"We will look to play fearless cricket on this tour" : Babar Azam

[MenInG]

Babar Azam speaking to the media:

"We have practiced well here as there is a difference in conditions here and level of bounce on these pitches, and the boys are feeling very confident about themselves"

"Home conditions will suit the Proteas side very well but we have also worked hard and practiced and prepared well"

"We will look to play fearless cricket on this tour and our hope is that our top-order will provide the momentum to the innings so that our lower order can finish the innings well"

"By fearless cricket I mean that we play with freedom and attack the bowler whilst giving respect to bowlers, and to build momentum; When our batsmen play like that you can make those 300-350 type scores"

"When it comes to changes, I can tell you that all players are fit and we may have to take decisions on a 1-2 players and decide on the final XI after looking at the conditions"

"All our players are good and sometimes it becomes difficult to choose from them but we will choose the best combination and move on from there"

"Whatever ODI games we have been given, we have taken that as an opportunity to do our best and to play on the lines of modern-day cricket"

"Players know what is expected of them and we also played well on the last tour of SA, so our aim to win all three games as they are part of WC qualifiers and these points will be very important for us"

"We had given plans to our batsmen during practice games to try and hit the 300 type scores but the main thing is to build momentum in our innings at the top of the innings"

"If our main batsman plays until the end then most probably we will touch the 300 mark and then our finishers can also help out which will be good for us"

"It all depends on the conditions we are playing in when we talk about strike rates; We also know that a batsman like Fakhar Zaman has his own unique strike rate with which he plays so its different from player to player"

"We are working on each batsmen to see where they need improvement"

"I have a lot of confidence in the new bowlers that we have in the side; The one good thing about this bowling group is that they deliver their hundred percent whenever they are asked to contribute"

"South Africa is very strong in their home conditions but we have made plans to counter that"

"When you speak of our middle-order, we have Faheem Ashraf and Shadab Khan and they do have the capability to finish the game for us"

"Look Rohit Sharma is a different player than I am, I play according to my strengths; I am working on my long shots and the idea is to utilize that skill when its needed"

"I am satisfied with my own game and I dont try and become another player; I do try and make small adjustments from time to time"

"Some of the faces in our side are the ones who came here on the last tour as well, but we have our top domestic performers in the side as well and I hopeful that they will give their 100% when given the chance"

"Hassan Ali is 100% fit and available for selection should we need him based on our needs to have a good combination"

"We are putting in plans to help the team score 300-350 runs as there is a lot of thought required to reach those goals"

"When you play for 40 overs, your strike rate will automatically go up but sometimes, you also have to give respect to the bowlers too"

"Its important that we stay on the pitch for long and also rotate strike"

"Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq are in good form and you will see that during this series"

 

[Hasan123]

Sick of these buzz words like fearless and aggressive. Just look to play good and smart cricket.

 

[OMB]

Good and smart cricket in ODI now is to be fearless and play their natural game. only issue is that there is very thin line between being being aggressive and being reckless.

 

[Markhor]

Whenever a Pakistani captain says that - prepare for the opposite !

 

[MenInG]

Whenever a Pakistani captain says that - prepare for the opposite !

Usually means 50/6 and then some poor soul like Riz putting in runs to get us to 100

 

[ChTab]

Yeah according to reports Sarfraz is playing, yes which indicates we are really going to play fearless cricket.

 

[cricketerB94]

Yeah according to reports Sarfraz is playing, yes which indicates we are really going to play fearless cricket.

Yeah, he was so fearless in South Africa last time that he had to sit out last few games.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Fearless cricket under Misbah seriously.

Infront of the media , they say we play fearless and aggressive cricket, play natural game etc.

On field , switch to Misbah mode play defensive, hesitant, insecurely, look to thrive in playing old 80s form of cricket.

300-350 lol, they haven’t done that ever MA has gone. Even against Zimbabwe at home they can’t go past 300 lol.. Against England in the CWC this team scored 348 and the series before the CWC they consistently scored 300 plus

Tha day Misbah is in, the tuk tuk culture creeped back in and all MA efforts to keep the batsmen in check to constantly improve SR was shelved.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Yeah, he was so fearless in South Africa last time that he had to sit out last few games.

