'We Made Crucial Mistakes' - Hooper

West Indies captain Carl Hooper said that mistakes at crucial periods were the main reason for today's 170-run defeat on the fifth and final day of the first Test against Pakistan here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

"It's the little things and little moments we're allowing to slip from us," Hooper said after the visitors collapsed from 111 for one at lunch to 171 all out and defeat on the stroke of tea.

"We're just not grasping the opportunity and pressing home the advantage and it's costing us."

The West Indies allowed Pakistan to recover from 94 for four on the first day to score 493, while the Caribbean team slipped from 325 for five to 366 all out in their first innings.

Hooper said that a vital dropped catch that allowed Rashid Latif a life when 28 was one of those instances.

Latif went on to topscore with 150 and his stand of 204 with Yousuf Youhana took the match away from the West Indies on the second day.

"These are the little things about Test cricket. When you're playing against good sides, you've got to drive home the advantage when you get it or they're going to get out of it and put you under pressure," Hooper added.

"Obviously we want to rectify this so we can be competitive and not only draw games but we want to win games," Hooper added.

The West Indies have now lost 22 of their last 26 overseas Tests, but Hooper is still optimistic.

"Even though we've lost a few Test matches in a row, we're not playing really, really poorly," Hooper said. "I still think we can beat Pakistan."

But Pakistan captain Waqar Younis had some ominous words for his counterpart in assessing the peformance of his match-winner, pace ace Shoaib Akhtar.

Shoaib, adjudged Man of the Match, took a career-best five for 24 as the West Indies lost their last seven wickets for 25 to slump to defeat on
Monday.

"He is getting better day by day and soon you will see he will bowl even better than this," fellow fast bowler Waqar predicted.

The second and final Test of the series begins at the same venue on Thursday.

* SOURCE: West Indies Cricket Board.