“We have high hopes that Azhar Ali will play an important innings” : Misbah-ul-Haq

[Abdullah719]

Misbah on Yasir:

Overall when you are playing Test Cricket after a long time, there is definitely pressure but he got the crucial wicket of Joe Root, and the way he was bowling in practice matches and today, he has a big role to play for Pakistan in this series; As the game progresses he will play a bigger role, and he will be a crucial bowler in this game.

Misbah on Azhar:

“Look there is always pressure on any player and more so on a captain, as he has to worry about his own and the team’s performance, but he has made a good hundred against Sri Lanka, he’s made a hundred in a practice game and is in good nick and so there is nothing to worry about; Even Abid Ali missed out and conditions are tough in England for top 3 batsmen and every player cannot score in every inning, but we are positive that these players will have a role to play - and we have great hopes that especially Azhar will play an important innings”

Misbah on Shadab vs Yasir:

“Ideally you always want different bowlers; If you have a leggie then other should be a finger spinner but sometimes taking into account availability of players and team combination, you have to pick and choose; Shadab has an all-round ability which includes his batting ability; Shadab’s googly is better when the ball breaks on the rough against right-handers and he can be handy in such situations, especially in the 3rd and 4th innings; Yasir is a wicket to wicket type bowler, he is able to bowl to left-handers using rough; Sometimes when there is no help from the wicket then Shadab has a role there; Similarly for left handers, his googly is effective; So the fifth bowlers role where you need an attacking option, is where Shadab is useful and also batting is an advantage, where he had a crucial partnership”

 

[MenInG]

The Misbah-Azhar nexus is here to stay. Accept it and move on.

 

[Kroll]

The Misbah-Azhar nexus is here to stay. Accept it and move on.

What happens if he keeps failing? How will Misbah justify it, will he keep saying "there's always pressure on any player".

 

[shamaan]

What happens if he keeps failing? How will Misbah justify it, will he keep saying "there's always pressure on any player".

I belive if he has poor series he will be dropped but everyone else says different

 

[Kroll]

I belive if he has poor series he will be dropped but everyone else says different

Like Misbah before him, does he not get a say when he can leave the team? He did say last year or so that he wanted to play into his forties like Misbah.

 

[shamaan]

Like Misbah before him, does he not get a say when he can leave the team? He did say last year or so that he wanted to play into his forties like Misbah.

He proberly is already 40

 

[Kroll]

He proberly is already 40

True that, but officially he's 35 and wants to play for another 7 years lol.

 

[coy0607]

True that, but officially he's 35 and wants to play for another 7 years lol.

Misbah did it, Hafeez and Malik are in the midst of doing it without any sort of performance. Azhar wants to get his money too - Pakistan Cricket is a free for all when it comes to 'senior' players

 

[Sunny_majoka]

If Azhar fails in this series he will be sacked however for this we have to loose the series

 

[Mr Crickekter]

Yes he will play an important inning and that we be second inning of last test.... Same way Asad....

 

[Shafi]

Just a routine dialog. Misbah made him captain so he can get away without any performance. People should not be fooled by these types of talk.

 

[MenInG]

MANCHESTER: Pakistan coach Misbah-ul-Haq said Shan Masood had "proved himself in England" after the opener's superb hundred helped leave the tourists well-placed in the first Test at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Masood's Test-best 156 was the cornerstone of Pakistan's first-innings 326 all out, with England slumping to 12-3 in reply.
The hosts ended the second day on 92-4 -- a deficit of 264 runs -- with star all-rounder Ben Stokes out for a duck and England captain Joe Root falling for 14.

Masood batted for nearly eight hours in difficult conditions and in the process joined Misbah and team batting coach Younis Khan as one of just six Pakistan batsmen to have scored a hundred in three consecutive Test innings.

This century following Masood's 135 against Sri Lanka in Karachi in December and 100 against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi in February.
Yet the 30-year-old left-hander averaged a meagre 17.75 during Pakistan's 2016 tour of England.

Masood stood firm in Manchester even though he was twice reprieved by Jos Buttler on 45, the wicketkeeper dropping a catch and missing a stumping off spinner Dom Bess.

"It was an excellent performance by him, especially against a seam attack of (Stuart) Broad, (James) Anderson, (Chris) Woakes and (Jofra) Archer, and against an off-spinner (Bess) that was bowling well on a pitch where there was turn," said Misbah of the English-educated Masood's fourth hundred in 21 Tests.

