Zimbabwe's English coach Alan Butcher demanded better batting in the match against Pakistan on Monday, saying small totals cannot win his team World Cup matches. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 188 in their 139-run defeat against Sri Lanka last week, leaving the African nation facing a must-win game against Shahid Afridi's men to keep their flickering quarter-final hopes alive.
The African nation were also bowled out cheaply against New Zealand and Australia in their other two defeats, only finding form in their win over minnows Canada, when they scored 298.
Butcher said poor batting displays were hurting his team's chances. "I think the concern is to put a positive total on the board and that's what's been our problem," said Butcher.
"I am happy with the way the team has performed in the field. Most of the time we have bowled well but haven't posted a good total." Butcher said Zimbabwe had the bowlers to defend a total of 250-plus. "The minimum realistic target is 250 and if we score that then we have a chance against most teams.
"Other teams may look at 250 as below par but the recent history suggests that we haven't scored 300 very often so we have to be realistic," said Butcher, who took over in April last year.
The Zimbabwe coach admitted the lack of Test cricket for his team could be a reason for their inability to occupy the crease for long periods. Zimbabwe have not played a Test since 2005 due a range of factors but are expected to restart Test cricket later this year.
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