- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 218,034
“I definitely sense quite a bit of confidence in the players after the England win" : Grant Flower
Confidence may be surging through the Pakistan team after their stunning win against England, but batting coach Grant Flower insists they are not about to take Sri Lanka for granted.
Pakistan put a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat by West Indies in their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 opener behind them by upsetting the tournament hosts in their second game at Trent Bridge.
The triumph ended Pakistan’s run of 11 consecutive ODI losses and they will now look to carry their momentum into their clash with Sri Lanka, who beat Afghanistan last time out.
But although Flower admitted the players are in a good place after bringing their winless streak to an abrupt end, he is wary of the threat posed by Sri Lanka’s seam attack in Bristol.
“You always got to be respectful of the other team and they have got good bowlers,” he said. “I just came out of a batting net to see their skills and I think it should be a good game.
“Hopefully the weather stays away, the forecast is a bit poor at the moment, but I don’t think we’ll be targeting any one individual as they have got several good seamers.
“They also have some spinners with some really good skills, so the guys are fully focused on the challenge ahead and they know what to expect against Sri Lanka.
“I definitely sense quite a bit of confidence in the players [after England win], especially in the meeting we had this morning and it has taken off the pressure definitely.
“Having gone through those string of defeats, psychologically that lifts a huge wait from their shoulders and to score 350 against a very good England attack, the guys are relived.
“They had a day off, a travel day, and then it was an option net for some of the players, but hopefully we’re going to get a good afternoon’s practice and then show their skills again.”
The victory against England was a vast change in fortunes for Flower’s men, who posted a commanding 348/8 just days after being bowled out for just 105 against the West Indies.
Babar Azam was once again among the runs against England as he posted another fifty, meaning the resolute No.3 batsman’s last four ODI scores read 115, 80, 22 and 63.
And Flower believes Azam will only continue to get better as the tournament continues, predicting the 24-year-old has all the ability to be one of the best players in the world.
“I think he has come a long way, I think his game is improving all the time and so is his strike rate,” he said. “I think he is going to develop more, but I think he is close to the top of his game.
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Q. Grant, you are probably into your sixth year of tenure. How do you describe Pakistan's batting? 105 to 348, was it bad day to good day, or inconsistency?
GRANT FLOWER: It's my fifth year. I would say it's a bit of a both. Yeah, we didn't adapt well to the conditions against West Indies. Technically, we were a bit poor on the day. And I think there were a lot of nerves being the first World Cup match definitely. Then the guys got over that against England and they showed their proper skills and it was a true test of character. And I think they came through with flying colours in the second game.
Q. Grant, the Pakistani media is reporting that you are leaving after this World Cup, is it true?
GRANT FLOWER: No, that's not my choice. That was fake news. I don't know where that came from (smiling).
Q. You want to continue after the World Cup?
GRANT FLOWER: I'd like to, but I suppose it's all dependent on the results.
Q. I just have a question about this young batting line-up that has scored 350 plus all through England, the series and still not won matches. How do you keep batsmen -- I have got two questions. How do you keep batsmen interested in what they are doing because they are not getting the results that they want. They have played so many games. Other than the one win that you have just had, leading up to that, big scores, 350 and so on, but no wins. How do you keep the batsmen saying look, this is what you have to do, this is your job?
GRANT FLOWER: Well, if their job is to score runs, and to get those scores of 350, they are doing their job. So, you just got to ask them to keep repeating it and keep doing the hard training and putting in the hours in the nets and executing the skills under pressure. And then, hopefully, the bowlers and the fielders will get it right to back that up. But unfortunately, that didn't happen in quite a few of the games against England, in the bilateral series.
Q. And if we can have a comment from you about Babar Azam and the fact he plays in the No 3 spot, in which he has to be able to sort of be the anchor through the innings, but at the same time then if you are having collapses, is that -- does that lend itself to some kind of anxiety in his batting? Or do you think that he's an old-style player who may have to change his game slightly to be able to play like a hitter at the end because of the range of skills that he has?
GRANT FLOWER: Yeah, I think he's come a long way. I think his game is improving all the time. And so is his strike rate. And I think he's going to develop even more.
But I think he's close to being at the top of his game and, you know, he is really exciting to watch and, obviously, it is up to the other guys to bat around him at times. They all got different roles. But I think Babar is really exciting and he is going to be one of the best players in the world.
Q. Grant, you have obviously played a few World Cups yourself. Are you a fan of this format? Everyone plays everyone, sort of going -- it's not happened since 1992?
GRANT FLOWER: Yeah, it's obviously a bit unlucky on the associate teams, but obviously, you know, each game is so important, so there are no free games, or easy games, so it is exciting to watch. And just speaking to the public, I think they do enjoy this, but I think it is quite tough on the associate teams, but unfortunately I suppose that is one of those things.