"It was good application and his hard work has paid off.

"Now he has proved himself here in England, so I'm really pleased, especially as it's not (just) a hundred, (but) a big hundred.

"Still, we would have been in trouble if he only scored a hundred. But hundred-and-fifty plus, and through the innings, that was really special."

A good day for Pakistan got even better with Stokes clean bowled for nought by Mohammad Abbas during a slump that had the hosts three down inside six overs.

Abbas also removed opener Dom Sibley on his way to close figures of 2-24 in seven overs, with towering left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi making the initial breakthrough with just the fourth ball of the innings when Rory Burns was plumb lbw.

"I'm so happy - it's crucial for you to take wickets with the new ball especially when the game is like this and you are playing with just 326 runs on the board," said Misbah.

Ollie Pope was 46 not out at stumps, with Buttler unbeaten on 15.

Archer, who took 3-59, backed the fifth-wicket duo to stage a recovery.

"I rate Jos highly, he's a very talented batter and there's no doubt him and Popey can dig us out of a hole and put on a really big partnership and swing the momentum in our favour," said the fast bowler.

The day started brilliantly for England when, with Thursday's sixth ball, James Anderson had Babar Azam edging to first-slip Root for 69 without Pakistan having then added to their overnight 139.

But the resolute Masood remained and received excellent support from Shadab Khan (45) in a stand of 105 after Pakistan had been struggling at 176-5.

Pakistan managed just 48 runs for the loss of three wickets in Thursday's first session to reach 187-5 at lunch.

But with five overs until the new ball, Root then bowled his own occasional off-breaks in tandem with Bess immediately after the interval.

Masood and Shadab responded by adding 27 in those overs as they ran England ragged.

Shadab holed out off Bess but Masood cruised through the 90s, with two late-cut fours off Broad taking him to 96 before he completed his first Test hundred against England.

Playing a textbook opener's innings, he then upped the tempo by hoisting and driving Bess for two sixes.

Masood eventually fell lbw after tea to Broad, having faced 319 balls in an innings that also included 18 fours.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...-coach-misbah-ul-haq/articleshow/77405175.cms

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Very curious to see Shadab. I don't have high hopes but waiting for him to surprise

 

[Markhor]

Misbah is right. You have to be high to have hope of Azhar playing a substantive knock.

 

[Zaz]

Theres only so much backing misbah can do if azhar continues to avge 10-15 away from asia Time is ticking on azhar

Thats tailenderish and cant be justified by even the most fervent of backers like misbah

 

[Majid Khan]

In all these years I’ve yet to see an innings by Azhar Ali that changed a match and made me want to applaud him, thinking what a fine player!

Like the way most of us would have felt about Shan Masood after that 150 yesterday.

 

[Firebat]

Azhar now in the middle after a Shan duck. Needs to produce this captain's important innings that Misbah expects of him now.

 

[Firebat]

Azhar walks into the dressing room at tea on 0* from 18 balls, still on a pair...

 

[Major]

Plug has to be pulled on him

 

[Snowflake]

He wasn't even able to connect straight deliveries! After staying at the crease for so long, how can you miss gun barrel straight deliveries?! He's really lost it

 

[Majid Khan]

Missed the full comment by Wasim on air, did he just say Azhar Ali averaged 11 as captain ?

 

[Shazzam]

Its clear Misbah views this game from a completely different world.

 

[coy0607]

To play out 54 balls on a somewhat tough pitch is pretty good for Azhar. The 18 runs are a bonus

 

[Shazzam]

To play out 54 balls on a somewhat tough pitch is pretty good for Azhar. The 18 runs are a bonus

True gotta praise him like a tailender.

 

[Hasan123]

I don't see Misbah dropping Azhar Ali.

 

[Kroll]

I don't see Misbah dropping Azhar Ali.

True, He has a penchant for old men. He's taking revenge just because he got recalled into his late thirties.

 

[Ilan Bluestone]

Azhar Ali is probably the biggest mental midget in the history of Pakistan cricket.

 

[Hasan123]

True, He has a penchant for old men. He's taking revenge just because he got recalled into his late thirties.

I think he sees a lot of himself in Azhar and he stuck with him for a long time when he was captain when he was off form. Don't see him being dropped whilst Misbah is the coach.