Pakistan Get Morale Boost With UAE Victory

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis is targeting big-hitting South Africa after his side made short work of the United Arab Emirates in the Cricket World Cup.

Pakistan won the Pool B game by an emphatic 129 runs to increase their tally to four points in as many games.

They now play the Proteas in Auckland on Saturday in a crunch match in which their qualification for the quarter-finals will largely depend.

Waqar said the two wins after two losses - the first win being against Zimbabwe on Sunday - had given the team much-needed confidence.

"It definitely changed the body language of the players because a win always make you feel comfortable and confident, but I still feel that we need to win against a bigger team like South Africa to tell the world that we are around," he said.

Waqar agreed Pakistan were not looking as commanding as South Africa, who have posted back-to-back 400-plus totals in their last two wins.

"Maybe you might be thinking that we are not playing well, but we are missing two of our key players," Waqar said, referring to Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez - who were both suspended for illegal bowling actions.

Hafeez also injured his calf before the World Cup and returned home to be replaced by Nasir Jamshed.

"The tournament will get tougher and tougher and we should be ready for that," added Waqar.

"Of course we can, we have done it in the past, it's not asking too much and we have beaten South Africa in South Africa," he said of Pakistan's 2-1 one-day series win over the Proteas in late 2013.

Waqar, under whom Pakistan finished as semi-finalists at the 2011 World Cup, insisted his team were capable of picking up steam.

"I think the crucial game will be against South Africa not only for qualifying, but also for a morale booster. We need to beat a top team to get our confidence back."