London: Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur Tuesday said he was left disappointed that India failed to rise to the occasion and beat England in the World Cup, which would have bolstered Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the semifinals.
Pakistan were banking on neighbours and arch-rivals India, who were having an unbeaten run in the tournament before the match against England. Had India continued their winning streak it would have increased the chances of Sarfaraz Ahmed’s men to make the semifinals.
However, set an imposing target of 338, India could only manage 306 for five to lose by 31 runs. ‘How they (India) played, again that’s the issue which we can’t control,’ Arthur told reports here.
‘Obviously, I was following the game intently and was disappointed that India did not get up because that would have opened the door for us,’ he added. The 1992 winners, who face Bangladesh in their final group stage match, have slim chances of reaching the knockout stage should England win their game against New Zealand.
‘Now all we want is to get to Friday with a real opportunity and our destiny in our own hands. I just hope New Zealand get it done for us,’ said Arthur. England have 10 points, one more than Pakistan, and are back in the top four after the win against India.