Pakistan's 77-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the second ODI was a capitulation typical of the side's recent fortunes in the 50-over game, a format supposedly suited to the mercurial style of the men in green. Experts and fans have almost resigned to the fact that Test cricket is perhaps a bridge too far for the batting resources currently available to the side. But failure in the shorter form is a cause for concern and something which needs to be addressed before the upcoming World Cup. The tendency of the bowling attack to lose the plot in the death overs is a lot more worrying though.

The first ODI saw Sohaib Maqsood and Fawad Alam combine in a stunning partnership to take Pakistan home to a memorable win. In the rain-curtailed encounter, they got home in 44.5 overs and it was only the second time in the last three years that Pakistan had successfully chased a 250-plus target. In between, there were quite a few moments that needed to be cherished.

Pakistan seemed down and out at 110 with five wickets down. According to former cricketer Basit Ali, who now serves as a TV expert, Javed Miandad had switched off the television set and gone out. He was later told about Pakistan's victory and was all praise for Alam and Maqsood. It was a similar tale for most fans to whom the workman-like approach of the two players seemed a little too good to be true. They were almost, dare I say, 'professional' about the way they went about their business. The team is usually saved by sparks of individual brilliance, so it was a pleasant change for a pair to have put in the hard yards.

But the game really changed when Maqsood went down the track to Herath and the ball not only beat the batsman but the wicketkeeper as well. He never looked back and simply maneuvered the Sri Lankan attack. His bat speed and ability to find gaps kept him earning boundaries almost every over.

Maqsood had a perfect ally on the other end in the shape of Alam, who kept moving about in his crease and rotating the strike. And when he got the chance, he also picked up a few boundaries. In the end, their partnership gave Pakistan a much needed, morale boosting victory.

But the joy was short lived, as the second time around the Pakistani bowlers once again left a little bit too much for the batsmen, conceding more than 100 runs in the last 10 overs. The bowling attack has been guilty of the same offense for a while now, with or without Saeed Ajmal. Maqsood and Alam's partnership and Pakistan's eventual win in the first ODI masked the fact that Misbah's men had conceded 275 in only 45 overs!

Misbah has been repeatedly expressed concern at his attack's inability to contain opposition sides in the death overs ever since the Asia Cup earlier this year. The troubling part is that even after identifying the problem and despite the presence of Waqar Younis in the dressing room, Pakistan remains helpless.

Junaid Khan who is famous on the English county circuit for his death bowling prowess has been unable to repeat the dose in national colours while Wahab Riaz, is well just Wahab Riaz. Whether Mohammad Irfan is being rushed into action is the real question. There should be no doubt about his usefulness in Australia and New Zealand at the World Cup.

In the absence of Ajmal, one wonders why Zulfiqar Babar has not been given a go yet. And what happened to Raza Hasan? For all the talk of Pakistan possessing a world class attack, it is must be recognised and accepted that the current lot of bowlers is just not good enough.

The reluctance on the part of the captain and the team management to ring in the changes proved costly for Pakistan while Sri Lanka learnt from their mistakes in the first match.

After leaking 101 runs in the last ten overs of the second match, Pakistan were still in the game when Mohammad Hafeez was batting with Ahmed Shehzad. They had brought the 100 up in the 13th over and Pakistan looked set to become the first team in history to chase a total of 300 and more in Sri Lanka. Oddly enough, both batsmen decided it was time to play dead bat thereon in and ultimately succumbed to the leg spin of Seekkuge Prasanna. Umar Akmal’s fell soon after. It seems adding the younger Akmal to the Test side has somehow has confused the batsman even more and he just doesn't know what mode to operate in now.

The loss in the second ODI had a lot to do with Pakistan's death bowling but at the same time, the batsmen were equally responsible. They took the foot of the pedal when in control and paid the price. A wise and imaginative captain would have urged his batsmen to keep playing their strokes and would have even changed the batting order. Misbah could have come out earlier, and perhaps Akmal should have been kept for later. But the 40-year old skipper seems to have worked out his own formula and is unwilling to lay his hands off of it.

The series is now tied at 1-1 and if Misbah's men want to go back home with at least one trophy in their hands, they need not only to look at the team composition but their strategy as well. Bowling, which has traditionally been their stronger suit, desperately needs to be reevaluated and the batting must learn to make up for it when it falters. Pakistan cannot afford bits and pieces cricket anymore.

As South Africa highlighted with their clinical chase of 328 against Australia on Wednesday, you must at least get one thing right.