"We'll try to take advantage (of UAE conditions) in Asia Cup match against India" : Sarfaraz Ahmed

[Savak]

"We'll try to take advantage (of UAE conditions) in Asia Cup match against India" : Sarfaraz Ahmed

KARACHI : Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed has requested Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan not to end departmental cricket because it has played a pivotal role in development of cricket in the country.

“I would like to request Imran Khan not to end departmental cricket as these departments have played an important role in the development of Pakistan Cricket,” he said during a club match at Lahore Club Cricket Association (LCCA).

He added: “I have also come from departmental cricket, first I played for region and then department and it does improve cricket. Once Imran Khan comes in the cricket will gradually improve but I can only request him not to end departmental cricket.”

Speaking about reports on BCCI’s protest on Asia Cup scheduling, Sarfraz said that he was not aware about the issue.

Bearing in mind that Pakistan play their home matches in United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sarfraz felt that Pakistan are better equipped to utilise the conditions to their advantage.

“I’m not aware about India’s protest on Asia Cup scheduling,” he said. “We will have a psychological edge over India because UAE is our home ground and we are in a better position to gauge the conditions and utilise it to our advantage.”

Although he conceded that India are a better team than Pakistan, stating that: “Kohli-led unit are more experienced than the Men in Green.”

This will be the first time that both the arch rivals will face each other after Pakistan’s thumping win over India in the Champions Trophy final at The Oval in 2017.

“I am hopeful that it will be a good match because this is the first time both sides are facing each other after the Champions Trophy Final,” he said.

Sarfraz also pointed out team’s special emphasis on improving their fitness levels especially considering that they have important assignments coming up in the near future.

“We have been a plan to work on our fitness which is why are focusing closely on improving in that area,” he said. “After Asia Cup we have important series against Australia and New Zealand which is why we are looking to stretch our good run of form in all formats.”

Link: https://tribune.com.pk/story/178143...n-let-departmental-cricket-continue-pakistan/

 

[badsha001]

Bhai, just focus on your cricket... First of all, it's none of your business what PCB does in the future with Department cricket or PSL.

 

[Stewie]

Bhai, just focus on your cricket... First of all, it's none of your business what PCB does in the future with Department cricket or PSL.

It is his business. He is the captain of he national cricket team and is a product of that system. Why do we have to criticise everyone?

 

[MenInG]

Interesting comments about Asia Cup - just hope they dont come and bite him later!

 

[MenInG]

More quotes from Sarfaraz Ahmed

"I have been on 2 tours of England so far and in both of them our team has performed well"

"All Asian teams struggle in England and India are also facing problems there"

"I think Pakistan prepared well, especially when you talk about the first tour, we arrived there 25 days before the 1st Test"

"We had a 10 day training camp there, then played practice games which really helped us"

"This time around, we played 3 practice games before the 1st Test against England"

"As a captain, I feel that we prepared well which is why our team performed better than India in England"

"Look all teams in the Asia Cup are very strong, Bangladesh have been playing well and Sri Lanka have also made a good comeback"

"One can say that we will be playing in home conditions in the UAE"

"But then its nothing like what we saw when West Indies came to Pakistan"

"There will no advantage but probably same for both teams"

"Imran has invited the 92 team and he cant invite everyone [to oath taking]"

"I will make one request to him which is not to end departmental cricket"

"Departments have had a big role in Pakistan cricket"

"Dont close down departmental cricket but improve it so that helps in improvement of Pakistan cricket"

"I have done 2 tours of England and the Pakistan team performed very well on both of those"

"All Asian teams struggle there and India is going through the same. The conditions are tough"

"I think Pakistan prepared well, for the previous tour, we were there 25 days early and had a 10-day camp followed by 2 practice matches which helped us. This time, we have 3 practice matches before the England Tests"

"I think perhaps our preparation was better than India's which is why our team has performed better than them"

 

[Stewie]

Interesting comments about Asia Cup - just hope they dont come and bite him later!

