"We have good expectations from Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq on this tour" : Sarfaraz Ahmed

[MenInG]

KARACHI: Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed on Thursday urged his fellow teammates to play "without fear" during their tour of South Africa — a country where they have won only two Tests during their past five tours.

The Pakistani side is en route to South Africa to play three Tests, five one-day internationals and three T20 internationals, with the first Test starting in Centurion on December 26.

Pakistan head into the series after losing 2-1 to New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates last week. In the wake of the tough loss, Sarfraz said he still had high hopes of earning a good result against the Proteas.

"Conditions in South Africa are tough with bouncy and seaming pitches so anyone who plays without fear and with a big heart will succeed," Sarfraz told AFP.

Pakistan's two wins out of 12 Tests in South Africa came in 1998 and 2007, having lost nine with just one draw.

On their last tour in 2013, Pakistan were routed 3-0 and bowled out for their lowest Test score of 49 in the first Test in Johannesburg, with both senior batsmen Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq in the line-up.

Now without the two stalwarts, Pakistan will look to Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq to help guide the squad.

"We need big innings from both Azhar and Shafiq and they are capable of doing that, so if we put good totals on board we have a good bowling attack to win the match," said Sarfraz, who also singled out recalled paceman Mohammad Amir as key to any success.

"Amir is back after a good performance at the domestic level so we hope he gets us key wickets in Tests," said Sarfraz of Amir, who was dropped from the series against Australia and New Zealand due to poor form.

Pakistan open the tour with a three-day game against Cricket South Africa Invitation XI at Benoni from December 19.

The second Test is in Cape Town from January 3-7 and the third in Johannesburg from January 11-15.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/20...n-squad-to-play-without-fear-in-south-africa/

 

[Zakaz]

Pakistan only wins when everyone expects us to lose, we lose when everyone expects us to win, so I think we are winning the series in south africa. Keep calm and have faith in sarfraz bhai

 

[BreadPakoda]

"Conditions in South Africa are tough with bouncy and seaming pitches so anyone who plays without fear and with a big heart will succeed," Sarfraz told AFP.

Anyone? Big heart > technique, preparation. As Hafeez said, you just need confidence and should "know your role" to succeed in South Africa.

 

[Mamoon]

Embarrassing statements as always.

 

[angrypathan]

The same players who were terrified of the mighty Ajaz Patel will play Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada without fear. Makes sense

 

[Gullycricket]

Expect Imam to be the new Bunny of Steyn

 

[aukhan]

Shocked that he didn't say that we have learned from our mistakes.

 

[Ami]

Does he know what playing without fear means?

 

[UN talkz]

Good ��

 

[Abdullah]

I can not wait for this series. This tour is the last piece in this squad of 15 going onto bigger and better things as a team.
Sarfaraz and imam are the only people with question marks over them. The rest is the best we have. They have had 10 matches since misyou retirement which is not a lot.
I can see this squad ascending the rankings quickly after the world cup. This series is a great opportunity to not just learn and develop, but to put the saffers under serious pressure[SUP][/SUP]

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

A very minuscule part of me wants SA to beat the bejesus out of Pakistan this tour Sarfaraz should stop playing test cricket. A skipper must always lead from front. This team is hopeless and clueless. In past, we had Misbah/YK, always.

But then, I pray we, at least, compete.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Play without fear? So none of the negative mindset we saw agsinst NZ. Sarfraz really does talk rubbish.

 

[ILcricket]

Play without fear sounds like one 2 digit innings score early in series .

 

[Savak]

Lol Sarfaraz playing to the galleries. Empty statements otherwise

 

[Hawkeye]

Nonsense.

I urge the team to play without Sarfraz.

Chances of winning quadruple! Bring someone who can bat and keep.

And not shout his lungs out.

 

[barah_admi]

All this talk of 'fearless' cricket by the likes of Sarfraz, Root and co only works if that cricket is intertwined with application of skill and patience. Test cricket is always test cricket, go out there like its a slog and you'll end up as inconsistent (albeit entertaining) as England.

 

[MMHS]

May be playing with fear (read with caution) and without Sarfraz probably is a better idea His press conferences are disaster, if he is to lead PAK in WC, may be PCB can prepare him with the help of some professional image consultant. At least he didn't say that we need to bat with Pathanwali shots & Sherwali heart.

In soccer, there is a term for Managers (now Jo Mou is going through that phase) - "Dead man walking"................

 

[hayder ali]

Embarrassing statements as always.

I didn't even sure that this third grade batting side will even chase 50 runs...

 

[Shandarchowka]

Anyone? Big heart > technique, preparation. As Hafeez said, you just need confidence and should "know your role" to succeed in South Africa.