Well not sit out , asked to go back to Pakistan for raising such a sensitive issue

 

[raashidkhan89079]

Excuse me dont you all dare to say sarfaraz is not agressive batsmen and will be a hurdle in scoring 350 let phelukwayo bowl to him atleast once you will see what sarfaraz can do

 

[Concerned]

This means Babar will be fielding near the boundary, whilst the likes of Rizwan will be setting the field and calling the shots.

 

[Saj]

Fearless. Hmm

Scares me when they say we will fight, play hard, play fearless cricket as more often than not, they do the opposite.

 

[Rana]

Yeah right )

This headline had to come out on 1st April didn’t it?

 

[silentkiller187]

They are only fearless of the fans, cos we put up with this rubbish.

When it comes to the cricket i think every press conference we hear fearless , aggressive, bla bla yet w are treated to the same old stuck in the 90s borefests.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

What the hell is going on here? Why is everyone so angry st the poor guy for saying this? These comments

 

[Rana]

This means Babar will be fielding near the boundary, whilst the likes of Rizwan will be setting the field and calling the shots.

Autopilot captain does not mean fearless captain

 

[Smudger]

I dont know why most of the fans are so pessimistic about our batting. I think its the bowling which is our weaker suit. Pak scores in 5 match odi series vs Eng
361
358
340
297
Pak scored 3 300+ scores in 5 matches in the WC too
So seriously Pak batting line up is regularly scoring big scores. Its the bowling which is the problem

 

[Forward Defensive Push]

We need to make 300+ each of these matches. We have good bowlers who can defend anything above 300.

 

[Shafi]

I dont know why most of the fans are so pessimistic about our batting. I think its the bowling which is our weaker suit. Pak scores in 5 match odi series vs Eng
361
358
340
297
Pak scored 3 300+ scores in 5 matches in the WC too
So seriously Pak batting line up is regularly scoring big scores. Its the bowling which is the problem

That's under micky!!! Under Misbah it will 100 runs less at least

 

[MenInG]

More quotes added to post #1

 

[UzmanBeast]

Pakistan needs to make sure that their bowling doesn't let them down.

Playing Haris Rauf will be a grave mistake.

The debate over the spinner (Usman or Shadab) will produce a noticeable impact on the series as well.

We can't carry dead weight on the team, and so Haider should play ahead of Asif.

As long as people put in the performances, and people play according to their strengths, we will do well.

A target of 280 is perfectly fine if you are able to defend it.

I think that a more reasonable target which Pakistan should look to put up is 290-300. I doubt we have the players to reach 320+ scores, especially on South African pitches.

 

[Baigel]

Get these guys out of the conference room and into a classroom.

 

[Saj]

I still believe that this is a great chance for Pakistan to win both white-ball series for Pakistan.

This South African team is nowhere near as good as their previous teams.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan will adopt a "modern day" approach in the upcoming ODI series against South Africa and look to put 300 plus totals by finishing with a flourish, captain Babar Azam said on Thursday. (More Cricket News)

Pakistan will play three ODIs and four T20Is against hosts South Africa, starting with the first one-dayer in Centurion on Friday.

"We are trying to play 'modern-day cricket' for the upcoming event. We will try to gain the necessary points through the series against South Africa. We will start strong. If our finishers fire, we can reach a total above 300," Babar, who leads Pakistan in all three formats, told a virtual press conference.

"The key to getting 300 plus scores is finishing with a flurry in our innings. We haven't played a lot of ODIs since the World Cup so we are also making a fresh start with a modern day approach."

The Pakistan skipper also talked about maintaining momentum and said his team had been working hard on improving its power hitting capability.

"The players are learning. It is also about taking responsibility. Contributions from the top four are always vital. We will also have to rotate the strike. Fakhar Zaman, Imamul Haq and Mohammad Rizwan are in great form and we will see the difference," he added.

He promised to try to play fearless cricket and try out some combinations for longer periods to see which one works.

