KARACHI - A contemporary of great Hanif Muhammad has said fielding was the weakest department of Pakistan team and it could spoil former World Cup champions chances in the mega event beginning in the sub-continent from February 19 at Dhaka. Former first-class opening batsman Ahmed Mustafa who in domestic cricket partnered with Hanif Muhammad in mid fifties in an interview here Monday rated Pakistans bowling and bating highly but said its fielding was not as strong as the other two departments of the game. And this weakness , he added could go against Pakistan in the fourteen team competition which Pakistan once won in 1992, said Mustafa who is the pioneer of starting countrys first private cricket academy in the city. The one day World Cup demand sharp ground fielding and catching because in a 300 ball contest stopping runs was as crucial as scoring. A run stopped, a four blocked or turned into a couple and a stunning sharp catch taken were crucial. Fielding helped in containing the opponents when they were setting a target or chasing a target, he added. During the last six months, he said Pakistan has played a number of ODIs against England, South Africa and New Zealand and in those series it was observed that Pakistan's fielding was sloppy and short of needed internaateam has good bowling attack and some good sensational batsmen who would tear the bowling part but their good work could be wasted if the catching hands could not turn half chances into catches and hold the sharp catches or the fielders failed to contain the flow of runs. Catching chances were bound to be few in the world cup and any chances that came had to be taken. A catch dropped or missed, a run conceded or a run out missed would tilt the balance in favour of the opponent, he added. There was hardly any time left to improve the fielding and catching, he said but added placing the right player at the right position in the field would be crucial and here captaincy would play decisive role. The captain should know where to place a particular player against a particular bowler and batsman. Shahid Afridis leadership would be tested in the placing of the field and making changes in the bowling attack according to the batsman facing the attack. Shahid Afridi had been a temperamental player and a captain, he would need strong supporter from his coaches, the manager and other supporting staff to lay down a strategy and execute it with the support of the players. He said statistics and history show that fielding had played important role in turning the match in one teams favour in the past world cups. Another aspect that has to be discussed was taking the bowling and batting power play. Supporting staff on the side benches could do the working and advice the captain accordingly, he said.