Pakistan captain Younus Khan was unfazed by his side's loss to Australia in its final Champions Trophy round-robin match Wednesday, which he felt was probably a good thing as it heads into the knockout stage. Australia's two-wicket win off the last ball at SuperSport Park placed it at the top of Group A and the title holder will face England in Centurion Friday while Pakistan plays Group B winner New Zealand at the Wanderers Saturday. But while the game was turned on its head in the last 10 overs with Pakistan's bowlers ripping through the Australian middle order, Pakistan should have been thumped. Showing little intent of putting up a big total when batting first, having already qualified for the playoffs, it reached a modest 205-6 after losing the toss, and only the late collapse of the Australian middle-order brought it back into the game. But Younus said he wasn't worried about its first loss of the competition, as long as it didn't come in a more crucial encounter. “It's nothing because sometimes you win all the games in the first stage and then suddenly you lose a big game,” Younus said. “So it's good for us, not like some other teams, like South Africa and Sri Lanka in the last World T20, who won all their games and then lost the big games. “I think sometimes it's good for your team. This game was very close and maybe everybody thought Australia was going to win, so it was a shock for us and a shock for everyone.” Younus said he had been confident that his bowlers could defend the total they put up, giving credit in particular to Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Rana Navedul Hasan and Mohammad Asif, back in action after a one-year ban. Australia captain Ricky Ponting, however, had been almost certain of coasting to victory when he was removed by Shoaib Malik for 32. At that stage Australia needed only 66 runs from 112 balls with seven wickets in hand. Michael Hussey anchored the innings with 64 runs from 87 balls but after he was removed in the 41st over, Australia crumbled and eventually needed 19 from 25 balls with only two wickets in hand. And while the tail hung on for the narrowest of victories, Ponting admitted he never expected Pakistan to fight back so well. PCB refuses to foot Akhtar bill The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has refused to pay for a knee operation for fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar in a bid to revive his flagging international career. Akhtar, 34, will have the operation in England next week but the PCB has said he is not entitled to treatment despite being a centrally contracted player. England's Broad doubtful England fast bowler Stuart Broad is doubtful for the Champions Trophy semifinal against Australia Friday due to a buttock injury. Broad complained of tightness following England's four-wicket loss to New Zealand Tuesday. “He's got a little tear in one of the muscles in his buttock and we are going to give him a little bit more time to see if he's going to be fit,” England coach Andy Flower said Thursday.
