Pak eyes on run-rate

Pakistan will target a huge improvement in batting to boost their net run-rate in the World Cup Pool B match against minnows United Arab Emirates in Napier on Wednesday.

Pakistan's long standing batting woes have continued in the tournament as they lost their opening game against archrivals India by 76 runs and went down by a big 150-run margin in their second to the West Indies.

The 1992 champions finally opened their World Cup account with a scrappy 20-run win over Zimbabwe in Brisbane on Sunday and skipper Misbahul Haq warned his team cannot afford any more slip-ups.

"From now on we have to play every game as it is a knock out match," said Misbah whose team also face a tough game against in-form South Africa in Auckland [March 8] and a dangerous Ireland in Adelaide on March 15.

Pakistan were 1-4 against the West Indies at Christchurch in the worst-ever start in all one-day internationals, while they were 4-2 against Zimbabwe with Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad failing on both occasions.

Pakistan struggled to score 235-7 against Zimbabwe, a total Misbah believed will not help against South Africa.

With two points in three games Pakistan are likely to fight the West Indies (two wins in four matches) and Ireland (two wins in two and who face South Africa on Tuesday) for a place in the quarterfinals.

Pakistan have won their two one-day internationals against UAE -- both by nine wickets -- the first in Sharjah in 1994 and the second at Gujranwala in the 1996 World Cup.

5 Facts

• Both previous one-day internationals between these teams ended in nine-wicket victories for Pakistan (in 1994 and at the 1996 World Cup)
• Misbahul Haq has 40 scores of 50-plus in ODIs, but no centuries. The next highest number of half-centuries without a ton is 25 by New Zealand's
• Andrew Jones
• Against Zimbabwe last time out, Misbah became the first player to score two World Cup half-centuries at the age of 40 or more
• Misbah needs 72 runs to become the 12th player to score 5,000 ODI runs for Pakistan
• UAE seamer Manjula Guruge (74.4 per cent) has the highest dot ball percentage of any bowler in the tournament -- 58 of his 78 deliveries have not been scored off