Grant Flower calls on Pak's top-order to show 'more spine' if they want to go 'much further' in CWC

Pakistan's batting coach Grant Flower has said that he expects team's top order to show 'more spine' in order to go 'much further' in the World Cup.

The 1992 champions would face Ireland on Sunday in Pool B to decide a three-way battle for a spot in the quarterfinals. West Indies would face United Arab Emirates on the same day and they are the third team in contention for the knockout stage.

Former Zimbabwe batsman Flower, who was appointed to the Pakistan role last year, said that the best was yet to come from the team's batsmen, Sport24 reported.

Flower said that the Pakistani top-order batsmen are yet to fire and he would like to think their best is still to come and added that if not then they wouldn't go too much further into the tournament.

Flower said that he expects the top order to show some more spine.

Pakistan have crossed the score of 300 only against UAE in the tournament which has seen totals in excess of 400 breached thrice. Captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who bats in the middle order, is their top scorer with four half centuries in five matches.

The team have been rescued by their four-man pace attack, who have successfully defended low totals in three matches, including an exciting win over South Africa last week.

Flower, who played 67 tests and 221 ODIs for Zimbabwe, said that players like Umar Akmal and Sohaib Maqsood, who have failed to get big scores, needed to do more to showcase their talent.

Flower said that Akmal and Maqsood showed glimpses of their talent but added that for such good players they are they need to show more, insisting that they are aware that they can bat a lot better than they have.