Abdullah719
T20I Captain
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2013
- Runs
- 44,825
"Younis, Misbah struggled a bit in Australia and that had a big effect on the team" : Sarfraz Ahmed
Sarfraz Ahmed recently speaking on TV:
"Thanks to God, my mother's health is much better and she has returned home."
"It was a bad feeling to lose the Test series in that manner as we gave a good account of ourselves on some occasions."
"It didn't feel nice to leave the team ahead of the ODI series but I was needed here. I talked to Azhar first and then told the management and they completely backed me."
"Irfan was brought into the team due to bouncy pitches so the thinking was that we could play with four pacers but sadly his mother passed away and we had to make some changes to the squad."
"Conditions in the Melbourne Test were very difficult when we were batting as there was always light rain and overcast conditions were helping the bowlers. I think Azhar Ali's innings was one of the best I've seen and you can't praise it enough. When they came out to bat, the conditions were completely opposite with the sun out. It's not an excuse but this is what happened."
"In the second Test in NZ, we had decided we would start safely and go for the chase if we had wickets in hand. I was promoted up the order but we lost a couple of quick wickets. Our plan was that if I got out at that point, then we wouldn't go for the chase but we kept losing wickets after that anyway."
"Grant Flower puts a lot of effort with us and works very hard. He gets very upset at these collapses and starts training hard and running laps to get rid of his anger. He talks a lot to us and does his best, whatever he thinks, he conveys to us. But we've made some mistakes and have been unable to handle pressure well."
"We spent 10 days in Cairns at the start of the Australia tour but the pitches we got for practice were slower pitches than what we have at Sharjah. We had started using the marble slab to try and get used to the expected level of bounce."
"We need a longer period for the foreign tours to prepare, similar to how we went to England almost a month beforehand. The schedule was also too cramped up."
"Younis bhai and Misbah bhai have been the backbone and key players of this team in the past few years. When they perform, the whole team is lifted up. They weren't in form and struggled a bit in Australia and that had a big effect on the team. I don't feel that their reflexes are declining, they are still super fit."
"Misbah bhai has done a lot for Pakistan cricket and he can't be praised enough. He was a bit down after the Melbourne loss due to his lack of performance but he is a mentally strong person and I am sure he will bounce back strongly."
"Younis and Misbah are role models for Pakistan cricket and we have had the opportunity to learn a lot from them. They work extremely hard and should be persisted with as long as they are fit and willing to play."
"You can improve with training with the team coaches and at the NCA but to really improve fitness, you need to focus on your individual fitness when you're away from the team. We are doing work on this and Mickey Arthur has put a lot of emphasis on it recently while Waqar bhai did that previously as well."
"I have gone through a process in terms of captaincy, captaining at U19 department level, then Zone, then Grade-II and further on. I wasn't expecting to be given T20 captaincy though I was learning a lot under Shahid bhai's captaincy in 2015."
"I consider it a very important part of captaincy for myself and the players to have a good understanding so that communication is good. In the first team meeting, I made it clear that if anyone has a problem, he should feel free to discuss it with me. People shouldn't go around saying things to others as one person with bad intentions can spoil the whole team."
"The players have responded very well so far in the four matches we have played. Our plans have been executed well and thus the results have been good."
"Azhar and myself have a great understanding as we have played together since a long time even before international cricket. People talk about me being captain etc. but these type of things don't affect our relationship at all."
"Ex-cricketers say what they think and they say what they think will be for the betterment of Pakistan cricket. But I feel that Azhar is giving his maximum effort. Sometimes there is a lot of pressure on him but he doesn't let it get to him and remains calm. I give him advice at times and he is very willing to listen."
"Cricket is changing now and we are trying to adapt to the higher strike-rates and we still need to improve on that. Waqar bhai emphasised that when he was coach as well. We are managing to string together good partnerships at times but we aren't making them as large as they should be to take the game deep. We have started scoring 300 or close to it but we aren't finishing that well so hopefully we can get some good results in future."
"It's a good sign that the youngsters who are coming into the team like Babar, Hasan and Nawaz are being given an extended run of games and they are improving as a result."
"Before the 2015 World Cup, we played a couple of matches vs NZ and I didn't perform well. Also, in those matches we were relying on someone like Haris Sohail to bowl 10 overs. When we began in the WC, the management decided that we need another bowling option thus it was decided we'd play five batsmen with Umar keeping wickets. I didn't feel like any injustice was being done with me."
"During the World Cup, that dialogue of 'Sarfraz dhoka nahi day ga' came up so when I eventually got a chance to play, I was under pressure for my performance and also that if I failed, people would say 'Sarfraz nay dhoka dey diya'. Thankfully I performed."
"When I returned from Hajj during the Zimbabwe tour, I was asked to take rest but I informed the selectors that I would be available for the ODIs. I knew they wanted me to rest as Hajj can be very gruelling but I was thinking that if the player who replaces me does well, then I may find it difficult to get back into the team."
"I was a bit insecure because I had been dropped for some T20 matches before the Zimbabwe tour after performing well in ODIs and I was concerned about what would happen if my replacement performed well."
