“I have told the boys that we can win because we are the best,” Alam said ahead of the second consecutive all-Asian final in the world championships of the sport’s shortest format.

Pakistan had also made it to the title clash of the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa two years ago, but lost the exciting final to arch-rivals India by five runs at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

Alam, a former Pakistan leg-spinner and captain, said the team was unaffected by what happened in 2007 and was looking to write a new chapter in the country’s turbulent cricket history.

“What happened two years ago is behind us,” he said. “This is a new beginning. You can’t be affected by what happened in the past, that’s not how sport is played.

“This team is entirely focussed on the final on Sunday. Having come so far, the boys are very keen to go all the way.”

Winning the final will be a huge boost for cricket in Pakistan, who have been shunned by all major cricket-playing nations due to security concerns in the volatile nation.

The International Cricket Council has moved the 2011 World Cup matches out of Pakistan after the Sri Lankan team bus was attacked by gunmen in Lahore on March 3 while on its way to the Gaddafi stadium for a Test match.

Alam, a former Surrey player in English county cricket, said a win on Sunday will bring smiles on the faces of Pakistanis back home.

“They are going through a lot, we have to win it for them,” he said. “No one outside Pakistan can imagine what a victory will do for the people at home.”

Alam said Pakistan’s campaign in the tournament reminded him of the one Imran Khan’s side went through on their way to winning the 1992 World Cup in Australia.

“The pattern is almost the same,” said Alam, who was also the team coach in 1992.

“We were on the brink of elimination then, but fought back to make the semi-finals, then the final and then win it in Melbourne.

“Here the team has fought back after bad starts and has peaked at the right time.”

Pakistan were beaten by hosts England in their first preliminary match before storming into the Super Sixes by thrashing minnows Netherlands.

The mercurial Pakistanis also lost their first Super Eights match against Sri Lanka, but made the semi-finals after winning the remaining games against New Zealand and Ireland.

They booked their path to the Lord’s final with a seven-run win over favourites South Africa at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Thursday.

“It has been a team effort all the way,” said Alam. “It is important to perform as a team and peak at the right time and we have done both.

“Younus Khan has been a very good captain and inspires others by personal example. Some others like Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi have also stood out, but the team has performed as a whole.”

Gul, who claimed the first ever five-wicket haul in T20 internationals in the match against New Zealand, and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal are the tournament’s joint leaders with 12 wickets each, the same as Sri Lankans Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis.

Afridi powered Pakistan into the final with a half-century and two wickets against South Africa.

Defending champions India were eliminated from the Twenty20 World Cup by England on Sunday. Afterwards captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said fatigue was a factor while Kirsten went a step further saying players had carried injuries into the tournament.

“A lot of those niggles were picked up during the IPL,” Kirsten told reporters at the team hotel. “We lose contact with our players during the IPL because they are connected and responsible to their franchises and the players take a lot of pride representing their franchises as well.

“The bottom line was the amount of cricket that was being played and the amount of niggles that came into this tournament. Maybe we need to consider pulling players out, but whether that is possible I don’t know.”

The international schedule around next year’s IPL is likely to be even tighter with the International Cricket Council staging another Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies in April, the period when the IPL has been staged in the past two years.

India lost their explosive opening batsman Virender Sehwag without playing a match because of a shoulder injury while Zaheer Khan missed the start of the tournament after sustaining a shoulder injury in the IPL.

If fast bowler Ishant Sharma is rested from the IPL he could lose a large portion of his $900,000 contract. Dhoni, himself, is on $1.35 million and opener Gautam Gambhir is on $750,000.

Kirsten also said because of the amount of cricket being played teams now needed to use bigger squads.

“It is a 120 balls innings and any team can cause an upset. In the longer version of the game eventually weaker teams are found wanting but in T20 cricket they can escape and do well even with limited talent and exposure,” Alam said.

Pakistan starts their World Cup Twenty20 campaign on June 7 against England and Alam is backing his team to win the tournament to be held in England next month.

“I am backing my team to do well in the World Cup because we have players with plenty of T20 experience and we have developed blend in our batting,” Intikhab said.

“The competition will be tough and our first aim is to qualify from our group which is not an easy one,” he said.

Intikhab said the players had done all the preparations they could possibly do for the tournament and worked hard in the training sessions.

“The sessions with the sports psychologist have helped and that is why I am quietly confident we can give good results even in English conditions,” he said.

Pakistan had lost the final of the inaugural World Cup in 2007 to arch rivals India after a memorable match and the coach said the players were keen to make amends.

“The sports psychologist has impressed upon the boys that cricket is a team game and everyone has to play for each other to do well and we are trying to do that,” he said.

Intikhab brushed aside concerns that Pakistani players would struggle in English conditions and should have gone to England earlier for acclimatisation like other teams have done.

“Look we are all professional players and expected to adapt to all conditions. Our players have ample experience of playing there and we also have to warm up matches to find some momentum in English conditions so I am not unduly worried,” he said.

The former Test captain said Pakistan would look to post a total of around 170 and 180 and with their bowling in English conditions they could defend it.

A key figure in getting Shoaib Akhtar ousted from Pakistan’s Twenty20 World Championship squad, coach Intikhab Alam said the controversial pacer would have been an asset had he been fully fit.

“It is unfortunate because if he was fit and in the team he would have been a big asset for us as he is a very experienced and capable bowler,” Alam said.

Shoaib was withdrawn from the squad due to a skin infection and replaced by Rao Iftikhar Anjum. Shoaib had insisted that he would have recovered in time for the event.

But Intikhab had made it clear that he didn’t want an unfit player in the side and had asked the board to drop the fast bowler.

Sports psychologist Maqbool Bari held one to one sessions with the selected players on the sidelines of practice matches in Lahore last week besides conducting group therapy.

He was also supposed to have sessions with players during the conditioning camp in Bhurban earlier this month but the idea was dropped by the board because of the heavy fees demanded by Bari.

“But his sessions with the players in Lahore were very useful. The basic purpose is to get these players mentally focused during the World Cup and be ready to handle the pressures of such a big event,” Intikhab said.

“The idea is to improve their focus and increase their self belief. Because in a big tournament like the World Cup it is all about pressure and nothing else. The team that handles the pressure the best will win the title,” he added.

Intikhab pointed out that there was nothing much to separate between teams like Pakistan, India, Australia or South Africa in the T20 World Cup.

“I don’t think so it all depends on how you handle the pressure and I think the sessions held by the sports psychologist will help the players a lot,” the former Test captain stated.

Pakistan have also designated former Test batsman Basit Ali to work with the batsmen in Lahore for the World Cup.

Captain Younus Khan noted that Basit’s sessions had helped identify minor technical glitches in the batsmen and also made them more aware of their weaknesses and how to overcome them.

“The batting would be crucial in the World Cup. Our bowling is strong but it is our batting that has to fire in these matches. We have to aim for a total of around 170 ad 180 in the World Cup if we want to consistently win matches and go to the final,” Intikhab said.