FearlessRoar
T20I Star
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2023
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Pakistan bowling coach Umar Gul speaking to the press after the 1st T20I against New Zealand:
“To be honest, the way the history of this ground is, 200+ totals have been chased here. Successful high-scoring chases have taken place here, and the manner in which Saim Ayub started today was excellent but unfortunately, he got run-out.”
“There is a need for game awareness. Hafeez had emphasized this point a day before the match. Especially here, in pitches like those in New Zealand and Australia, which are drop-in pitches with only one pitch on the square and a bit more grass on the sides, we decided that whenever there's an attempt at running, it should be on the pitch itself. This decision led to the unfortunate situation where Saim Ayub slipped in trying to take a run.”
“Although we had a good start, the essential partnerships for a big score were lacking. Yes we had a good start to the innings, with the batters hitting boundaries, but the required 70-80 run partnerships for a 200+ chase were absent.”
“This is a significant moment for Abbas, for me, and for our entire family. Firstly, I represented Pakistan, and now Abbas is representing Pakistan, making it a proud moment for our family.”
“In the first over when Shaheen Shah Afridi got the first wicket of Conway, we got the idea that the ball is gripping well. It's better not to just bowl straight. In fact, in that first over, I went to Abbas, who was fielding at third man or fine leg and spoke to him because we had initially planned to hit the hard length since the boundaries are shorter, especially the square boundaries. I then told Abbas to inform the other bowlers to hit the hard length and try slower deliveries and different variations.”
“Abbas' strengths and the reason for his selection are his performance in domestic cricket. And his variations are quite effective, and today he continued using those strengths, taking a crucial wicket. Unfortunately, the end result was not in our favor.”
“Especially in white-ball cricket, you need to put in extra effort, whether it's in getting run-outs or taking catches. Grabbing opportunities like run-outs or taking 1 or 2 catches can make a difference of 30-40 runs in terms of targets, or the 15-20 runs you save in the field make a significant difference in the final result of matches. Unfortunately, we dropped 1 or 2 catches, and if we had taken them, we might have restricted them to 180-190 as planned. Although our batters were hitting the ball well, we couldn't build crucial partnerships at critical moments.”
“We can't deny that historically our fast bowlers have won us many games. We are getting back on track, like when Haris Rauf bowled the second last over, restricting the total. However, consistent good bowling is essential to win matches. Sometimes plans don't work, like we saw in this first match of the series, but we'll work on it and discuss how to improve.”
“Babar is undoubtedly a top player, one of the best in the world. Luck didn't favor him today. He scored 57, not reaching the century as expected, but his innings, strike rate, and overall batting performance are all positives for Pakistan. Babar gaining confidence is beneficial for both himself and the team.”
“To be honest, the way the history of this ground is, 200+ totals have been chased here. Successful high-scoring chases have taken place here, and the manner in which Saim Ayub started today was excellent but unfortunately, he got run-out.”
“There is a need for game awareness. Hafeez had emphasized this point a day before the match. Especially here, in pitches like those in New Zealand and Australia, which are drop-in pitches with only one pitch on the square and a bit more grass on the sides, we decided that whenever there's an attempt at running, it should be on the pitch itself. This decision led to the unfortunate situation where Saim Ayub slipped in trying to take a run.”
“Although we had a good start, the essential partnerships for a big score were lacking. Yes we had a good start to the innings, with the batters hitting boundaries, but the required 70-80 run partnerships for a 200+ chase were absent.”
“This is a significant moment for Abbas, for me, and for our entire family. Firstly, I represented Pakistan, and now Abbas is representing Pakistan, making it a proud moment for our family.”
“In the first over when Shaheen Shah Afridi got the first wicket of Conway, we got the idea that the ball is gripping well. It's better not to just bowl straight. In fact, in that first over, I went to Abbas, who was fielding at third man or fine leg and spoke to him because we had initially planned to hit the hard length since the boundaries are shorter, especially the square boundaries. I then told Abbas to inform the other bowlers to hit the hard length and try slower deliveries and different variations.”
“Abbas' strengths and the reason for his selection are his performance in domestic cricket. And his variations are quite effective, and today he continued using those strengths, taking a crucial wicket. Unfortunately, the end result was not in our favor.”
“Especially in white-ball cricket, you need to put in extra effort, whether it's in getting run-outs or taking catches. Grabbing opportunities like run-outs or taking 1 or 2 catches can make a difference of 30-40 runs in terms of targets, or the 15-20 runs you save in the field make a significant difference in the final result of matches. Unfortunately, we dropped 1 or 2 catches, and if we had taken them, we might have restricted them to 180-190 as planned. Although our batters were hitting the ball well, we couldn't build crucial partnerships at critical moments.”
“We can't deny that historically our fast bowlers have won us many games. We are getting back on track, like when Haris Rauf bowled the second last over, restricting the total. However, consistent good bowling is essential to win matches. Sometimes plans don't work, like we saw in this first match of the series, but we'll work on it and discuss how to improve.”
“Babar is undoubtedly a top player, one of the best in the world. Luck didn't favor him today. He scored 57, not reaching the century as expected, but his innings, strike rate, and overall batting performance are all positives for Pakistan. Babar gaining confidence is beneficial for both himself and the team.”
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