"When I have played since 2015, there has been another wicket-keeper alongside me in the form of Rizwan. When there isn't a backup, sometimes you can get relaxed but when he's there, you have to be mindful that if you don't perform well, there is a replacement ready."
"I haven't taken this as a negative, I feel it's like motivation to keep my performance at an optimum level. I have a very good understanding with Rizwan and we respect each other a lot."
"I had a good understanding with Waqar bhai too but the six months that I have spent with Mickey Arthur has resulted in a very good relationship between us."
"I don't think any cricketer should think that he's performed well a couple of times and his spot is secure. We have learnt from our elders that you should forget your past performances and think about what you'll do in future."
"Imad has been playing with since U19 level and he always remains positive which is a good trait. He's very confident all the time and I have never seen any incident which would suggest he has attitude problems."
"Since Mickey Arthur has come, we try to decide on the playing XI beforehand and if not, we decide on 12 players on the day before the match and then 11 are played from that 12 based on pitch conditions."
"Arthur and Rixon gave us quite a lot of insight as they have worked with Australia cricket before. They have a lot of knowledge about the ground and pitches. Steve Rixon called Michael Clarke to speak to us before the Brisbane Test so they all gave us some guidance."
"My focus is on my wicket-keeping, I always feel good once I keep well and that brings confidence to me batting. Wicket-keeping is the first priority and Rixon works with me a lot. I keep talking to Moin bhai and Rashid bhai as well. I have had a few lapses and I am looking to overcome them."
"I feel that Yasir Shah has had a lot of success while working with Mushy bhai and perhaps he missed him during the Australia tour. The Australians knew he's our main bowler and that if they attack him, the pacers will have to bowl more often. We had a similar plan, to attack Lyon so that the fast-bowlers need to bowl more. Similarly, they attacked Yasir and I feel he missed Mushtaq Ahmed."
"Yasir did get a lot of guidance and advice from the management and they had sessions with him but perhaps there was just something small missing that Mushy bhai could have helped him with as he is also a leg-spinner like Yasir."
"Danish bhai had a lot of strength in his hand and he was taller. He got a lot of loop and turned the ball a lot. Yasir is more round-arm and his strength is the line he bowls. Younis bhai says that he was just starting to become a very good bowler before the incident and would have done well in UAE if he was playing. In Pakistan, you need to wait for the latter stages of the game for the ball to turn but in UAE, it turns from Day 1 or 2."
"I have nothing to do with external selection, I only offer advice on the playing field or regarding playing XI. I did not give any input on the possibility of selecting Kamran Akmal. I am concerned about myself. The coach, captain and selectors decide about selections."
Sarfraz Ahmed recently speaking on TV:
"Thanks to God, my mother's health is much better and she has returned home."
"It was a bad feeling to lose the Test series in that manner as we gave a good account of ourselves on some occasions."
"It didn't feel nice to leave the team ahead of the ODI series but I was needed here. I talked to Azhar first and then told the management and they completely backed me."
"Irfan was brought into the team due to bouncy pitches so the thinking was that we could play with four pacers but sadly his mother passed away and we had to make some changes to the squad."
"Conditions in the Melbourne Test were very difficult when we were batting as there was always light rain and overcast conditions were helping the bowlers. I think Azhar Ali's innings was one of the best I've seen and you can't praise it enough. When they came out to bat, the conditions were completely opposite with the sun out. It's not an excuse but this is what happened."
"In the second Test in NZ, we had decided we would start safely and go for the chase if we had wickets in hand. I was promoted up the order but we lost a couple of quick wickets. Our plan was that if I got out at that point, then we wouldn't go for the chase but we kept losing wickets after that anyway."
"Grant Flower puts a lot of effort with us and works very hard. He gets very upset at these collapses and starts training hard and running laps to get rid of his anger. He talks a lot to us and does his best, whatever he thinks, he conveys to us. But we've made some mistakes and have been unable to handle pressure well."
"We spent 10 days in Cairns at the start of the Australia tour but the pitches we got for practice were slower pitches than what we have at Sharjah. We had started using the marble slab to try and get used to the expected level of bounce."
"We need a longer period for the foreign tours to prepare, similar to how we went to England almost a month beforehand. The schedule was also too cramped up."
"Younis bhai and Misbah bhai have been the backbone and key players of this team in the past few years. When they perform, the whole team is lifted up. They weren't in form and struggled a bit in Australia and that had a big effect on the team. I don't feel that their reflexes are declining, they are still super fit."
"Misbah bhai has done a lot for Pakistan cricket and he can't be praised enough. He was a bit down after the Melbourne loss due to his lack of performance but he is a mentally strong person and I am sure he will bounce back strongly."
"Younis and Misbah are role models for Pakistan cricket and we have had the opportunity to learn a lot from them. They work extremely hard and should be persisted with as long as they are fit and willing to play."
"You can improve with training with the team coaches and at the NCA but to really improve fitness, you need to focus on your individual fitness when you're away from the team. We are doing work on this and Mickey Arthur has put a lot of emphasis on it recently while Waqar bhai did that previously as well."