Q. What sort of challenge are you expecting from Sri Lanka? And who do you see as their key men?
GRANT FLOWER: Well, you have always got to be respectful and they have got good bowlers. I have just come out of a batting meeting to see their skills. And it should be a good game. And hopefully the weather stays away, it is a bit poor, the forecast. But I don't think we'd be targeting any one individual, though they have got some good seamers and some spinners with very good skills. So the guys are fully focussed and they know what to expect.
Q. If you could talk a bit about the confidence and the mood of the boys after their big win. What has it done to them? What have they done since then? And what has it changed after particularly that win against England?
GRANT FLOWER: Yeah, I definitely do sense quite a bit of confidence, especially, like, in the meeting we had this morning. Since we have won, well it took off a lot of the pressure definitely, having gone through those string of defeats. Psychologically, that lifts a huge weight from their shoulders.And to score 350 against a very good England attack, the guys are relieved. And so they had a day off, a travel day, and then yesterday an optional net for some of the players and so, hopefully, we are going to get a good afternoon's practice today and then can go and show their skills again tomorrow.
Q. Are you happy with the balance of the side having left out Imad Wasim last time and gone with Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik to bowl those overs? Are you confident with that formula from hereon, do you think?
GRANT FLOWER: I think so, for the time being. I don't have a say in selection. I'm sure it will be the same team tomorrow. We wanted to take some pace off the ball against England and Mohammad Hafeez and Malik did that really well, sharing the overs. And so it worked well then. And it might be a bit different tomorrow with very short boundaries straight, but hopefully -- we have played a few games here already so the guys know what to expect and can adapt to different conditions.
“He is a very exciting player to watch and obviously it’s up to the other guys to bat around him at times, they all have different roles but he is going to be one of the best players in the world.
“If their job is to score runs and to get scores of 350 then they are doing their job, so you just have to ask them to repeating it, do the hard training and put in the hours in the net.
“If they keep executing their skills under pressure, hopefully the bowlers will then back that up, but that didn’t happen in quite a few of the games against England in the bi-lateral series.
“We didn’t adapt well to the conditions against the West Indies, technically we were a bit poor on the day, and I think there were a lot of nerves being the first World Cup match.
“The guys got over that against England and they showed their proper skills. It was a true test of character and they came through with flying colours in the second game.”
Confidence may be surging through the Pakistan team after their stunning win against England, but batting coach Grant Flower insists they are not about to take Sri Lanka for granted.
Pakistan put a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat by West Indies in their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 opener behind them by upsetting the tournament hosts in their second game at Trent Bridge.
The triumph ended Pakistan’s run of 11 consecutive ODI losses and they will now look to carry their momentum into their clash with Sri Lanka, who beat Afghanistan last time out.
But although Flower admitted the players are in a good place after bringing their winless streak to an abrupt end, he is wary of the threat posed by Sri Lanka’s seam attack in Bristol.
“You always got to be respectful of the other team and they have got good bowlers,” he said. “I just came out of a batting net to see their skills and I think it should be a good game.
“Hopefully the weather stays away, the forecast is a bit poor at the moment, but I don’t think we’ll be targeting any one individual as they have got several good seamers.
“They also have some spinners with some really good skills, so the guys are fully focused on the challenge ahead and they know what to expect against Sri Lanka.
“I definitely sense quite a bit of confidence in the players [after England win], especially in the meeting we had this morning and it has taken off the pressure definitely.
“Having gone through those string of defeats, psychologically that lifts a huge wait from their shoulders and to score 350 against a very good England attack, the guys are relived.
“They had a day off, a travel day, and then it was an option net for some of the players, but hopefully we’re going to get a good afternoon’s practice and then show their skills again.”
The victory against England was a vast change in fortunes for Flower’s men, who posted a commanding 348/8 just days after being bowled out for just 105 against the West Indies.
Babar Azam was once again among the runs against England as he posted another fifty, meaning the resolute No.3 batsman’s last four ODI scores read 115, 80, 22 and 63.
And Flower believes Azam will only continue to get better as the tournament continues, predicting the 24-year-old has all the ability to be one of the best players in the world.
“I think he has come a long way, I think his game is improving all the time and so is his strike rate,” he said. “I think he is going to develop more, but I think he is close to the top of his game.
======
Q. Grant, you are probably into your sixth year of tenure. How do you describe Pakistan's batting? 105 to 348, was it bad day to good day, or inconsistency?
GRANT FLOWER: It's my fifth year. I would say it's a bit of a both. Yeah, we didn't adapt well to the conditions against West Indies. Technically, we were a bit poor on the day. And I think there were a lot of nerves being the first World Cup match definitely. Then the guys got over that against England and they showed their proper skills and it was a true test of character. And I think they came through with flying colours in the second game.
