Abdullah719
T20I Captain
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2013
- Runs
- 44,826
"It's a special moment for me, played a match against SL team almost 10 years ago here, and now again the same team has come here. It's something that is very pleasing for us and hopefully these matches happen in a good way and the fans get to view some good cricket. People have been waiting to see international cricket and they have the chance to see live cricket again"
"It's also important for me because I previously played here as a player but now the responsbilities and the role is different. There are even more responsibilities than before. Hopefully we enjoy the cricket that happens in this series"
"If you look around the world, everywhere there are situations being created and anything can happen anywhere. I think we need to do more to ensure that series are held here on a regular basis, cricket shouldn't be affected. Everyone is trying their best here. SL Board has come and it was a tough decision for them also because of what happened. It's an encouraging sign. Countries need to support every country, not just Pakistan but any place where there is any such situation because without this, the survival of cricket is difficult"
"It's very important for players to play in their home ground, which they know well. Playing amongst your fans and getting their support is the key. In Dubai when we play home series like in Tests and ODIs there isn't much crowd and you don't get support. Emotionally, it's completely different to play here because you're charged up. It's good for the players and it will be an important moment for them"
"Whichever direction you move in, you need to have a vision. The aim is always to bring improvement in the system. The vision of the PCB is quite clear, the quantity has been reduced and focus is on quality. It's a new system, it needs time. It's natural that when the quality of the competition increases, the quality of the players also improves and hopefully this helps the Pakistan team to get better equipped players and the gap between international and domestic cricket is minimised. When new players come, they shouldn't feel a massive change"
"The board has thought a lot about Sarfaraz and there have been discussions about the matter. My support was with Sarfaraz before the World Cup and even now I think he can do a lot better which he has proved in the past. In recent times his performances have been up and down but they can be improved"
"It's a challenge for me, whenever you try a new thing that is the case. One of the things that made it easier for me is that I have been Pakistan's captain for a long time recently and I have played domestic cricket so I know a lot of things from before which makes decision making easier. When you don't know the players and the situation then things become tough. The picture is clear, it's just a matter of taking decisions. I obviously took this step because I am ready to take decisions"
"I always say everyone has their own opinions. As a member of the cricket committee, I gave my honest opinions. I had a good relationship with Mickey Arthur and I was in touch with him during the World Cup as well and good relationships remain. But myself and Wasim bhai gave our honest opinions. What Mickey Arthur thinks of that, that's his opinion and I can't say anything more about that, he has the right to have his opinion"
"Whenever Pakistan has gone to Australia, we often think about the batting and focus on that a lot but as we saw in the last series, we only managed to bowl them out once in 3 Test matches and that's the biggest worry. We made 450 there, we were close to chasing 434 so we created chances with the batting but in the bowling dept., we have to improve a lot. Australia are very good in their own conditions and we will have to work hard on our bowling dept. and we have done that during the camp and we are also focusing on this in domestic cricket, how we can improve our bowling. Until we go to Australia and take 20 wickets, we can't win. At the moment, we need a lot of hard work and we are working on that. I am hopeful that the bowlers we will select will be able to do well in Australia"
"We have everything available, we have reports and match summaries of domestic cricket games and footage of everything. Whoever's bowling or batting we want to see can be accessed. With six teams playing, it's not that difficult to keep track of the players, specially when you're getting feedback from the teams' coaches and captains. So far the matches that have happened, the picture I have, it's almost as though I have watched them all live"
"Without fitness now, players can't survive because there is so much cricket being played. International cricket, leagues etc. and all this is pressure cricket. If you don't stay fit, survival is difficult. Look at the top teams, even India, they have a lot of professionalism. We are trying to become like the top teams in this aspect and there will be no compromise"
"Shorter formats are very popular but that is natural because fans and audiences watch a lot of limited overs cricket and follow it so all across the world, there is a little less focus on longer formats, even from the players. Batsmen in Test cricket are also struggling"
"It's difficult but you have to strike a balance. You need to find players who can play the longer formats, or who can play all formats, if their technique and fitness allows it. Your overall performance in domestic cricket also gives an idea about players who can perform in some formats vs those who can perform in all formats"
