at an unexpected early exit, beleaguered England would be desperate to get their act together when they take on higher-placed Bangladesh in a do-or-die cricket World Cup Pool A league match here tomorrow. Having lost three of their four matches so far, England need nothing less than victories in the remaining two league games � against Bangladesh and Afghanistan � to stay in contention for the last eight stage.
Bangladesh, with two wins from as many matches, are placed higher than England in the table at fourth position and the Asian team would be looking to consolidate its position. England had lost to Bangladesh by two wickets in the last World Cup in 2011 but still survived the shock defeat to qualify for the quarterfinals. However, there will be no such second chance this time.
The English side has lost to all Test-playing nations so far in the � Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka � and their lone win has come against minnows Scotland.
In fact, in their previous match against Sri Lanka, England failed to defend even a reasonably challenging target of 310 with nine wickets and 16 deliveries to spare. Come tomorrow, England will have to play as an unit.
There has been a hundred each in the current tournament from Moeen Ali against Scotland and Joe Root in a losing cause against Sri Lanka, but just two other England batsmen have scored half-centuries so far in the tournament. Under Eoin Morgan�s leadership, England would hope to rise to the occasion in the make-or-break clash.
Waqar clueless
Karachi, March 8 (PTI): Pakistan cricket coach Waqar Younis was clueless for his side�s wretched losing streak against arch-rivals India in the World Cup, but said time spent by the Men in Blue in Australia before the mega-event could be one of the reasons. India defeated Pakistan by 76 runs at Adelaide in their opening match of the ongoing World Cup and have since won four games on a trot to qualify for the quarterfinals. For record, Pakistan has lost all the six encounters against India in the World Cup.
�I don�t have an answer for that (why Pakistan has failed to beat India in the World Cup). There were different eras, different teams and different pressure situations. I am not trying to give excuses but one has to understand that India has been playing in this Australia for the last couple of months and we just arrived in Australia. It could be one of the reasons,� Waqar told PTI in an exclusive interaction from Australia. �You can say that yes India definitely played better than us in this World Cup and I think they learnt from their experiences of playing Test cricket and the triangular ODI in Australia,� he said.
Pakistan�s Sarfraz elated
Auckland, March 8 (AFP): Recalled Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed said today he was excited at being bracketed with Australia great Adam Gilchrist after equalling the record for most catches behind the stumps in a one-day international innings.
The 27-year-old, who did not feature in Pakistan�s first four matches of the World Cup, marked his debut at this tournament in style with a run-a-ball 49 before holding six catches in Pakistan�s 29-run Pool B victory over South Africa in Auckland on Saturday that gave his side a chance of a quarterfinal spot.
�It�s a great honour,� Ahmed told AFP. �I didn�t know about the record but after the match someone told me that I have equalled Gilchrist�s record and that made me proud.�
Gilchrist became the first of seven keepers to take six catches behind the stumps when he achieved the feat against South Africa at Cape Town in 2000.