Q. Grant, the Pakistani media is reporting that you are leaving after this World Cup, is it true?
GRANT FLOWER: No, that's not my choice. That was fake news. I don't know where that came from (smiling).
Q. You want to continue after the World Cup?
GRANT FLOWER: I'd like to, but I suppose it's all dependent on the results.
Q. I just have a question about this young batting line-up that has scored 350 plus all through England, the series and still not won matches. How do you keep batsmen -- I have got two questions. How do you keep batsmen interested in what they are doing because they are not getting the results that they want. They have played so many games. Other than the one win that you have just had, leading up to that, big scores, 350 and so on, but no wins. How do you keep the batsmen saying look, this is what you have to do, this is your job?
GRANT FLOWER: Well, if their job is to score runs, and to get those scores of 350, they are doing their job. So, you just got to ask them to keep repeating it and keep doing the hard training and putting in the hours in the nets and executing the skills under pressure. And then, hopefully, the bowlers and the fielders will get it right to back that up. But unfortunately, that didn't happen in quite a few of the games against England, in the bilateral series.
Q. And if we can have a comment from you about Babar Azam and the fact he plays in the No 3 spot, in which he has to be able to sort of be the anchor through the innings, but at the same time then if you are having collapses, is that -- does that lend itself to some kind of anxiety in his batting? Or do you think that he's an old-style player who may have to change his game slightly to be able to play like a hitter at the end because of the range of skills that he has?
GRANT FLOWER: Yeah, I think he's come a long way. I think his game is improving all the time. And so is his strike rate. And I think he's going to develop even more.
But I think he's close to being at the top of his game and, you know, he is really exciting to watch and, obviously, it is up to the other guys to bat around him at times. They all got different roles. But I think Babar is really exciting and he is going to be one of the best players in the world.
Q. Grant, you have obviously played a few World Cups yourself. Are you a fan of this format? Everyone plays everyone, sort of going -- it's not happened since 1992?
GRANT FLOWER: Yeah, it's obviously a bit unlucky on the associate teams, but obviously, you know, each game is so important, so there are no free games, or easy games, so it is exciting to watch. And just speaking to the public, I think they do enjoy this, but I think it is quite tough on the associate teams, but unfortunately I suppose that is one of those things.
Q. What sort of challenge are you expecting from Sri Lanka? And who do you see as their key men?
GRANT FLOWER: Well, you have always got to be respectful and they have got good bowlers. I have just come out of a batting meeting to see their skills. And it should be a good game. And hopefully the weather stays away, it is a bit poor, the forecast. But I don't think we'd be targeting any one individual, though they have got some good seamers and some spinners with very good skills. So the guys are fully focussed and they know what to expect.
Q. If you could talk a bit about the confidence and the mood of the boys after their big win. What has it done to them? What have they done since then? And what has it changed after particularly that win against England?
GRANT FLOWER: Yeah, I definitely do sense quite a bit of confidence, especially, like, in the meeting we had this morning. Since we have won, well it took off a lot of the pressure definitely, having gone through those string of defeats. Psychologically, that lifts a huge weight from their shoulders.And to score 350 against a very good England attack, the guys are relieved. And so they had a day off, a travel day, and then yesterday an optional net for some of the players and so, hopefully, we are going to get a good afternoon's practice today and then can go and show their skills again tomorrow.
Q. Are you happy with the balance of the side having left out Imad Wasim last time and gone with Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik to bowl those overs? Are you confident with that formula from hereon, do you think?
GRANT FLOWER: I think so, for the time being. I don't have a say in selection. I'm sure it will be the same team tomorrow. We wanted to take some pace off the ball against England and Mohammad Hafeez and Malik did that really well, sharing the overs. And so it worked well then. And it might be a bit different tomorrow with very short boundaries straight, but hopefully -- we have played a few games here already so the guys know what to expect and can adapt to different conditions.
“He is a very exciting player to watch and obviously it’s up to the other guys to bat around him at times, they all have different roles but he is going to be one of the best players in the world.
“If their job is to score runs and to get scores of 350 then they are doing their job, so you just have to ask them to repeating it, do the hard training and put in the hours in the net.
“If they keep executing their skills under pressure, hopefully the bowlers will then back that up, but that didn’t happen in quite a few of the games against England in the bi-lateral series.
“We didn’t adapt well to the conditions against the West Indies, technically we were a bit poor on the day, and I think there were a lot of nerves being the first World Cup match.
“The guys got over that against England and they showed their proper skills. It was a true test of character and they came through with flying colours in the second game.”