"2-3 things are important, #1 thing is that you need to look for spots in the team and select players for those. If your openers and middle order players are doing well then it's difficult for another middle order player to make room for himself in the team. So if there is a gap in the team and a player in that position is performing then you have to give them a chance. Conditions also play a part and then you have to look at a player's technique and see how they score, that will help you to see which conditions a player can succeed in"
"Another important thing now is that you need to look at players' attitude and discipline otherwise these things cause problems later on. So all these things form an overall picture and you have to look at everything before making a decision"
"SL's team is not so experienced but they surprise teams and they can surprise us too. We need to focus on playing our best cricket. When such teams come we need to think they have nothing to lose, they will play without pressure. We need to focus on playing our best game"
"With rotation policy, I think when you select 16 then you need to think of them as 11. Any of the 16 can play and can fit in whenever needed. There is nothing to be scared about, they are all good enough to be in the XI"
"I always believe that you can try your best and give your full effort and leave the rest. Whatever happens, happens. If you have the right intentions then I believe Allah helps you"
"I think we were missing this thing, in the past we used to have batting pitches in domestic cricket and we would have good batsmen as a result, good spinners and strong fast-bowlers also. If pitches are such that a non-regular bowler can just come and bowl at a good length and get 5 wickets, spinners don't get the ball and in 30 overs teams are out - then neither do batsmen learn the art of batting, spinners don't get to bowl and they don't play spinners. You don't even need pace then because with pace, the ball will come onto the bat. So the most important thing with batting pitches is that spinners will develop and batsmen will learn to play long innings, no doubt on batting pitches but they will learn how to construct innings. And the most important thing: Fast-bowlers, reverse swing, bouncers, without pace they will know that they can't survive so they will have to put effort into it. All these things will also develop fitness, when you need to play tough cricket for long days. The same happens in Test cricket, teams are rarely out in one session. To win a Test match often, you need to bowl for a day or more. So players will be ready for 5 day cricket. No doubt, however the pitches are, I am happy at least that there is preparation underway. We will become mentally and physically strong and ready for tough cricket"
"When you field for 150 overs then spinners will come into the picture. My opinion is that until a spinner bowls 30-35 overs in an innings or in a day, he can't be a bowler. So the process has started and you can see teams are playing 2 or more spinners. In recent times, teams were playing 1 spinner and often the type who can also bat so that they can turn over their arm when needed. Now they have to play 2 spinners. At the end of the seasons, some names will come forward. Bilal Asif has played for Pakistan, he only played a few FC matches. Now he is bowling a lot. These type of things develop players"
"Being a cricketer, all players' lives are important. We have played cricket here and other players have also come, we have held PSL here and World XI came so teams should consider coming when govt. is offering strong security. Pakistan is a big cricketing nation, you can't move it to the side. We have won World Cup, T20 World Cup, been #1 in Tests so everyone should consider these things and try to come. It's been 10 years"
"We want to play our matches in Pakistan, obviously this depends on the board and they know how to take this forward. But as players and fans of cricket, Pakistan as a cricket loving nation should get to see live cricket"
"My mind is open for any player, depending on what we need in the team. Players who are performing will be considered if they tick the boxes. Players don't just need to make 100-150 runs, they need to also tick the other standards for international cricket such as fitness level, attitude, fielding, everything needs to be at a high level. With just performance or runs, you can lose out to other players who may be stronger in these other aspects. All players need to understand these things. If anyone meets this criteria, they can be picked, it's better for Pakistan that the best players are picked"
"Test cricket is the real cricket for me. Respect around the world comes with Test cricket and those are the performances people remember. Players should think of playing 100 Tests, getting players out in Tests. Even if you play 20 years of other cricket, it won't be the same thing. So we should set good examples for that. Sometimes of course players know about their physical condition and feel they can't continue so that's their decision but we will try and our vision is that we should have enough bowlers for the longer format. We should have 10-12 fast-bowlers ready so that you don't have any problems. If you have fast-bowlers available for Tests and fit then they can play in any format but a 4 over bowler can't play Test matches. So this is the vision we have"
"Our players are often ready to put things on others. I don't remember ever telling any player to play in a specific way according to my instructions. I remember that Sharjeel Khan got out 2-3 times playing a sweep shot in PSL. I told him that next time you hit that shot, I will ask you about it. I told him if he goes for a six and gets caught at the boundary, that's his strength so it's acceptable. But if he plays this shot which is not his strong shot then I will drop him from the team. So my thoughts are clear on this, players should play according to their natural instincts and you shouldn't try to change that and that is what they will be succcessful with. So I encourage players to play their own game"