Babar said Pakistan's edge was its bowling which had the capacity to restrict teams to totals under 300.

He said the coaches had been working hard with the lower order batsmen and allrounders so that they could finish strong in ODIs and T20s as well with higher strike rates.

Babar also said that pacer Hasan Ali was 100 percent fit and available for selection as was former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed.

"We will decide the playing XI after looking at the pitch. Every player has a particular role in the team so we will put out a balanced combination," he added.

https://www.outlookindia.com/websit...ess-modern-day-cricket-in-south-africa/378956

 

[Mamoon]

I dont know why most of the fans are so pessimistic about our batting. I think its the bowling which is our weaker suit. Pak scores in 5 match odi series vs Eng
361
358
340
297
Pak scored 3 300+ scores in 5 matches in the WC too
So seriously Pak batting line up is regularly scoring big scores. Its the bowling which is the problem

Checking the opposition scores in most of these matches doesn’t paint a positive picture.

Pakistan lost the England series 4-0 and would have lost 5-0 if it wasn’t for rain.

In the World Cup, Pakistan was ultimately eliminated in the group stage because of the capitulation with the bat against West Indies in the first match.

That destroyed our NRR and Pakistan was on the back-foot ever since.

Overall, I agree that Pakistan’s batting is better than its bowling at the moment, but it says more about how pathetic the bowling is rather than how good the batting has been.

As a batting unit, Pakistan has been 5/10. As a bowling unit, probably 2/10.

 

[Rana]

Man what is this borefest

 

[Major]

Man what is this borefest

the match just started.

south africa were also batting slow

tonty tonty fans

 

[Rana]

the match just started.

south africa were also batting slow

tonty tonty fans

Better than being a Misbah apologist

 

[Major]

Better than being a Misbah apologist

really thats what you can come up with? Childish really

Pakistans runrate is also up by 4 now.

 

[Concerned]

Babar should call Eoin Morgan and double check the definition of fearless cricket.

Team England is what defines fearless cricket in ODI.

 

[Rana]

really thats what you can come up with? Childish really

Pakistans runrate is also up by 4 now.

Amazing, a run rate of 4 gets Misbah fans excited.

 

[Noman]

Babar should call Eoin Morgan and double check the definition of fearless cricket.

Team England is what defines fearless cricket in ODI.

Lost to England every Series

 

[Major]

Amazing, a run rate of 4 gets Misbah fans excited.

This is not a t20 match. Its a oneday match and its the freaken 12th over.

SOuth Africa batted the middle overs with a rr of 3.

 

[Firebat]

Van der Dussen reached his 50 after 80 balls. He was 25 from 50 at one point. Have some patience and make your judgements at the end.

 

[Concerned]

Eagerly waiting for Imam to fearlessly dance down the wicket and connect for a single.

 

[Major]

Van der Dussen reached his 50 after 80 balls. He was 25 from 50 at one point. Have some patience and make your judgements at the end.

exactly

so annoying watch the views of tonty tonty fans and give judgements on other players when they temsleves lack judgement of the game.

Its a run chase.

 

[Rana]

exactly

so annoying watch the views of tonty tonty fans and give judgements on other players when they temsleves lack judgement of the game.

Its a run chase.

We have no problems with the way a team approaches a chase or building an innings, just don’t come up with stupid statements such as ‘we will look to play fearless cricket’ and then have Imam ul Haq as your opener.

 

[Concerned]

In reality, to chase 270 should be a walk in the park. The better teams collapse and end up with 300.

 

[Varun]

So far so fearless.

Let's see if Pakistan can close it from here.

 

[CaptainIce]

I couldn't agree more, we judge our players to quickly. It's the first match, assessing the conditions, ticking off the scoreboard while not losing wickets.

 

[Major]

We have no problems with the way a team approaches a chase or building an innings, just don’t come up with stupid statements such as ‘we will look to play fearless cricket’ and then have Imam ul Haq as your opener.

Bhai jaan.

Its because of Imam we are not. 2 down. Look at what Fakhar did.

