Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed does not seem too affected by the defeat to arch-rivals India in their World match and is rather confident of his team's comeback against South Africa here on Sunday.
Pakistan have won just one of their five matches in the World Cup so far, but what drew major flak for the team was the loss to India by 89 runs in their last game at Manchester.
Sarfaraz insisted that it was not the first time they had lost to India in the World Cup and hence "it's fine".
"Everything is fine after the India match," Sarfaraz was quoted as saying by ICC website.
This was Pakistan's seventh loss to the traditional rivals in the 50-over showpiece event.
"Psychologically there is a pressure on you as a Pakistan captain if you lose against India in a World Cup match. People will think we are beaten but it's not the first time we have lost to them in a World Cup, so it's fine. We all are OK and we are all are backing ourselves, so hopefully we will bounce back," he added.
After the match against India, Pakistan had a week to analyse that loss and they would now be looking to beat a lowly South African side, who also have just one win from six outings.
"It (loss against India) was tough for us but after the match, we gave our players two days' rest. Then after three days, we were practising hard.
"Morale is still very high for us. The tournament is open now, so we have a chance and we are focussing match by match. Hopefully we can start by beating South Africa," said Sarfaraz.
The two sides contested a highly-competitive ODI series in South Africa earlier this year in January, where Pakistan eventually lost 2-3.
However, the 32-year-old Pakistan captain feels it is foolish to read too much into those games which took place six months ago.
"If you talk about the South Africa series, it's different. A bilateral series has a different type of pressure to a World Cup.
"We played good cricket but unfortunately we didn't win the series. We are very hopeful heading into the game against South Africa and we will try our best," said Sarfaraz.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