"The board has introduced a very good points system which rewards players. So there are batting points so players can improvise even in the 4 day game and make a match out of it, and try and get targets like the one in 110 overs so that their batting improves according to international standards which are also changing"
"I don't know the type of pitch we'll get under the covers. There's always pressure. My message to the team is to give it their all and remember the process and forget about the result. They shouldn't think about the outcome because that can create a lot of pressure and restricts you from playing your natural game"
"The previous management did a lot of good things, they developed a lot of players. I believe that what we have to focus on is how to take the team forward from where it is now. We need to improve our deficiencies. They did very well with players like Imam, Babar Azam who is a world class player, amongst the top 2-3 batsman so you need to give credit to the previous management for that. Shaheen developed, Shadab also, these are all positives for Pakistan. Overall, we need to focus on things like fast-bowlers in Test cricket, how to develop bowlers, backup players. In ODIs, we need to have a backup for Shadab Khan etc. so these are the things I will be focusing on"
"I think your team should know about who is playing beforehand but why tell the opposition and disclose what you will do? Surprise the opposition"
"I am clear about Sarfaraz, I was the captain and a batsman. As long as you are performing as a batsman, your captaincy goes up to another level. Decision making improves because your mind is at ease and pressure is reduced. My full focus will be on his performances and he realises that too. He knows he needs to give himself maximum chances to perform. If he bats 2-3 times in 10 matches then pressure will increase and his captaincy will be affected by media pressure etc."
"We are looking for fast-bowlers for Tests, it's not easy, it doesn't happen overnight that you go and perform in Australia but we are doing what we can. The process started with the camp and with domestic matches, the teams' coaches are aware of this as well. The pre-season briefing with the coaches - main agenda was to find fast-bowlers who can get teams out in different conditions, plus wrist-spinners because we have no backup. Now there is a wrist-spinner playing for most teams. The Australian series is close so time is less but we will do as much as we can to get a solution for this"
"My full concentration now is on coaching, how to develop players for Pakistan in future and how to go forward. If I'm in PSL, I will be in a same type of role. The background for this is that the closer you are to the competition, you can see up close your own players and players in the opposition and judge them better. With interaction, you can figure out solutions"
"It's also important for me because I previously played here as a player but now the responsbilities and the role is different. There are even more responsibilities than before. Hopefully we enjoy the cricket that happens in this series"
"If you look around the world, everywhere there are situations being created and anything can happen anywhere. I think we need to do more to ensure that series are held here on a regular basis, cricket shouldn't be affected. Everyone is trying their best here. SL Board has come and it was a tough decision for them also because of what happened. It's an encouraging sign. Countries need to support every country, not just Pakistan but any place where there is any such situation because without this, the survival of cricket is difficult"
"It's very important for players to play in their home ground, which they know well. Playing amongst your fans and getting their support is the key. In Dubai when we play home series like in Tests and ODIs there isn't much crowd and you don't get support. Emotionally, it's completely different to play here because you're charged up. It's good for the players and it will be an important moment for them"
"Whichever direction you move in, you need to have a vision. The aim is always to bring improvement in the system. The vision of the PCB is quite clear, the quantity has been reduced and focus is on quality. It's a new system, it needs time. It's natural that when the quality of the competition increases, the quality of the players also improves and hopefully this helps the Pakistan team to get better equipped players and the gap between international and domestic cricket is minimised. When new players come, they shouldn't feel a massive change"
"The board has thought a lot about Sarfaraz and there have been discussions about the matter. My support was with Sarfaraz before the World Cup and even now I think he can do a lot better which he has proved in the past. In recent times his performances have been up and down but they can be improved"
"It's a challenge for me, whenever you try a new thing that is the case. One of the things that made it easier for me is that I have been Pakistan's captain for a long time recently and I have played domestic cricket so I know a lot of things from before which makes decision making easier. When you don't know the players and the situation then things become tough. The picture is clear, it's just a matter of taking decisions. I obviously took this step because I am ready to take decisions"
