“If we had 1-2 more games before Tests, it would've been a different ball game" : Azhar Mahmood

[MenInG]

“If we had 1-2 more games before Tests, it would've been a different ball game" : Azhar Mahmood

Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mahmood speaking to the press

“If you see for the last 3 days, everyone took the heavy roller and the pitch has slightly flattened out but the uneven bounce has still been there as we saw in the last hour, with one ball goes up and one goes down, so that’s the problem here”

“Yes that was the decision, the ball was doing a bit and there was a lot of play and miss and we were still hoping that the fast-bowlers would do the job and the captain thought that was the best way to go but when he came into the attack he bowled really well”

“First of all its always tough when a sub-continental team comes to South Africa as there is always bounce and pace”

“But, in this series we see a lot of uneven bounce which plays on your mind, and I guess we didn’t play that too well”

“If we had one or 2 [warm-up] more games before playing the Test matches then it would have been a different ball-game”

“If you see that the boys are playing well now; Shan and Imam are both playing well as is Asad Shafiq”

“Unfortunately, due to [schedules] in international cricket, we don’t have that much time but if we had one or 2 games before start of Test matches, things may have been different”

“Think it was our plan to get them in less runs so that we were chasing 270-280 runs but credit to de Kock and Hashim Amla as they played really well”

“They left the ball very well, and when they got the opportunities they hit the boundaries really well”

“In this ground there are a lot of boundary options and you don’t get runs from singles and both sides hit boundaries”

 

[hadi123]

Preparation is key. There was still a few weeks between end of NZ series and start of this one so probably could have squeezed in one more warm up game. I also think Tests should have been played first against NZ as that would have given our test specalists more time to prepare in SA. But let's not blame the scheduling as people can also say we could have ODI/T20I series in SA first before Tests.

The schedule was decided a long time ago, if Tests had to be played last against NZ, that's fine but we should have gone straight from Dubai to South Africa, definitely would have been able to fit in one more warm up game

 

[aloo paratha]

PCBs fault. They should've scheduled the NZ tests before the LOI series' so that the test specialists could get here early and start practicing. PCB being incompetent as usual.

 

[Savak]

It's funny how the coaching staff realizes this after the fact

 

[IMMY69]

I have to agree with Azhar..

Our cricket is going backwards playing on the dead UAE wickets and we need more time for preparation then we’ve ever needed...

 

[MMHS]

It won’t happen anymore - gone are the days with 3-4 FC games before 1st Test. Bradman played 1st Test in England after scoring a thousand FC runs in all his 4 tours!!! While English players used to leave for Australia early October to play 1st Test in December.

1 match, max 2 games before 1st Test is what tourists will get. Only solution is to change domestic wickets to prepare players at FC level, may be sending few Test specialists earlier in the wrap of A tour or whatever way; and it’s a must that A team & U19 tours in exchange basis.

For PAK - shifting home base out of the UAE. Shady place for cricket, and wickets/conditions are horrendous.

 

[IMMY69]

It won’t happen anymore - gone are the days with 3-4 FC games before 1st Test. Bradman played 1st Test in England after scoring a thousand FC runs in all his 4 tours!!! While English players used to leave for Australia early October to play 1st Test in December.

1 match, max 2 games before 1st Test is what tourists will get. Only solution is to change domestic wickets to prepare players at FC level, may be sending few Test specialists earlier in the wrap of A tour or whatever way; and it’s a must that A team & U19 tours in exchange basis.

For PAK - shifting home base out of the UAE. Shady place for cricket, and wickets/conditions are horrendous.

Spot on.
The one and only good thing with UAE was the lack of rain and even then the heavens conspired to deny us an odi series victory against the Kiwis.

The sooner we start playing elsewhere the better.

 

[Justcrazy]

PCB should organize more test matches , that is the only way to improve.

 

[MMHS]

PCB should organize more test matches , that is the only way to improve.

More Test matches for sure, but not in UAE - players will forget their cricket.

 

[PakLFC]

Cheap excuses. Should have prepared the tour accordingly then. No point in crying about it now.

 

[sam_ahm]

Probably would't have lost the New Zealand series in UAE either had they got some practice games. Pakistan are world beaters, just that they don't get enough practice games.

 

[coy0607]

what is the excuse for the 3rd Test - they have had 2 tests and a practice game - I don't see any improvement

 

[Plumb]

Now everyone will comeout with the same excuse that not enough practice games.

Comon now its getting boring everyone goes hiding when we got spanked at home and in SA. Need some answers from the management about the failures after failures

 

[Markhor]

PCB should organize more test matches , that is the only way to improve.

But sir how will PCB fit their precious 3 T20Is per series into the schedule.

Only format where Sarfraz looks like Clive Lloyd.

 

[Hasan123]

We shouldn't have played those T20s. We should have played just tests vs Australia and only tests and ODIs vs NZ. Series would have finished earlier than we could have arrived in South Africa earlier.

