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- Oct 2, 2004
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Babar Azam speaking in post-game presser:
“In bowling, you have less margin of error, and you need wickets. We attacked but didn’t get the wickets. However, credit should also be given to England for playing good cricket.”
“We are on track, but as a team, we are not able to click. When things change, it takes some time to get back on track. We have played under different management in the last two years, but we are trying to make this team click. Individually, we are performing, but different results come when the team performs. You will see a different team after one or two wins. If you look at our bowling or batting, we have a good combination, but we need to perform well as a team.”
“As far as our bowling is concerned, we have also done well. It’s not that we have always performed poorly. Our bowlers have also won us matches and have bowled well in patches. All our fast bowlers, like Shaheen Shah Afridi, have been playing throughout. Look at Haris Rauf; he also bowled well in the last match. Naseem Shah is struggling a bit, but remember, he has made a comeback after an injury post PSL, so everything takes a bit of time.”
“As far as the intent is concerned, you may not have seen it because wickets started falling after six overs. If we could have continued, you might be saying something else today. So, the thing is, when you lose, these things become more visible. But we intend to continue with what he have decided as the best way forward.”
“Our confidence always remains high. When you lose, you learn something from it, and every day brings a new learning opportunity. Sometimes you learn by doing well, and when you perform poorly, you learn quite a bit from that. However, before the World Cup, we should have played good cricket in this series, but we are collapsing as a team. Sometimes we collapse in batting, sometimes in bowling, so we have to figure this out. The next event is the World Cup, so we will try to bring clarity to this as soon as possible. All the players know where they have to bat and when they have to bowl.”
“You asked about modern-day cricket. We have played in the first six overs just like the rest of the teams, but we are struggling a bit in the middle overs. We have been facing this for quite some time, but the players will have to step up. They will have to take responsibility; they are all senior players.”
“Earlier in our setup, there were only selectors, so you had to communicate with them as a captain. But now there are selectors, a coach, and a captain, so we sit with all of them and discuss each player's situation. When everyone is on the same page, then the team is selected. No one gets an extra edge; everyone has come on merit.”
“When a player does not perform, we are told that his selection is wrong. But when the same person performs well, you people ask why we didn't bring him into the team earlier. So, in my opinion, whoever has been selected, we will have to back them. Every player has to go through this time; it has come upon me as well. But when you get support, you gain confidence from it."
"We also know what type of player Azam Khan is, what type of players Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan are, and they have performed. Sometimes your day does not go well, you have to take chances, your wickets can also fall. You will have to play a bit positively and take chances. We played well in the last series, but I agree that we have made mistakes in the middle overs, in both batting and bowling. But we will try to correct it as soon as possible; the World Cup is upon us.”
“Usman Khan has played different and good cricket. If there was a good partnership with Iftikhar Ahmed, then it would have been a different game. We will discuss this, that we read the situation wrong. Due to back-to-back wickets, pressure came upon us, so we will discuss this, what to do in such a situation. Here the par score was 190, so you had to score that. If you have collapsed, then it is your own mistake, I will not blame anyone, it is our mistake, and I accept it. We will discuss it and will try to ensure that it does not happen in the future.”
“In bowling, you have less margin of error, and you need wickets. We attacked but didn’t get the wickets. However, credit should also be given to England for playing good cricket.”
“We are on track, but as a team, we are not able to click. When things change, it takes some time to get back on track. We have played under different management in the last two years, but we are trying to make this team click. Individually, we are performing, but different results come when the team performs. You will see a different team after one or two wins. If you look at our bowling or batting, we have a good combination, but we need to perform well as a team.”
“As far as our bowling is concerned, we have also done well. It’s not that we have always performed poorly. Our bowlers have also won us matches and have bowled well in patches. All our fast bowlers, like Shaheen Shah Afridi, have been playing throughout. Look at Haris Rauf; he also bowled well in the last match. Naseem Shah is struggling a bit, but remember, he has made a comeback after an injury post PSL, so everything takes a bit of time.”
“As far as the intent is concerned, you may not have seen it because wickets started falling after six overs. If we could have continued, you might be saying something else today. So, the thing is, when you lose, these things become more visible. But we intend to continue with what he have decided as the best way forward.”
“Our confidence always remains high. When you lose, you learn something from it, and every day brings a new learning opportunity. Sometimes you learn by doing well, and when you perform poorly, you learn quite a bit from that. However, before the World Cup, we should have played good cricket in this series, but we are collapsing as a team. Sometimes we collapse in batting, sometimes in bowling, so we have to figure this out. The next event is the World Cup, so we will try to bring clarity to this as soon as possible. All the players know where they have to bat and when they have to bowl.”
“You asked about modern-day cricket. We have played in the first six overs just like the rest of the teams, but we are struggling a bit in the middle overs. We have been facing this for quite some time, but the players will have to step up. They will have to take responsibility; they are all senior players.”
“Earlier in our setup, there were only selectors, so you had to communicate with them as a captain. But now there are selectors, a coach, and a captain, so we sit with all of them and discuss each player's situation. When everyone is on the same page, then the team is selected. No one gets an extra edge; everyone has come on merit.”
“When a player does not perform, we are told that his selection is wrong. But when the same person performs well, you people ask why we didn't bring him into the team earlier. So, in my opinion, whoever has been selected, we will have to back them. Every player has to go through this time; it has come upon me as well. But when you get support, you gain confidence from it."
"We also know what type of player Azam Khan is, what type of players Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan are, and they have performed. Sometimes your day does not go well, you have to take chances, your wickets can also fall. You will have to play a bit positively and take chances. We played well in the last series, but I agree that we have made mistakes in the middle overs, in both batting and bowling. But we will try to correct it as soon as possible; the World Cup is upon us.”
“Usman Khan has played different and good cricket. If there was a good partnership with Iftikhar Ahmed, then it would have been a different game. We will discuss this, that we read the situation wrong. Due to back-to-back wickets, pressure came upon us, so we will discuss this, what to do in such a situation. Here the par score was 190, so you had to score that. If you have collapsed, then it is your own mistake, I will not blame anyone, it is our mistake, and I accept it. We will discuss it and will try to ensure that it does not happen in the future.”
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