The assumption is that the players at this level already have the technique and temperament. They're not any gully mohalla noobs.

 

[Pete Rose]

the PCB should recognize that Pakistani batsmen in particular do not know how to play without fear whatever the format and whatever the standard.
Its a multi-generational issue and its now a part of Pakistani batsmen's DNA. There are coping mechanisms, but most of our guys are just technically not equipped to execute. They dont know how to take singles to ease pressure, and they dont have the ability or audacity or confidence to hit long at the end of the innings to end up with a respectable strike rate.
Above all, our cricket while batting is set up on safety first. They have no concept of transferring pressure.

 

[BilalSez]

I thought skills are most important and you are useless. Does not matter you play with fear or not. I hope that Rabada will finish your career in SA.

 

[Savak]

the PCB should recognize that Pakistani batsmen in particular do not know how to play without fear whatever the format and whatever the standard.
Its a multi-generational issue and its now a part of Pakistani batsmen's DNA. There are coping mechanisms, but most of our guys are just technically not equipped to execute. They dont know how to take singles to ease pressure, and they dont have the ability or audacity or confidence to hit long at the end of the innings to end up with a respectable strike rate.
Above all, our cricket while batting is set up on safety first. They have no concept of transferring pressure.

Sums up the legacy of Misbah ul haq

 

[Hasan123]

Always the same old buzzwords play without fear etc. How about play to the match situation and not dead bat every single ball ?

 

[Pete Rose]

Sums up the legacy of Misbah ul haq

Its an issue which predated misbah...we have always been awful batting seond in odis or batting last in tests. Misbah certainly casts a shadow, but he is no longer captain.
There is little difference between Imran/Javed, Inzi, and Misbah terms of approach to batting: soak up pressure upfront, crawling runrate, and then strike out in the end. Also something that Wasim tried to do with having guys like Razzaq coming one-down in the world cup 1999.

Now times have changed, we neither have the batting talent to pull this off, and the opposition bowlers are better. And also while we crawl at 3 to 4 an over in the middle of an innings, opposition is chasing 5 runs an over. To Pakistan scoring 260 is respectable whereas most team tried to be at 260 by 44 to 46th over.

so, its a legacy that is old, irrelevant, and we no longer have the talent differential to win because of it.

 

[BreadPakoda]

The assumption is that the players at this level already have the technique and temperament. They're not any gully mohalla noobs.

That's a very poor assumption

 

[Ilan Bluestone]

Their fearless leader comes 5 down and doesn't ever score runs and blames everyone up top for batting failures, when he only returned to the team a few years ago due to scoring runs, and now is not a runmaker but full time captain and keeper.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

It will take more than that to ruffle South African feathers

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Their fearless leader comes 5 down and doesn't ever score runs and blames everyone up top for batting failures, when he only returned to the team a few years ago due to scoring runs, and now is not a runmaker but full time captain and keeper.

He's inconsistent and needs to take more responsibility with the bat but I would still put him above most wicket-keeper batsmen in the world in-terms of keeping and run-scoring. Let's no forget he still averages close to 38 with a SR above 70 which are very good stats for wicket-keeper batsmen.

 

[MenInG]

Maybe he was referring to the fear of facing this pleasant chap.

 

[austerlitz]

What he means is they have nothing to lose.

 

[Mp812]

Bilkul darnay ka nahee. Upar neechoo agay peechhoo dekhne ka nahee. Eyes close karkar bat full speed may ghoomanay ka. Ball bat ko laga toh seedha boundary par jana chieye

 

[Adnan_Ilyas]

Lets see what happens. Is Pakistsn going to fight? they bloody better

 

[TeamPak95]

What do you expect him to say? It's just one of those situations where due to bad showings in the recent past that whatever a captain/player/coach says won't go down well with the fans no matter what.

"Play without fear you say?? Where was this mentality vs NZ??"
"This is gonna be a tough tour you say?? You hope the boys will learn from this experience?? No team would approach a tour with such a loser's mentality, regardless of how good/bad they are !!"

It's a lose-lose situation. Anyhow, I predict Pakistan to be blanked by South Africa in the test series but let's see what unfolds..

 

[Pete Rose]

Let me be brave and get against the grain. I believe we will win one test match and lose two very heavily

 

[MP2011]

Bilkul darnay ka nahee. Upar neechoo agay peechhoo dekhne ka nahee. Eyes close karkar bat full speed may ghoomanay ka. Ball bat ko laga toh seedha boundary par jana chieye

I genuinely laughed at this!

