- Joined
- Aug 29, 2023
- Runs
- 37,026
Interim Red-Ball Head Coach, Azhar Mahmood, speaking to the media ahead of the 1st test match against South Africa:
About spin-friendly pitches in the series:
“South Africa is here, so we welcome them. Secondly, we’ve studied the pitch and we know South Africa’s strengths. They’re ranked No. 2 in the world and arrive as Test Championship winners. Our challenge is figuring out how to take 20 wickets and win Test matches. Looking at that, the spin won’t be like what we saw against England or West Indies—it’ll be there, but it’ll come gradually.”
About motivation and where the team stands in this Test:
“This is the first Test of the new Championship cycle. For the first time, our players are coming in with match practice—some played first-class cricket, some featured in the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, some were in county cricket, and others in the Asia Cup. So for the first time, we’re entering a Test Championship with players who’ve been actively playing. We have six home Tests. Like other teams win at home, we need to find our own winning formula. Last year, we adopted a method that suited us and brought success, like when Misbah was captain. If we win these six home Tests, we then tour Bangladesh and West Indies, we have a chance. If we stick to our process and win this series, I’m hopeful that, insha’Allah, we’ll do very well in the World Test Championship this year.”
About the bowling attack and the chance for Rohail Nazir in the playing 11:
“The decision will be made on match day. We’ll assess whether to go with a 3-1 or 2-2 combination based on how dry the pitch is. Rohail is in the squad—he’s a quality player. But Rizwan is our main keeper, so we’ll start with him. Rohail has been our backup before, and if there’s a keeper after Rizwan, I see Rohail in that role.”
About the comparison between South Africa and Pakistan in these conditions:
“South Africa is definitely coming in with strong form—they’ve played excellent ODI cricket and won the Test Championship. But it’s not about them—it’s about us and how we manage things. How consistently we win sessions—that’s our focus. They’re a quality side, but we’ve focused on our own processes. In this camp and the previous one, we’ve worked on how to take 20 wickets. We’ve prepared for their challenges—how to face Rabada and Jansen, how to handle their spin department. Our focus is entirely on that. I believe we’re well prepared. We’ve studied their opposition and resources thoroughly, and I’m very confident.”
About Mike Hesson:
“Right now, we have two head coaches—I’m the red-ball head coach, and he’s the white-ball coach. He’s here to provide input, especially with the upcoming ODI and T20 series. He’s Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, so I don’t mind that at all. His input is valuable—we discuss things together. Whether it’s Mike Hesson or me, our shared role is to take Pakistan cricket forward. There’s no issue about who’s here or who’s in charge—we’re working together.”
About Asif Afridi’s selection:
“He’s part of the team. We announced an 18-player squad and trimmed it to 16—he’s in that final squad. He’s not just here to bowl in the nets. I don’t know why people are objecting. If you look at his last two years—53 wickets last year, 27 this year—that’s 80 wickets. He’s earned his place through domestic performance. Age is just a number. South Africa has also brought in players aged 37–38. The key is who can help us take 20 wickets. We needed experience. Also, with the new concussion protocols, selection has to factor that in. We’ve considered all options. I think he’s a wonderful bowler with a bright future. He hasn’t played international cricket yet, but he’s proven himself in domestic cricket.”
About the approach to being the head coach:
“Our focus will definitely be on this: at the end of the day, you play Test matches to win. But I believe that sometimes you don’t win a Test match on the first day. To win a Test match, you need to work consistently for four to five days. If you break it down session by session, and if you win more sessions—say, eight or nine sessions—you’re likely to win the Test match. So, our focus will be: yes, the end result is that we want to win the series and the matches, Insha’Allah. But the key is to follow the process. We tend to drift away from the process too quickly. Throughout the campaign, our emphasis has been on following the process. If you have a bad session, that doesn’t mean you’ve lost the Test match. You have the ability to fight back and come back.”
About accepting PCB’s offer to be a permanent head coach if offered later:
“We’ll find out later when the time comes. Right now, I’m just focusing on these two Test matches. And if you look at what you mentioned about the temporary nature, I’ve already explained what’s been happening throughout the year. I’m not looking at it like that. My job right now is to win these two Test matches first. After that, we’ll see whether it’s PCB’s decision or mine.”
About preparations to tackle spin:
“Spin was a challenge in the Asia Cup, too. We’ve worked on some technical aspects throughout— With Babar, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, and the boys who weren’t playing in the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, we worked with them to identify where improvement was needed. Every player, even top players, needs improvement. Obviously, if we’re saying we’ll target South Africa with spin, then we must know how to play spin ourselves, because they have quality spinners. So, keeping that in mind, all our preparation has been geared toward that. We’ve tried to ensure that we don’t struggle with spin in our own conditions. As for what you mentioned about the Indies, those pitches were turning excessively. It was unplayable for anyone. I think those conditions were tough for all batters.”
About the training camp arranged from 30th September to 8th October:
“You try to replicate the scenarios you’ll face. You’re playing on this ground— What kind of pitch will it be? You should know how to play against spin on rough patches. You should know how to use your box, use the crease, and how we want to play against their bowling. So, all these aspects were worked on. Now we’ve done all the preparation— It’s time to go and execute on the 12th.”
About meeting Mohsin Naqvi and Shan Masood:
“This wasn’t the first time he came. Whenever we’re about to play a series, The Chairman always comes. And he always asks how the preparations are going. He always motivates the team. Whenever he visits, it boosts the players’ morale. Some players are quite close to him— You must’ve seen at Abrar’s wedding too. So, there was some light-hearted banter. It creates a relaxed atmosphere. And definitely, when your top officials come and back you, It lifts the entire morale. Alhamdulillah, our morale is very high.”