He hasn’t stated anything new or untrue although the veracity only applies to test cricket and non subcontinental tracks.. in ODIs and in Asia, Indian batting is still very effective

 

[AssassinatedDevil]

India more experienced than Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed acknowledged the greater experience of the Indian side compared to their Pakistani counterparts. In an interview with Daily Times (Pakistan), Sarfraz admitted, while sounding upbeat about the upcoming Asia Cup match: “[Virat] Kohli-led unit are more experienced than the Men in Green … I am hopeful that it will be a good match because this is the first time both sides are facing each other after the Champions Trophy Final.”

When asked about the rescheduling of the Asia Cup, Sarfraz acknowledged his ignorance on India’s role: “I’m not aware about India’s protest on Asia Cup scheduling. We will have a psychological edge over India because UAE is our home ground and we are in a better position to gauge the conditions and utilise it to our advantage.

Sarfraz also spoke on Pakistan’s recent emphasis on fitness training: “We have been a plan to work on our fitness which is why are focusing closely on improving in that area. After Asia Cup we have important series against Australia and New Zealand which is why we are looking to stretch our good run of form in all formats.”

Sarfraz also mentioned he would request Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan ensure departmental cricket is continued in Pakistan: “I would like to request Imran Khan not to end departmental cricket as these departments have played an important role in the development of Pakistan Cricket. I have also come from departmental cricket, first I played for region and then department and it does improve cricket. Once Imran Khan comes in the cricket will gradually improve but I can only request him not to end departmental cricket.”

Unlike other contemporary Test-playing nations, departmental (corporate) cricket has always played a crucial role in Pakistan First-Class cricket.

http://www.cricketcountry.com/news/india-more-experienced-than-pakistan-sarfraz-ahmed-735961

 

[adzzy786]

If we could, we should just make a green seaming wicket for that game.

 

[Pakhs]

I think he is right Pak did prepare better than India has done for this series. who knows if better preparation would have meant better results.

 

[Abdullah719]

We would use UAE experience against India in Asia Cup: Sarfraz

LAHORE: While acknowledging that Virat Kohli-led Indian team were relatively stronger due to their overall experience, Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed on Wednesday said his men would utilise their experience of playing in the UAE at the Asia Cup being staged in the Emirates next month.

“Our team has relatively more experience of playing under UAE conditions and therefore we will try to take advantage of this experience in our Asia Cup match against India. On the other hand, Virat Kohli-XI is a stronger outfit as far as overall experience is concerned,” Sarfraz said while talking to reporters here at the LCCA ground where he led Pakistan Cricket Club in the semi-final of the Fazal Mahmood Inter-club Cricket tournament on Wednesday.

Interestingly, it would be the first Pakistan-India ODI since last year’s ICC Champions Trophy final at The Oval where Pakistan thrashed their traditional opponents by 180 runs to clinch their maiden title in style.

Sarfraz on the occasion also expressed his ignorance about the BCCI raising any objection over the schedule of India-Pakistan match in the Sept 15-28 Asia Cup.

“I have no information about the BCCI raising any objection over the schedule of India-Pakistan match,” the Pakistan skipper stated.

Pakistan are scheduled to meet India in their Asia Cup group ‘A’ match on Sept 19 in Dubai. While Sarfraz and his men will be playing that game after two-day rest, India will be facing their arch-rivals without any gap after featuring in their opening match against a qualifier on Sept 18.

“Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will also be good competitors at the Asia Cup as they are doing well at the international level,” noted Sarfraz.

The captain further said, “Currently, our primary focus is on the players’ physical fitness and in this regard a training camp [for the Asia Cup] is also being held from Sept 3.”

Meanwhile, the skipper said Pakistan after the Asia Cup would be facing two good teams — New Zealand and Australia — in the UAE in which he was expecting good performance from his team.

Answering a question, Sarfraz said Pakistan’s performance on England tours in the last few years — as a result of improved preparations — was better than that of the current Indian team

Commenting on the domestic cricket structure, Sarfraz hoped that prime minister-in-waiting Imran Khan would not close departmental cricket. Instead, the Pakistan captain emphasised, extra hard work was required to boost departmental cricket.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1427278/we-would-use-uae-experience-against-india-in-asia-cup-sarfraz