Imam has batted well and has partnered well with babar Azam

 

[CricketingMinds]

Bhai jaan.

Its because of Imam we are not. 2 down. Look at what Fakhar did.

Imam has batted well and has partnered well with babar Azam

How does it matter? Once Babar falls, the entire lineup will fall like a pack of cards like always.

We cannot chase this. Game over

 

[Major]

How does it matter? Once Babar falls, the entire lineup will fall like a pack of cards like always.

We cannot chase this. Game over

? how so?

Babar hasn't performed in some matches in the past yet we still won.

Pakistan has got Rizwan and Imam who bat well. Shadab could also bat in the middle order i believe.

Pakistans batting isn't that weak that we assume. Our problem is just our lower order batting, we end up losing from there.

 

[CricketingMinds]

How does it matter? Once Babar falls, the entire lineup will fall like a pack of cards like always.

We cannot chase this. Game over

Time for the line up to fall like a pack of cards now.

 

[Saj]

That was a fearless innings from Babar.

He walked the walk after talking the talk.

The only thin he will be disappointed about is that he couldn't take his team closer to the target.

Lovely batting.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Highest 2nd wicket partnerships for Pakistan versus South Africa in ODIs:<br><br>257 Abdul Razzaq/Saleem Elahi at Port Elizabeth in 2002<br>177 Babar Azam/Imam-ul-Haq at Centurion today<br>132 Babar Azam/Imam-ul-Haq at Centurion in 2019<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvPAK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvPAK</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1377999044669227012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Bewal Express]

That was a fearless innings from Babar.

He walked the walk after talking the talk.

The only thin he will be disappointed about is that he couldn't take his team closer to the target.

Lovely batting.

Missed out on a 150 today

 

[Firebat]

That's one thing about Babar as captain. When he gives such quotes, you know he'll back it up. He survived the new ball spells early on, then once set he spanked South Africa's best like they were club cricketers. Fearless

 

[CricketingMinds]

That's one thing about Babar as captain. When he gives such quotes, you know he'll back it up. He survived the new ball spells early on, then once set he spanked South Africa's best like they were club cricketers. Fearless

Babar is a class apart from the remaining.

But now what's the point of this beautiful 100 when we will lose the game

 

[Rana]

Danish Aziz and Imam ul Haq dont want to play fearless cricket.

 

[Mamoon]

As I said earlier, Pakistan should stop copying the big teams by doing this bowl first nonsense.

We are a joke of a team and we do not have the talent, skill and mentality to chase big totals.

We bolted a straightforward chase today and were lucky to win in the end. If Ngidi didn’t bowl that no-ball, we would have lost.

 

[Cric1234]

Babar batted well today but it’s the limit of our capability currently we just about chased an under par total on a decent wicket and a quick outfield.

Anything over 300 we will lose most of the time with our batting line up we’re definitely not making progress.

 

[Snowflake]

As I said earlier, Pakistan should stop copying the big teams by doing this bowl first nonsense.

We are a joke of a team and we do not have the talent, skill and mentality to chase big totals.

We bolted a straightforward chase today and were lucky to win in the end. If Ngidi didn’t bowl that no-ball, we would have lost.

We won, so whatever you have said is totally irrelevant.

 

[Snowflake]

He was just talking about himself.

The rest played like chickens!

 

[Bewal Express]

Babar went up a notch today. His batting against Rabada and Nortje was brilliant. He was dismissive of both and at times both looked lost at times.

 

[Saj]

Babar Azam "Taking wickets in the powerplay turned the match for us and was the key"

Babar Azam after today’s win over South Africa in the 1st ODI at Centurion:

At the toss I had said that we wanted to restrict South Africa to 270 and the bowlers did that. The bowlers did a good job with their line and length. Taking wickets in the powerplay turned the match for us and was the key.

I said to the bowlers, bowl at a hard length and the bowlers did that. The ball was swinging early in the match and we took wickets which was important.

Our plan was to stay at the wicket and my aim with Imam was to get a big partnership and we did that. There was some pressure when Nortje took the wickets but this is cricket and we will learn from it and try to ensure we don’t make the same mistakes again in the next match.