"I have gone through a process in terms of captaincy, captaining at U19 department level, then Zone, then Grade-II and further on. I wasn't expecting to be given T20 captaincy though I was learning a lot under Shahid bhai's captaincy in 2015."
"I consider it a very important part of captaincy for myself and the players to have a good understanding so that communication is good. In the first team meeting, I made it clear that if anyone has a problem, he should feel free to discuss it with me. People shouldn't go around saying things to others as one person with bad intentions can spoil the whole team."
"The players have responded very well so far in the four matches we have played. Our plans have been executed well and thus the results have been good."
"Azhar and myself have a great understanding as we have played together since a long time even before international cricket. People talk about me being captain etc. but these type of things don't affect our relationship at all."
"Ex-cricketers say what they think and they say what they think will be for the betterment of Pakistan cricket. But I feel that Azhar is giving his maximum effort. Sometimes there is a lot of pressure on him but he doesn't let it get to him and remains calm. I give him advice at times and he is very willing to listen."
"Cricket is changing now and we are trying to adapt to the higher strike-rates and we still need to improve on that. Waqar bhai emphasised that when he was coach as well. We are managing to string together good partnerships at times but we aren't making them as large as they should be to take the game deep. We have started scoring 300 or close to it but we aren't finishing that well so hopefully we can get some good results in future."
"It's a good sign that the youngsters who are coming into the team like Babar, Hasan and Nawaz are being given an extended run of games and they are improving as a result."
"Before the 2015 World Cup, we played a couple of matches vs NZ and I didn't perform well. Also, in those matches we were relying on someone like Haris Sohail to bowl 10 overs. When we began in the WC, the management decided that we need another bowling option thus it was decided we'd play five batsmen with Umar keeping wickets. I didn't feel like any injustice was being done with me."
"During the World Cup, that dialogue of 'Sarfraz dhoka nahi day ga' came up so when I eventually got a chance to play, I was under pressure for my performance and also that if I failed, people would say 'Sarfraz nay dhoka dey diya'. Thankfully I performed."
"When I returned from Hajj during the Zimbabwe tour, I was asked to take rest but I informed the selectors that I would be available for the ODIs. I knew they wanted me to rest as Hajj can be very gruelling but I was thinking that if the player who replaces me does well, then I may find it difficult to get back into the team."
"I was a bit insecure because I had been dropped for some T20 matches before the Zimbabwe tour after performing well in ODIs and I was concerned about what would happen if my replacement performed well."
"When I have played since 2015, there has been another wicket-keeper alongside me in the form of Rizwan. When there isn't a backup, sometimes you can get relaxed but when he's there, you have to be mindful that if you don't perform well, there is a replacement ready."
"I haven't taken this as a negative, I feel it's like motivation to keep my performance at an optimum level. I have a very good understanding with Rizwan and we respect each other a lot."
"I had a good understanding with Waqar bhai too but the six months that I have spent with Mickey Arthur has resulted in a very good relationship between us."
"I don't think any cricketer should think that he's performed well a couple of times and his spot is secure. We have learnt from our elders that you should forget your past performances and think about what you'll do in future."
"Imad has been playing with since U19 level and he always remains positive which is a good trait. He's very confident all the time and I have never seen any incident which would suggest he has attitude problems."
"Since Mickey Arthur has come, we try to decide on the playing XI beforehand and if not, we decide on 12 players on the day before the match and then 11 are played from that 12 based on pitch conditions."
"Arthur and Rixon gave us quite a lot of insight as they have worked with Australia cricket before. They have a lot of knowledge about the ground and pitches. Steve Rixon called Michael Clarke to speak to us before the Brisbane Test so they all gave us some guidance."
"My focus is on my wicket-keeping, I always feel good once I keep well and that brings confidence to me batting. Wicket-keeping is the first priority and Rixon works with me a lot. I keep talking to Moin bhai and Rashid bhai as well. I have had a few lapses and I am looking to overcome them."
"I feel that Yasir Shah has had a lot of success while working with Mushy bhai and perhaps he missed him during the Australia tour. The Australians knew he's our main bowler and that if they attack him, the pacers will have to bowl more often. We had a similar plan, to attack Lyon so that the fast-bowlers need to bowl more. Similarly, they attacked Yasir and I feel he missed Mushtaq Ahmed."
"Yasir did get a lot of guidance and advice from the management and they had sessions with him but perhaps there was just something small missing that Mushy bhai could have helped him with as he is also a leg-spinner like Yasir."
"Danish bhai had a lot of strength in his hand and he was taller. He got a lot of loop and turned the ball a lot. Yasir is more round-arm and his strength is the line he bowls. Younis bhai says that he was just starting to become a very good bowler before the incident and would have done well in UAE if he was playing. In Pakistan, you need to wait for the latter stages of the game for the ball to turn but in UAE, it turns from Day 1 or 2."
"I have nothing to do with external selection, I only offer advice on the playing field or regarding playing XI. I did not give any input on the possibility of selecting Kamran Akmal. I am concerned about myself. The coach, captain and selectors decide about selections."