"I always say everyone has their own opinions. As a member of the cricket committee, I gave my honest opinions. I had a good relationship with Mickey Arthur and I was in touch with him during the World Cup as well and good relationships remain. But myself and Wasim bhai gave our honest opinions. What Mickey Arthur thinks of that, that's his opinion and I can't say anything more about that, he has the right to have his opinion"
"Whenever Pakistan has gone to Australia, we often think about the batting and focus on that a lot but as we saw in the last series, we only managed to bowl them out once in 3 Test matches and that's the biggest worry. We made 450 there, we were close to chasing 434 so we created chances with the batting but in the bowling dept., we have to improve a lot. Australia are very good in their own conditions and we will have to work hard on our bowling dept. and we have done that during the camp and we are also focusing on this in domestic cricket, how we can improve our bowling. Until we go to Australia and take 20 wickets, we can't win. At the moment, we need a lot of hard work and we are working on that. I am hopeful that the bowlers we will select will be able to do well in Australia"
"We have everything available, we have reports and match summaries of domestic cricket games and footage of everything. Whoever's bowling or batting we want to see can be accessed. With six teams playing, it's not that difficult to keep track of the players, specially when you're getting feedback from the teams' coaches and captains. So far the matches that have happened, the picture I have, it's almost as though I have watched them all live"
"Without fitness now, players can't survive because there is so much cricket being played. International cricket, leagues etc. and all this is pressure cricket. If you don't stay fit, survival is difficult. Look at the top teams, even India, they have a lot of professionalism. We are trying to become like the top teams in this aspect and there will be no compromise"
"Shorter formats are very popular but that is natural because fans and audiences watch a lot of limited overs cricket and follow it so all across the world, there is a little less focus on longer formats, even from the players. Batsmen in Test cricket are also struggling"
"It's difficult but you have to strike a balance. You need to find players who can play the longer formats, or who can play all formats, if their technique and fitness allows it. Your overall performance in domestic cricket also gives an idea about players who can perform in some formats vs those who can perform in all formats"
"2-3 things are important, #1 thing is that you need to look for spots in the team and select players for those. If your openers and middle order players are doing well then it's difficult for another middle order player to make room for himself in the team. So if there is a gap in the team and a player in that position is performing then you have to give them a chance. Conditions also play a part and then you have to look at a player's technique and see how they score, that will help you to see which conditions a player can succeed in"
"Another important thing now is that you need to look at players' attitude and discipline otherwise these things cause problems later on. So all these things form an overall picture and you have to look at everything before making a decision"
"SL's team is not so experienced but they surprise teams and they can surprise us too. We need to focus on playing our best cricket. When such teams come we need to think they have nothing to lose, they will play without pressure. We need to focus on playing our best game"
"With rotation policy, I think when you select 16 then you need to think of them as 11. Any of the 16 can play and can fit in whenever needed. There is nothing to be scared about, they are all good enough to be in the XI"
"I always believe that you can try your best and give your full effort and leave the rest. Whatever happens, happens. If you have the right intentions then I believe Allah helps you"
"I think we were missing this thing, in the past we used to have batting pitches in domestic cricket and we would have good batsmen as a result, good spinners and strong fast-bowlers also. If pitches are such that a non-regular bowler can just come and bowl at a good length and get 5 wickets, spinners don't get the ball and in 30 overs teams are out - then neither do batsmen learn the art of batting, spinners don't get to bowl and they don't play spinners. You don't even need pace then because with pace, the ball will come onto the bat. So the most important thing with batting pitches is that spinners will develop and batsmen will learn to play long innings, no doubt on batting pitches but they will learn how to construct innings. And the most important thing: Fast-bowlers, reverse swing, bouncers, without pace they will know that they can't survive so they will have to put effort into it. All these things will also develop fitness, when you need to play tough cricket for long days. The same happens in Test cricket, teams are rarely out in one session. To win a Test match often, you need to bowl for a day or more. So players will be ready for 5 day cricket. No doubt, however the pitches are, I am happy at least that there is preparation underway. We will become mentally and physically strong and ready for tough cricket"
"When you field for 150 overs then spinners will come into the picture. My opinion is that until a spinner bowls 30-35 overs in an innings or in a day, he can't be a bowler. So the process has started and you can see teams are playing 2 or more spinners. In recent times, teams were playing 1 spinner and often the type who can also bat so that they can turn over their arm when needed. Now they have to play 2 spinners. At the end of the seasons, some names will come forward. Bilal Asif has played for Pakistan, he only played a few FC matches. Now he is bowling a lot. These type of things develop players"
"Being a cricketer, all players' lives are important. We have played cricket here and other players have also come, we have held PSL here and World XI came so teams should consider coming when govt. is offering strong security. Pakistan is a big cricketing nation, you can't move it to the side. We have won World Cup, T20 World Cup, been #1 in Tests so everyone should consider these things and try to come. It's been 10 years"
"We want to play our matches in Pakistan, obviously this depends on the board and they know how to take this forward. But as players and fans of cricket, Pakistan as a cricket loving nation should get to see live cricket"
"My mind is open for any player, depending on what we need in the team. Players who are performing will be considered if they tick the boxes. Players don't just need to make 100-150 runs, they need to also tick the other standards for international cricket such as fitness level, attitude, fielding, everything needs to be at a high level. With just performance or runs, you can lose out to other players who may be stronger in these other aspects. All players need to understand these things. If anyone meets this criteria, they can be picked, it's better for Pakistan that the best players are picked"
"Test cricket is the real cricket for me. Respect around the world comes with Test cricket and those are the performances people remember. Players should think of playing 100 Tests, getting players out in Tests. Even if you play 20 years of other cricket, it won't be the same thing. So we should set good examples for that. Sometimes of course players know about their physical condition and feel they can't continue so that's their decision but we will try and our vision is that we should have enough bowlers for the longer format. We should have 10-12 fast-bowlers ready so that you don't have any problems. If you have fast-bowlers available for Tests and fit then they can play in any format but a 4 over bowler can't play Test matches. So this is the vision we have"
"Our players are often ready to put things on others. I don't remember ever telling any player to play in a specific way according to my instructions. I remember that Sharjeel Khan got out 2-3 times playing a sweep shot in PSL. I told him that next time you hit that shot, I will ask you about it. I told him if he goes for a six and gets caught at the boundary, that's his strength so it's acceptable. But if he plays this shot which is not his strong shot then I will drop him from the team. So my thoughts are clear on this, players should play according to their natural instincts and you shouldn't try to change that and that is what they will be succcessful with. So I encourage players to play their own game"
"The board has introduced a very good points system which rewards players. So there are batting points so players can improvise even in the 4 day game and make a match out of it, and try and get targets like the one in 110 overs so that their batting improves according to international standards which are also changing"
"I don't know the type of pitch we'll get under the covers. There's always pressure. My message to the team is to give it their all and remember the process and forget about the result. They shouldn't think about the outcome because that can create a lot of pressure and restricts you from playing your natural game"
"The previous management did a lot of good things, they developed a lot of players. I believe that what we have to focus on is how to take the team forward from where it is now. We need to improve our deficiencies. They did very well with players like Imam, Babar Azam who is a world class player, amongst the top 2-3 batsman so you need to give credit to the previous management for that. Shaheen developed, Shadab also, these are all positives for Pakistan. Overall, we need to focus on things like fast-bowlers in Test cricket, how to develop bowlers, backup players. In ODIs, we need to have a backup for Shadab Khan etc. so these are the things I will be focusing on"
"I think your team should know about who is playing beforehand but why tell the opposition and disclose what you will do? Surprise the opposition"
"I am clear about Sarfaraz, I was the captain and a batsman. As long as you are performing as a batsman, your captaincy goes up to another level. Decision making improves because your mind is at ease and pressure is reduced. My full focus will be on his performances and he realises that too. He knows he needs to give himself maximum chances to perform. If he bats 2-3 times in 10 matches then pressure will increase and his captaincy will be affected by media pressure etc."
"We are looking for fast-bowlers for Tests, it's not easy, it doesn't happen overnight that you go and perform in Australia but we are doing what we can. The process started with the camp and with domestic matches, the teams' coaches are aware of this as well. The pre-season briefing with the coaches - main agenda was to find fast-bowlers who can get teams out in different conditions, plus wrist-spinners because we have no backup. Now there is a wrist-spinner playing for most teams. The Australian series is close so time is less but we will do as much as we can to get a solution for this"
"My full concentration now is on coaching, how to develop players for Pakistan in future and how to go forward. If I'm in PSL, I will be in a same type of role. The background for this is that the closer you are to the competition, you can see up close your own players and players in the opposition and judge them better. With interaction, you can figure out solutions"
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