FearlessRoar
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Salman Ali Agha during the press conference post-Day 2:
About the score in the 1st innings:
"No matter how many runs you score in international Test cricket, the thought always remains - I wish we had scored more runs. But I think 274 is still a decent score. And I believe there's enough in the pitch; if you bowl in the right areas, it can be beneficial for the bowlers."
About Pakistan batters lacking converting fifties to centuries:
"Obviously, there's always a desire to convert starts into big innings, but sometimes no matter how hard you try, it doesn't happen. I try, and I'm sure all batters try, that if we've scored a fifty, we should convert it into a century. This is an area we're working on, and I hope we'll do better in the future."
About the opposition's bowling:
"They bowled very well after lunch. Before lunch, they were bowling short deliveries, but after lunch, they pitched it up, which helped them. Sometimes you need to give credit to the opposition, and yes, there were some shots that could have been executed better."
About dropping Naseem Shah:
"Selection is the captain's and management's decision; I don't have any input. The bowlers we've added to our playing XI have performed well in domestic cricket, on this ground, and at the international level. Mir Hamza bowled well in Australia, and Mohammad Ali and Khurram Shahzad bowled well in the 1st Test, so I think we have enough bowling strength."
About the team's performance:
"All aspects are always discussed in the dressing room. As a cricketer, you can't be satisfied with any performance because it finishes the room for improvement. We know as a team and players that we need improvement, and this need is always there to strive for improvement. Tomorrow, we'll try to execute our plans properly and try to bowl them out as soon as possible."
About his role in the team:
"When I bat, I consider myself a batter, and when I bowl, I consider myself a bowler. There's no pressure on me; as an international player, you're representing Pakistan, so these things come with it. I'm excited about it, and there's no pressure."
About his playing style:
"Everyone has their own playing style. My style is to always follow the score, and I want to play like that. Rizi Bhai [Mohammad Rizwan] has a similar style, and every individual player plays according to their situation. We don't try to copy each other."
About Babar Azam:
"He's a world-class player, and if he fails in 10-12 innings, it doesn't matter. In the last 5 years, he's scored plenty of runs, so we need to look at that too. As a cricketer and batter, such phases come in your life, and there are 10 other players in the team, so focus should be on them too. If Babar Azam is struggling, it's okay, and you'll see him scoring soon, including big innings."
About the weather and trying to draw the series:
"Weather is not in our control, so I can't say anything about it. In international cricket, you can't think about scores in the 1st innings because you can't decide before the 2nd innings. Yes, you can say it should have been 330 or 335, but we have scored it, so still we were thinking of 370, and yes, there's a lot in the wicket for bowlers if they bowl in the right areas.
About the score in the 1st innings:
"No matter how many runs you score in international Test cricket, the thought always remains - I wish we had scored more runs. But I think 274 is still a decent score. And I believe there's enough in the pitch; if you bowl in the right areas, it can be beneficial for the bowlers."
About Pakistan batters lacking converting fifties to centuries:
"Obviously, there's always a desire to convert starts into big innings, but sometimes no matter how hard you try, it doesn't happen. I try, and I'm sure all batters try, that if we've scored a fifty, we should convert it into a century. This is an area we're working on, and I hope we'll do better in the future."
About the opposition's bowling:
"They bowled very well after lunch. Before lunch, they were bowling short deliveries, but after lunch, they pitched it up, which helped them. Sometimes you need to give credit to the opposition, and yes, there were some shots that could have been executed better."
About dropping Naseem Shah:
"Selection is the captain's and management's decision; I don't have any input. The bowlers we've added to our playing XI have performed well in domestic cricket, on this ground, and at the international level. Mir Hamza bowled well in Australia, and Mohammad Ali and Khurram Shahzad bowled well in the 1st Test, so I think we have enough bowling strength."
About the team's performance:
"All aspects are always discussed in the dressing room. As a cricketer, you can't be satisfied with any performance because it finishes the room for improvement. We know as a team and players that we need improvement, and this need is always there to strive for improvement. Tomorrow, we'll try to execute our plans properly and try to bowl them out as soon as possible."
About his role in the team:
"When I bat, I consider myself a batter, and when I bowl, I consider myself a bowler. There's no pressure on me; as an international player, you're representing Pakistan, so these things come with it. I'm excited about it, and there's no pressure."
About his playing style:
"Everyone has their own playing style. My style is to always follow the score, and I want to play like that. Rizi Bhai [Mohammad Rizwan] has a similar style, and every individual player plays according to their situation. We don't try to copy each other."
About Babar Azam:
"He's a world-class player, and if he fails in 10-12 innings, it doesn't matter. In the last 5 years, he's scored plenty of runs, so we need to look at that too. As a cricketer and batter, such phases come in your life, and there are 10 other players in the team, so focus should be on them too. If Babar Azam is struggling, it's okay, and you'll see him scoring soon, including big innings."
About the weather and trying to draw the series:
"Weather is not in our control, so I can't say anything about it. In international cricket, you can't think about scores in the 1st innings because you can't decide before the 2nd innings. Yes, you can say it should have been 330 or 335, but we have scored it, so still we were thinking of 370, and yes, there's a lot in the wicket for bowlers if they bowl in the right areas.
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