 

[silent ischemia]

Sums up the legacy of Misbah ul haq

Azhar Ali's batting in the 2nd Test is what our batters are all about

 

[Nikhil_cric]

This is excellent advice by Sarfraz . Pakistan have absolutely nothing to lose and therefore should play fearless cricket in SA. A Pakistani side that is hurt and has nothing to lose is the most dangerous prospect in world cricket. This is the last team that Saffers would want to face.

 

[iniqbal223]

Can someone tell me what is the role of Inzi the Chief selector?
Please don't tell me he selected Abbas/Fakhar etc. Those were anyway had to be selected by any random selector.

And what Inzi has acheived after selcting Imam repeatedly?

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan’s senior batsmen weren’t quite missing in action in the recent Test cricket series against New Zealand.

SA’s spicier surfaces‚ though‚ mean that Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali will have to stand up and be counted in no uncertain terms.

Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman and captain, Sarfraz Ahmed, is fully aware of this and knows big runs are needed to stand a chance of competing on a level footing.

On Pakistan’s last tour to these shores in 2012-13‚ where the visitors were blanked in all three Tests‚ Shafiq (199 runs at 33.16) and Ali (133 runs at 22.16) flattered to deceive in a series where the bowlers held sway.

Shafiq compiled a superb 100 in the second Test in Cape Town alongside Younus Khan but they lost that engrossing game by four wickets.

The former was Pakistan’s top run-scorer in a lineup that was bolstered by Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.

“Our expectation for both batsmen is very good,” Ahmed said.

“Hopefully they’ll perform well for this tour because on the previous tour‚ Asad scored a 100 in Cape Town and Azhar also scored some runs in that series.

“They know the conditions reasonably well and I think they’ll perform very well.”

The opening batting conundrum has dogged Pakistan’s cricket for pretty much the last 20 or so years and that hasn’t changed.

Mohammad Hafeez’s retirement from Test cricket means Pakistan will have to find another opening pair.

Imam-ul-Haq‚ the nephew of Pakistan’s chief selector and legendary batsman Inzamamul-Haq‚ could find himself partnering Shan Masood or Fakhar Zaman.

The latter is not known for his temperament but is an effective opener.

Ahmed said they would cope without Hafeez while Zaman’s fitness will be tested before the first Boxing Day Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

“We know he’s retired but he’s played very well for Pakistan in the past 15 years. He’s been a crucial member for the Test team but he’s not available now‚” he said.

“But if you talk about the recent Tests‚ we haven’t struggled much in the opening department. In the last five matches‚ we’ve used Hafeez and Imam and Shan Masood.

“Hopefully Fakhar Zaman will be back in the team. At the moment‚ he’s working really hard and hopefully he’ll be fit for the first Test.”

https://www.heraldlive.co.za/sport/...batsmen-face-hot-reception-on-spicier-tracks/

 

[MenInG]

found this old picture on twitter



Seems apt...

 

[Hitman]

He's inconsistent and needs to take more responsibility with the bat but I would still put him above most wicket-keeper batsmen in the world in-terms of keeping and run-scoring. Let's no forget he still averages close to 38 with a SR above 70 which are very good stats for wicket-keeper batsmen.

Don't think so. It would have been considered good in the 90's, not anymore. Dhoni has a similar average in Tests, and he has always been considered an extremely average Test batsman.

 

[shaz619]

Don't think so. It would have been considered good in the 90's, not anymore. Dhoni has a similar average in Tests, and he has always been considered an extremely average Test batsman.

I wouldn't say so, that's harsh. I remember in 2014 in england against a rampaging peak anderson and broad in severe conditions he displayed so much courage. He had so much pressure on him but did a decent enough job, plus kept himself in great shape and was great with the gloves to.

Sarfraz numbers are good but deceiving and boosted by his purple patch a few years ago. And I wouldn't expect a S/R of 70 in the 90's for a keeper would be super human stuff lol

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Don't think so. It would have been considered good in the 90's, not anymore. Dhoni has a similar average in Tests, and he has always been considered an extremely average Test batsman.

I don't think there were many batsmen in the 90s nor are there many now who had such a high strike rate to compliment what is a pretty good average for a No.7 batsman. I would even say Sarfraz has the best stats as compared to other wicket-keeper batsmen in the world if you look at both average and strike rate. And only Watling and Foakes have a better averages than him and Foakes is till relatively new.

 

[Zakaz]

found this old picture on twitter

View attachment 86485

Seems apt...

Can you share more of such pictures?

 

[MenInG]

Can you share more of such pictures?

I am still in shock from this one.

 

[Ilustcricket]

Sarfaraz urging his team to bat fearlessly the same way sarfaraz usually bats, no fear of team losing or him losing his career. One stupid shot after another lol