The win will give us a big confidence boost to the players and to the management as well and we will try to win the series in the next match.


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[Bewal Express]

I still expect SA to win the series but Babars batting put down a marker for the World game not just for this series. He captained quite well and will improve.

 

[Kashmirilion]

As I said earlier, Pakistan should stop copying the big teams by doing this bowl first nonsense.

We are a joke of a team and we do not have the talent, skill and mentality to chase big totals.

We bolted a straightforward chase today and were lucky to win in the end. If Ngidi didn’t bowl that no-ball, we would have lost.

If we are that bad and that embarrassing for you to watch. Why do you even bother watching??

 

[Snowflake]

Babar went up a notch today. His batting against Rabada and Nortje was brilliant. He was dismissive of both and at times both looked lost at times.

For some reason, our team has largely played with this air of confidence against SA. I feel like SA doesn't really make our players nervous like Australia or India would do, even if they have a quality side. Even in the last couple of WCs, we've totally outplayed SA.

This is why I feel like if our players can channel the same kind of confidence against other teams, we'd be a much better side.

 

[Snowflake]

If we are that bad and that embarrassing for you to watch. Why do you even bother watching??

He's a closet die-hard fan. He'll tell himself, and othesr, all the time that all is doom and gloom to ease the pain of when we lose, but will always secretly hope for a Pak win. It's a sad life but not everyone can handle losses well. It is a coping mechanism.

 

[hitthestump]

Babar definitely has some kind of mental problem. He got out again today before the job was done.

A high score of 125 in ODI's is pretty weak for a man of his ability. His test high score is also Asad Shafiq level rather than Fab 4.

There are probably 10-15 Indians capable of scoring daddy hundreds better than Babar but without coming close to his natural talent.

 

[Omer2002]

He did captain well no doubt..with most of their players will be away last game so might have a chance

 

[Mamoon]

We won, so whatever you have said is totally irrelevant.

This close-minded approach is one of the many reasons why Pakistan is the poster boy of mediocrity.

We are not a chasing team and neither is Babar a chaser. We messed up a straightforward chase today but were helped over the line by the sloppy South Africans.

Our bowling is weaker than our batting at the moment and as soon as the opposition crosses 300, we panic and self-destruct.

We should stop trying to mimic England and India because we do not have half the talent and skill that those sides have.

 

[Bigboii]

This close-minded approach is one of the many reasons why Pakistan is the poster boy of mediocrity.

We are not a chasing team and neither is Babar a chaser. We messed up a straightforward chase today but were helped over the line by the sloppy South Africans.

Our bowling is weaker than our batting at the moment and as soon as the opposition crosses 300, we panic and self-destruct.

We should stop trying to mimic England and India because we do not have half the talent and skill that those sides have.

what should we do?

 

[Rana]

Tbh it’s a pleasure to watch Babar bat in South Africa. Some of his silkiest innings have been on show here.

 

[Mamoon]

what should we do?

Bat first.

 

[Bigboii]

Bat first.

and When toss goes against us in some important game and we have to chase

we'll increase our chances of losing a lot more than it is at right now

cause of inexperience

smart man!

 

[Mamoon]

and When toss goes against us in some important game and we have to chase

we'll increase our chances of losing a lot more than it is at right now

cause of inexperience

smart man!

We are going to get rinsed by the big teams 9/10 times anyway.

If we lose the toss it doesn’t matter, the point is that if we win the toss, we should play to our strengths.

When your batting is relatively stronger than your bowling, you bat first. It is logical.

 

[Shazzam]

I have a feeling this maybe the last of fearless cricket we will see of Babar this series. Next match maybe the Rizwan show.

 

[Bigboii]

We are going to get rinsed by the big teams 9/10 times anyway.

If we lose the toss it doesn’t matter, the point is that if we win the toss, we should play to our strengths.

When your batting is relatively stronger than your bowling, you bat first. It is logical.

results in random Odi's that too a first match where results don't really mean a lot
Even than we shouldn't at least try to improve the team and their abilities

but just play to our strengths even in a random odi's

ok...

