Coach Waqar Younis confident there won't be any hiccup this time when the arch-rivals square up against each other on Feb 15 in their high-voltage World Cup opening clash
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis
Adelaide: Losing to arch-rivals India in all the previous five World Cup clashes has certainly hurt Pakistan and they are determined to break the jinx this time around in the showpiece event beginning on Saturday, their coach Waqar Younis said.
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis. Pic/Getty Images
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Waqar, who himself was part of two such defeats at the hands of India in 1996 and 2003 World Cups, said the current team's biggest objective was to make a turnaround and break the winless streak.
"Our biggest objective is we want to make things turn around. In all the World Cups we have not been able to beat India. We have won the World Cup in 1992 and been in a World Cup final as well.
"This has been one hiccup we have not been able to overcome," Waqar said when asked about the potentially high-voltage clash between the arch-rivals on February 15 at the Adelaide Oval.
The last time...
"In our last World Cup meeting (at Mohali in 2011 semi-finals) we lost to them (India). We are trying to pick things up and end up on the winning side this time," the 43-year-old former fast bowler told ESPNcricinfo.
Waqar, who took 373 wickets from 87 Tests and 416 scalps from 262 ODIs, said that his side wanted to get rid of the inconsistent tag associated with them.
"My personal target is the target of the team. We want to play good cricket and develop as a team. We want to get rid of the inconsistency tag associated with the Pakistan team, not only in the World Cup but also going forward," he said.