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Pakistan cricket captain, Waqar Younis expressed satisfaction on the overall performance of the team in England but was bitterly disappointed over the loss to Australia in the NatWest final by nine wickets.

Waqar admitted that Australia were a professional outfit and deserved winners but expected a better fight from Pakistan and blamed the batsmen for not applying themselves in the final.

"Reckless stroke play by our batsmen wasted the advantage of winning the toss. Apart from Saleem Elahi who was out to an almost unplayable delivery the other batsmen just gifted their wickets to Australian bowlers giving us virtually no chance to bowl the Australians out on an ideal batting wicket" he lamented.

Waqar said that Pakistan lost the first Test against England because the team lacked match practice."We fought back well to level the seriesd by winning the second Test".

The Pakistan skipper brushed aside the claims that several English batsmen were out on no-balls. "It is all part of the game and it is not our fault that umpires failed to signal no-balls for over- stepping".

Waqar was unhappy over the action of spectators invading the pitch during the match as it created problems for organisers as well as for the safety of players.

He said it was wrong to assume that those who created trouble were Pakistanis as these spectators were living in England and were holding British passports.

© Dawn