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Misbah-ul-Haq upbeat of Pakistan's chances in the series decider against the Proteas

Former Pakistan batsman and currently the head coach of Pakistan Misbah-ul-Haq sounded confident ahead of the ODI series decider against South Africa which is slated to be played at the Supersport Park in Centurion on Wednesday (7th April). The three-match rubber is currently squared at 1-1 after South Africa survived a scare in the second encounter and managed to win by 17 runs. 

In a video posted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on their Twitter handle, Misbah sounds very confident that the young bunch of cricketers believe in their abilities and a series victory will be a great achievement for this young side. 

“Obviously the team is confident, the team environment and the belief among the players are right up there. They have the right frame of mind and the belief that they can win from anywhere. We saw the last day that they fought till the end and the belief that they can win from any situation puts them in good stead. 

The team is very young, hence every win is very important for the team and it will be a huge achievement for us if we manage to beat the Proteas in their own backyard,” Misbah said. 

Pakistan huffed and puffed to victory in the opening ODI riding on a brilliant century from captain Babar Azam. Despite the victory, there were certain areas where they needed to improve on as the home team almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. 

The second ODI was more of a Fakhar Zaman vs South Africa show. Chasing a mammoth 342 to win, Pakistan were staring down the barrel at one stage but it was opener Fakhar Zaman who kept the hopes alive with some astonishing power hitting. He smashed his way to an incredible knock of 193 only to be run out during the closing stages of the match. Given how the series has panned out till now, one could expect a humdinger even in the series decider. 


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