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brilliant innings from <a href="https://twitter.com/babarazam258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@babarazam258</a> absolute treat to watch. Really good to see Pakistan win the match despite the middle-order hiccup. All the best to the team in remaining matches.</p>— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1378244726915207168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

South African middle-order batsman Rassie van der Dussen has heaped high praise on champion Pakistan batsman Babar Azam following the latters brilliant 13th ODI ton in the first ODI against the Proteas at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.

Coming into bat after Pakistan had lost an early wicket in the form of Fakhar Azam, Babar Azam weathered the storm before he unleashed his full repertoire of colorful strokeplay during a 177-run-stand with opener Imam-ul-Haq.

Azam smashed a brilliant 104-ball 103 and in the process, he leapfrogged from South African opener Hashim Amla to become the faster to score 13 ODI hundreds.

While Amla took 83 innings to achieve the feat, Babar Azam has taken a mere 76 outings to achieve the same.

Rassie van der Dussen, who himself notched up his maiden ODI hundred albeit in a losing cause, hailed Babar Azam, stating that it is difficult to stop a batsman like him, who has so many boundary options.

“Babar is a world-class player. He is a guy who has many boundary options. The pitch also suited his game as it had consistent bounce. He played great innings. He put pressure on our bowlers and put in a good performance to win the game for his team,’’ said Dussen.

Babar Azam was ecstatic after playing such a brilliant knock but he expressed his disappointment at the fact that he could not take Pakistan past the finishing line.

Following his dismissal, Pakistan endured a horrific collapse thanks to Anrich Nortje’s brilliant spell and while Mohammad Rizwan and Shabad Khan calmed the nerves with crucial knocks, their untimely dismissals meant that the game went down to the last ball before Faheem Ashraf eventually sealed the deal.

“I am delighted with my hundred. The plan was to take it deep, build a big partnership, and don’t lose focus. We wanted to stay till the end but unfortunately, I got out after scoring a century, Imam got out and we lost back-to-back wickets which created a little pressure on us,” said Babar Azam.

https://cricketaddictor.com/cricket...azam-following-the-latters-match-winning-ton/

 

[MenInG]

Babar Azam speaking at the end of the 2nd ODI

"I have yet see a better innings in my life; We really enjoyed it but unfortunately he was unable to finish the game for us but I give full credit to Fakhar Zaman"

"Until Fakhar was at the crease, I had hopes that we would win the match"

"If one or 2 batsmen or an all-rounder had stuck around with Fakhar then I feel Fakhar would have finished the match for us; But the burden was too much on him and he couldn't finish the game"

"A few positives for us in this game, and we will work on some of the mistakes we made and will hope that we don't make those mistakes again in the next game, and are able to wrap up this series"

 

[Mamoon]

We will keep bowling first and keep losing because our team management is laboring under the delusion that we are like India and England.

Pakistan would have been 2-0 down today if South Africa weren’t sloppy in the death overs in the first game.

On the contrary, we could have 2-0 up had we batted first.

We need to realize that we are not a chasing team. Our batsmen cannot handle scoreboard pressure and the middle-order is too fragile to consistently chase big totals.

 

[shady]

We will keep bowling first and keep losing because our team management is laboring under the delusion that we are like India and England.

Pakistan would have been 2-0 down today if South Africa weren’t sloppy in the death overs in the first game.

On the contrary, we could have 2-0 up had we batted first.

We need to realize that we are not a chasing team. Our batsmen cannot handle scoreboard pressure and the middle-order is too fragile to consistently chase big totals.

Seems like a self defeating attitude. If they recognize that chasing is a weakness shouldn't they try to get as much practice as possible doing so? I don't see the point in resigning yourself to the fact that you're not good enough. If you want to win tournaments your gonna have to chase, so not trying to get better at it isn't really an option.

 

[Mamoon]

Seems like a self defeating attitude. If they recognize that chasing is a weakness shouldn't they try to get as much practice as possible doing so? I don't see the point in resigning yourself to the fact that you're not good enough. If you want to win tournaments your gonna have to chase, so not trying to get better at it isn't really an option.