About spin-friendly pitches in the series:
“South Africa is here, so we welcome them. Secondly, we’ve studied the pitch and we know South Africa’s strengths. They’re ranked No. 2 in the world and arrive as Test Championship winners. Our challenge is figuring out how to take 20 wickets and win Test matches. Looking at that, the spin won’t be like what we saw against England or West Indies—it’ll be there, but it’ll come gradually.”
About motivation and where the team stands in this Test:
“This is the first Test of the new Championship cycle. For the first time, our players are coming in with match practice—some played first-class cricket, some featured in the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, some were in county cricket, and others in the Asia Cup. So for the first time, we’re entering a Test Championship with players who’ve been actively playing. We have six home Tests. Like other teams win at home, we need to find our own winning formula. Last year, we adopted a method that suited us and brought success, like when Misbah was captain. If we win these six home Tests, we then tour Bangladesh and West Indies, we have a chance. If we stick to our process and win this series, I’m hopeful that, insha’Allah, we’ll do very well in the World Test Championship this year.”
About the bowling attack and the chance for Rohail Nazir in the playing 11:
“The decision will be made on match day. We’ll assess whether to go with a 3-1 or 2-2 combination based on how dry the pitch is. Rohail is in the squad—he’s a quality player. But Rizwan is our main keeper, so we’ll start with him. Rohail has been our backup before, and if there’s a keeper after Rizwan, I see Rohail in that role.”
About the comparison between South Africa and Pakistan in these conditions:
“South Africa is definitely coming in with strong form—they’ve played excellent ODI cricket and won the Test Championship. But it’s not about them—it’s about us and how we manage things. How consistently we win sessions—that’s our focus. They’re a quality side, but we’ve focused on our own processes. In this camp and the previous one, we’ve worked on how to take 20 wickets. We’ve prepared for their challenges—how to face Rabada and Jansen, how to handle their spin department. Our focus is entirely on that. I believe we’re well prepared. We’ve studied their opposition and resources thoroughly, and I’m very confident.”
About Mike Hesson:
“Right now, we have two head coaches—I’m the red-ball head coach, and he’s the white-ball coach. He’s here to provide input, especially with the upcoming ODI and T20 series. He’s Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, so I don’t mind that at all. His input is valuable—we discuss things together. Whether it’s Mike Hesson or me, our shared role is to take Pakistan cricket forward. There’s no issue about who’s here or who’s in charge—we’re working together.”
About Asif Afridi’s selection:
“He’s part of the team. We announced an 18-player squad and trimmed it to 16—he’s in that final squad. He’s not just here to bowl in the nets. I don’t know why people are objecting. If you look at his last two years—53 wickets last year, 27 this year—that’s 80 wickets. He’s earned his place through domestic performance. Age is just a number. South Africa has also brought in players aged 37–38. The key is who can help us take 20 wickets. We needed experience. Also, with the new concussion protocols, selection has to factor that in. We’ve considered all options. I think he’s a wonderful bowler with a bright future. He hasn’t played international cricket yet, but he’s proven himself in domestic cricket.”
About the approach to being the head coach:
“Our focus will definitely be on this: at the end of the day, you play Test matches to win. But I believe that sometimes you don’t win a Test match on the first day. To win a Test match, you need to work consistently for four to five days. If you break it down session by session, and if you win more sessions—say, eight or nine sessions—you’re likely to win the Test match. So, our focus will be: yes, the end result is that we want to win the series and the matches, Insha’Allah. But the key is to follow the process. We tend to drift away from the process too quickly. Throughout the campaign, our emphasis has been on following the process. If you have a bad session, that doesn’t mean you’ve lost the Test match. You have the ability to fight back and come back.”
About accepting PCB’s offer to be a permanent head coach if offered later:
“We’ll find out later when the time comes. Right now, I’m just focusing on these two Test matches. And if you look at what you mentioned about the temporary nature, I’ve already explained what’s been happening throughout the year. I’m not looking at it like that. My job right now is to win these two Test matches first. After that, we’ll see whether it’s PCB’s decision or mine.”
About preparations to tackle spin:
“Spin was a challenge in the Asia Cup, too. We’ve worked on some technical aspects throughout— With Babar, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, and the boys who weren’t playing in the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, we worked with them to identify where improvement was needed. Every player, even top players, needs improvement. Obviously, if we’re saying we’ll target South Africa with spin, then we must know how to play spin ourselves, because they have quality spinners. So, keeping that in mind, all our preparation has been geared toward that. We’ve tried to ensure that we don’t struggle with spin in our own conditions. As for what you mentioned about the Indies, those pitches were turning excessively. It was unplayable for anyone. I think those conditions were tough for all batters.”
About the training camp arranged from 30th September to 8th October:
“You try to replicate the scenarios you’ll face. You’re playing on this ground— What kind of pitch will it be? You should know how to play against spin on rough patches. You should know how to use your box, use the crease, and how we want to play against their bowling. So, all these aspects were worked on. Now we’ve done all the preparation— It’s time to go and execute on the 12th.”
About meeting Mohsin Naqvi and Shan Masood:
“This wasn’t the first time he came. Whenever we’re about to play a series, The Chairman always comes. And he always asks how the preparations are going. He always motivates the team. Whenever he visits, it boosts the players’ morale. Some players are quite close to him— You must’ve seen at Abrar’s wedding too. So, there was some light-hearted banter. It creates a relaxed atmosphere. And definitely, when your top officials come and back you, It lifts the entire morale. Alhamdulillah, our morale is very high.”
Last edited by a moderator:
