Abdullah719
T20I Captain
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2013
- Runs
- 44,825
Misbah-ul-Haq press conference after announcement of the squad for the England tour.
"We won't have net bowlers or any county opposition etc. We need to do practice all amongst ourselves. We need to make two squads from this 29-man squad and handle our resources. This is why we have taken a lot of bowlers so we can practice properly.
"Same COVID-19 rules are there like concussion rules. If anyone has symptoms during a match then you need a replacement so we need a lot of players.
"We included all our centrally contracted cricketers besides Haris who opted out. We want to give exposure to all the cricketers who are our future.
"We have spoken to Wahab and if needed, he will be available for practice matches and also Test matches.
"Sohail Khan was picked so we have an extra option. He performed well in England previously and we have the option of another experienced bowler.
"Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasnain, it's a good opportunity for them to play in England during the camp matches, etc. It's a great opportunity to groom them for red-ball cricket.
"Some names may be missing since we are playing only 3 T20Is. It's difficult to take specialized squads, and our main focus is on the Test matches. We tried to take those players who can provide us an option in red ball cricket.
"We picked Bilal last time against Bangladesh as they had a lot of lefties. But in England, we felt a left-arm spinner can be effective so we kept Kashif in the squad.
"When you bring a player in the squad, that is to play him. But you can't assure anyone that they will play. It depends on the conditions, combination, etc. If Fawad is in the team, we obviously believe he is capable of playing at that level. Let's see what happens on the ground. It's a great opportunity for him with Haris out. Hopefully he does well when he gets a chance.
"The medical team is in touch with the players. I am also in touch with them and we all understand what to do if there are any symptoms. Everyone is taking precautions.
"We have reserves as well so that we can cover in case anything happens before departure. The circumstances are unusual and some things are out of our control.
"I think our players are mentally strong enough. They are ready and they have belief that Allah will save us from this pandemic.
"We will try to play at least 2-3 practice matches. Sohail Khan provides an additional option in the squad because of the amount of cricket we have to play. We also kept his previous performances in England in mind as well as his recent domestic performances.
"We invested in Musa and will do that in future but if you look at the squad, we already have youngsters like Hasnain, Haris, Naseem so we needed some experienced backup as well. We have Haider and Khushdil in the squad as well. So we tried to keep a balance in the squad.
"It will be difficult to start but as we go into the grounds and get into the matches, things will improve. Hopefully things go well and and the ENG v WI series goes well, then everyone's nerves will be eased.
"Some of the players have toured England before and have performed well. Then, looking at the bowling form of Shaheen, Naseem and Abbas, bowling with the Dukes ball, then we have an experienced batting lineup that is high on confidence. Babar is a different player, Abid Ali and Shan Masood have done well. Spirits are high and we are confident so we have a good chance.
"Haider Ali has come through the setup with performances in U19, Emerging team, red-ball cricket (around 600 runs). Then people weren't sure if he's a T20 player but he came into PSL and performed like that. He proved himself as an all-formats batsman. When shot-making and aggression was required, he did that. When disciplined cricket was needed, he made runs in 4 day. So we're looking forward to his development and hopefully he can also perform at the top level in a similar way.
"It's very good and encouraging for me that Younis Khan is with the team. We have played together and a lot of the players have also played with him and they understand eachother. The likes of Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Asad Shafiq have batted alongside him so they understand eachother and they have seen how he performed everywhere. We all know his work ethic and how he gives his 100%. He will be a big help.
"We were also thinking that since we will have two squads then we can share the workload and work on different things. It'll be a big help for me to have Mushy bhai, Younis Khan and others.
"We believe that the 2nd best keeping option still is Sarfaraz. He has done well since being dropped and he has a good prior record. He's also a good keeper and we have to keep that in mind.
"We have youngsters like Haider and Khushdil in the squad. But we also need to have a balance in the squad. Juniors should be given exposure in a way that they play with seniors and ready themselves for international cricket. I think Malik and Hafeez have performed well in the previous series. If the T20 WC doesn't happen then it's likely to be next year. That's not so far away and these two can play till then. We're not sure yet but at the moment, they have performed well so we kept them in the team alongside youngsters.
"We often judge keepers' performance by their runs only. In England, you need to look at how a keeper performs with the gloves. It's not easy to do that in England. I think you need experience there and Sarfaraz has performed well there previously. Now he isn't under the captaincy pressure as well. Overall, I think it's important to bank on such experienced players for such series.
"T20I series is important. Being a top-ranked team, it's important for us after losing 2 series previously to perform well. If we win and perform well, it will increase our confidence. At the same time, we need to look toward the future. Our youngsters are settling down and we need to take them forward toward more maturity.
"In our previous 2 series, our top 5 have been excellent. Our biggest plus has been Babar Azam's performances at #4 and the way he performed in Australia and after that. He is playing like Younis bhai would, leading the way and hitting hundreds, making big scores and dominating the opposition. That's an encouraging sign.
"The push ups celebration was based on a promise I made after our efforts at Kakul. It was a commitment. If any player has any celebration planned, that's fine but as a team we don't have anything specific in mind.
"Amir has a genuine reason. His wife had a genuine reason for not being able to travel. We need to understand these type of things. Why would he deliberately avoid playing, especially in conditions where he can perform well? We shouldn't doubt these things. Haris as well. We should respect players' personal issues and not doubt them.
"The boys are hungry now after staying away from cricket for a long time. They'll be fresh and missing cricket, ready to go. That month they'll put their heart and soul into their practice and that can work in our favour.
"Wahab Riaz is there as backup and support. He will play the side matches. We need to realize that these aren't normal conditions. They are unusual circumstances and you have to do unusual things. We can't have two separate squads and we need to cope."
"We won't have net bowlers or any county opposition etc. We need to do practice all amongst ourselves. We need to make two squads from this 29-man squad and handle our resources. This is why we have taken a lot of bowlers so we can practice properly.
"Same COVID-19 rules are there like concussion rules. If anyone has symptoms during a match then you need a replacement so we need a lot of players.
"We included all our centrally contracted cricketers besides Haris who opted out. We want to give exposure to all the cricketers who are our future.
"We have spoken to Wahab and if needed, he will be available for practice matches and also Test matches.
"Sohail Khan was picked so we have an extra option. He performed well in England previously and we have the option of another experienced bowler.
"Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasnain, it's a good opportunity for them to play in England during the camp matches, etc. It's a great opportunity to groom them for red-ball cricket.
"Some names may be missing since we are playing only 3 T20Is. It's difficult to take specialized squads, and our main focus is on the Test matches. We tried to take those players who can provide us an option in red ball cricket.
"We picked Bilal last time against Bangladesh as they had a lot of lefties. But in England, we felt a left-arm spinner can be effective so we kept Kashif in the squad.
"When you bring a player in the squad, that is to play him. But you can't assure anyone that they will play. It depends on the conditions, combination, etc. If Fawad is in the team, we obviously believe he is capable of playing at that level. Let's see what happens on the ground. It's a great opportunity for him with Haris out. Hopefully he does well when he gets a chance.
"The medical team is in touch with the players. I am also in touch with them and we all understand what to do if there are any symptoms. Everyone is taking precautions.
"We have reserves as well so that we can cover in case anything happens before departure. The circumstances are unusual and some things are out of our control.
"I think our players are mentally strong enough. They are ready and they have belief that Allah will save us from this pandemic.
"We will try to play at least 2-3 practice matches. Sohail Khan provides an additional option in the squad because of the amount of cricket we have to play. We also kept his previous performances in England in mind as well as his recent domestic performances.
"We invested in Musa and will do that in future but if you look at the squad, we already have youngsters like Hasnain, Haris, Naseem so we needed some experienced backup as well. We have Haider and Khushdil in the squad as well. So we tried to keep a balance in the squad.
"It will be difficult to start but as we go into the grounds and get into the matches, things will improve. Hopefully things go well and and the ENG v WI series goes well, then everyone's nerves will be eased.
"Some of the players have toured England before and have performed well. Then, looking at the bowling form of Shaheen, Naseem and Abbas, bowling with the Dukes ball, then we have an experienced batting lineup that is high on confidence. Babar is a different player, Abid Ali and Shan Masood have done well. Spirits are high and we are confident so we have a good chance.
"Haider Ali has come through the setup with performances in U19, Emerging team, red-ball cricket (around 600 runs). Then people weren't sure if he's a T20 player but he came into PSL and performed like that. He proved himself as an all-formats batsman. When shot-making and aggression was required, he did that. When disciplined cricket was needed, he made runs in 4 day. So we're looking forward to his development and hopefully he can also perform at the top level in a similar way.
"It's very good and encouraging for me that Younis Khan is with the team. We have played together and a lot of the players have also played with him and they understand eachother. The likes of Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Asad Shafiq have batted alongside him so they understand eachother and they have seen how he performed everywhere. We all know his work ethic and how he gives his 100%. He will be a big help.
"We were also thinking that since we will have two squads then we can share the workload and work on different things. It'll be a big help for me to have Mushy bhai, Younis Khan and others.
"We believe that the 2nd best keeping option still is Sarfaraz. He has done well since being dropped and he has a good prior record. He's also a good keeper and we have to keep that in mind.
"We have youngsters like Haider and Khushdil in the squad. But we also need to have a balance in the squad. Juniors should be given exposure in a way that they play with seniors and ready themselves for international cricket. I think Malik and Hafeez have performed well in the previous series. If the T20 WC doesn't happen then it's likely to be next year. That's not so far away and these two can play till then. We're not sure yet but at the moment, they have performed well so we kept them in the team alongside youngsters.
"We often judge keepers' performance by their runs only. In England, you need to look at how a keeper performs with the gloves. It's not easy to do that in England. I think you need experience there and Sarfaraz has performed well there previously. Now he isn't under the captaincy pressure as well. Overall, I think it's important to bank on such experienced players for such series.
"T20I series is important. Being a top-ranked team, it's important for us after losing 2 series previously to perform well. If we win and perform well, it will increase our confidence. At the same time, we need to look toward the future. Our youngsters are settling down and we need to take them forward toward more maturity.
"In our previous 2 series, our top 5 have been excellent. Our biggest plus has been Babar Azam's performances at #4 and the way he performed in Australia and after that. He is playing like Younis bhai would, leading the way and hitting hundreds, making big scores and dominating the opposition. That's an encouraging sign.
"The push ups celebration was based on a promise I made after our efforts at Kakul. It was a commitment. If any player has any celebration planned, that's fine but as a team we don't have anything specific in mind.
"Amir has a genuine reason. His wife had a genuine reason for not being able to travel. We need to understand these type of things. Why would he deliberately avoid playing, especially in conditions where he can perform well? We shouldn't doubt these things. Haris as well. We should respect players' personal issues and not doubt them.
"The boys are hungry now after staying away from cricket for a long time. They'll be fresh and missing cricket, ready to go. That month they'll put their heart and soul into their practice and that can work in our favour.
"Wahab Riaz is there as backup and support. He will play the side matches. We need to realize that these aren't normal conditions. They are unusual circumstances and you have to do unusual things. We can't have two separate squads and we need to cope."
.
You can't make this stuff up. 