It is far too late for that now. The players playing in the national team will not learn to be better chasers by failing to chase totals more often than not.

Apart from the Inzamam era, Pakistan has always been poor chasers and that is because apart from Inzamam and to an extent Miandad, all Pakistani batsmen were out of their comfort-zone when it comes to chasing targets.

Failing to chase totals did not help the other batsmen get better at it and it is not going to help the current duds playing in the team.

Babar Azam for all his talents and performances is also someone who is out of his depth when it comes to chasing big totals and appears clueless in his approach.

His range is about 250-270. These 320+ totals are beyond him.

Pakistan is a very poor team and they make it harder for themselves by trying to force themselves into something that they are not.

To be a strong chasing team, you need a deep lineup, batsmen who can take tee off instantly and never let their strike rates drop into the 60s and 70s.

Fakhar played a blinder in the last 20 overs but he left himself with too much to do in the end. He was striking in the 60s during the sluggish partnerships with Shadab and Asif and that period ultimately killed Pakistan’s chase and allowed the RRR to creep up to an uncontrollable level.

 

[Saj]

Babar Azam after the 3rd ODI against South Africa

Firstly thanks to the Almighty. I thought the openers batted really well and gave us momentum and I feel that continued that and batted well.

When we lost quick wickets I was saying to the players to build partnerships. I want to give credit to Hassan Ali who came in and batted really well and he made the difference in the last 2 overs.

We were surprised that South Africa bowled spinners so much especially in the latter stages. But we were prepared for anything and knew the pitch would take spin. Credit to our boys the way they played and the way we won the match.

This was an important series for us and to win away in South Africa gives us a lot of confidence individually and as a group. We hope that we can continue the momentum into the T20I series.

 

[MenInG]

Babar Azam speaking at end of the 1st T20I

"Yes we feel very confident after winning the first T20I, and that has built upon the confidence we gained after winning the ODI series also; I credit Mohammad Rizwan for playing an outstanding innings and finishing the game for us"

"We didn't apply ourselves whilst bowling in the first 6 overs but we came back and stuck to our plans in the last 5 overs"

 

[MenInG]

Babar Azam speaking after 2nd T20I:

"Our batting collapsed today and we really could not build up momentum due to loss of early wickets but here I must give credit to South Africa for their disciplined bowling"

"I feel we played a little too aggressively - a good partnership was needed but that didn't happen and of course we lost back-to-back wickets due to which we could not build up the momentum, and we couldn't finish the innings in the way we had planned"

"I don't think we took this game easy and were complacent, as on any given day you are faced with a different wicket and the bowling can be different too, and the idea is to play with freedom and with a positive mindset but that didn't happen for us today; It's not a problem, and hopefully we will make a comeback in this series"

"I am not that disappointed by today's loss as it was just one bad day for us"

"Throughout the tour we have played some good cricket but today was a bad day for us"

"We were unable to utlize the first 6 overs when batting, and we could not build momentum due to loss of back-to-back wickets"

"Within the middle-order, we needed a good partnership but apart from the one between Hafeez and myself, we could not achieve that and we scored a lot total"

"When you don't take wickets in the first six overs then the other side gets the momentum; So what we need to do is to look for wickets in those first six overs to breakdown the momentum for the opposing team"

"We have a large pool of players on this tour so we are trying out different combinations of the bowling attack to see which one suits us the best"

"Our middle-order is struggling a bit, but we will try and give them confidence to perform well; The more they stay in the middle, the better it will be for the team"

"We tried Haider Ali at number 5 also but let me say that you can't always get good results every day - Similarly we also changed players and their batting positions also but it takes sometime to settle"

"We have some time to assess things as we have 2 more T20Is to play here and then have 3 more in Zimbabwe, so we are trying different combinations which is part of our preparations for the World Cup"

"We are all very confident about the next games - the bad day today is now past; We will bring a different mind-set to the next game and will carry forward the positive momentum we have had on this tour to the next game"

 

[b.lesner]

"I feel we played a little too aggressively"

What what what?????