Inzamam blames point system for exit

Despite being knocked out of the title race, Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul Haq has expressed satisfaction at his team's performance in the Asia Cup.

Inzamam, who arrived alongwith eight other members of the team from Sri Lanka in Lahore on Saturday, said it was not the team's performance but the point system which was responsible for Pakistan's ouster from the One-Day cricket championship.

"I could not understand the point system as it allows India to play final despite losing two matches but barred Pakistan which were defeated just once," he was quoted as saying in local daily The Dawn.

Pakistan beat India in the league stage by 59 runs but could not deprive the arch-rivals of a bonus point which eventually resulted in Bob Woolmer's men being thrown out of contention for the summit clash.

Inzamam justified the decision to elevate Shoaib Malik to number three position and added that neither Yousuf Youhana nor he were afraid of playing at that position.

"We have to stabilise the team and all the decisions are aimed at the achievement of this end," he said.

He was also all praise for paceman Shoaib Akhtar. "Shoaib fought from the core of heart and I did not see such a fighter in him ever before."

He admitted that Pakistan should not have lost the first match of the Super League to Sri Lanka. "Except for that match, the team played well."

About conceding excess number of extras, he said the responsibility rested with the bowlers, not the coach or the captain.

The skipper also said that a training camp would be held in Lahore starting on August 13 for the three-nation tournament involving Pakistan, India and Australia in Holland later in August.

The others who arrived from Sri Lanka alongwith Inzamam were Youhana, Shoaib Malik, Yasir Hameed, Abdur Razzaq, Rana Naveedul Hasan, Shabbir Ahmad, Imran Nazir and Imran Farhat.

Shoaib Akhtar has stayed back to fulfill his contractual obligations with an Indian TV channel.