 

[Zaz]

Excuses Didnt they know this beforehand? Pakistan team was too busy enjoying some useless t20 bashing than coming here early and doing solid preparation for the toughest tour on the circuit

 

[gazza619]

Dont need to state the obvious

You insult the oppossition when u give statements like these..

We were poor, full stop!

 

[hadi123]

Dont need to state the obvious

You insult the oppossition when u give statements like these..

We were poor, full stop!

How is it insulting the opposition?

 

[Savak]

The pcb should have selected a bench strength team against NZ while sending the main players in SA 4-6 weeks in advance

 

[hadi123]

The pcb should have selected a bench strength team against NZ while sending the main players in SA 4-6 weeks in advance

NZ series is a big one too. Even with a full strength team we lost the series lol. No idea what you're on about.

 

[786warrior]

The pcb should have selected a bench strength team against NZ while sending the main players in SA 4-6 weeks in advance

You fancying two 3-0 whitewashes??!!! One not enough for you??????

 

[giri26]

Well Indian fans felt the same thing when we toured SA earlier this year. The fact of the matter is that the schedule does not allow for lengthy preparation times these days and teams need to adjust to the practice they get. In the past teams toured a country, played multiple side games and got lots of time to acclimatise and that is not the case now. 1 more extra game against a substandard opposition would not have made much difference. Pakistan is still on course to lose to series 3-0, if they win the 3rd Test, this statement by Azhar would make sense, if not, these are just excuses.

 

[King-Misbah]

Stop making pathetic excuses! If you wanted more practise then you should have thought about that earlier.

 

[goran]

Don't understand how a few more practice games would have changed such a one-sided series. There is a huge gap in the quality of the two teams. We are no match for SA and 3-0 is definitely on the cards. Silly excuses like this are just a patch-work to hide the real issues. The main problem is our minnow-level batting.

 

[Shafi]

All Azhar, Shafiq, Fakhar, Sarfraz and Imam can play even 20 fast class matches but will still score same against S African International bowlers in test matches. Our batsmen just don't have any ability.

 

[Mamoon]

Even a thousand games won’t make a difference. We are just not good enough.

 

[shariqnoor]

Silly excuses. They played a warm up at Benoni of all places against university kids. Another warm up at Kimberly wouldn't have made Azhar Ali score 250 runs in the series.

The problem is that the ODI series starts next week so all the focus moves to that. After that PSL starts in a month's time and the players/PCB will start channeling their energies towards that. It is also the time when the whole of Pakistan will come together and pat themselves on the back on how PSL is the second greatest T20 league in the world.

Once that furore is over, everybody will start focusing on the World Cup. There will never be a soul searching for this Test tour and everything will be pushed under the carpet. What Pakistan needs is a 2 month break from cricket right after a whitewash so that PCB is forced to do something. At the moment, Sarfraz will ride this out and everything will be forgotten.

 

[Junaids]

what is the excuse for the 3rd Test - they have had 2 tests and a practice game - I don't see any improvement

There was massive improvement.

The difference between the two sides was just two things: Azhar contributing nothing and Sarfraz being much worse than De Kock.

The other nine players cancelled each other out.

 

[MMHS]

There was massive improvement.

The difference between the two sides was just two things: Azhar contributing nothing and Sarfraz being much worse than De Kock.

The other nine players cancelled each other out.

SAF were missing their regular captain, and Elgar also made 5+5, less than Azhar. Also, it’s a bit difficult to accept that Abbas & Hasan cancelled Phillander & Rabada.

 

[IAJ]

Even a thousand games won’t make a difference. We are just not good enough.

Lol, why so bombastic in all of your posts?
It’s not only about the end result. We are talking about improvement, and the more you practise the better you will get. Had they gone earlier and played 2-3 proper warm-up games they would have been more competitive. The end result would probably have been same, but they might have not given Olivier 8 wickets pr. Match.
You need to try to get what you can and take advantage of that.

 

[Justcrazy]

But sir how will PCB fit their precious 3 T20Is per series into the schedule.

Only format where Sarfraz looks like Clive Lloyd.

Realistically Pakistan should play at least 3 test series on tours , at least 2 , that will give them 6 tests , plus atleast 4 - 5 home tests .

Even if they have to play against Ireland in Ireland they should play.

 

[mystical man]

India did not play any warm up games before facing a much stronger South-African Side

 

[Savak]

India did not play any warm up games before facing a much stronger South-African Side

They chose not too, instead they focused on practicing hard in the nets. Have to say it is remarkable that they won one test match at the end and that also on the most difficult wicket of the tour.

 

[mystical man]

They chose not too, instead they focused on practicing hard in the nets. Have to say it is remarkable that they won one test match at the end and that also on the most difficult wicket of the tour.

Exactly and the reasoning by kohli was correct as it led to this false delusion of thinking that they are doing well against a group of club level bowlers...

 

[Mirpur express]

3rd test was an improvement after all lol but Azhar was the difference along with Sarfaraz