SHARJAH – Pakistan coach Waqar Younis hopes his team will use Sunday’s big win over New Zealand as a springboard to eradicate the inconsistency that has plagued them in recent years. After winning the first One Day International (ODI) of the series against the Black Caps in Dubai, Pakistan lost the second in Sharjah before bouncing back with a record score of 364 for seven in their 147-run victory that ensured they regained the lead in the five-match series ahead of Wednesday’s fourth match in Abu Dhabi. He said: “There is plenty to work on to remove the tag of unpredictability and we are working towards it. “We are developing a good team and there are still many loopholes to be filled. Just because we made so many runs and because we won with such a huge margin does not make us world beaters. We may not win consistently, but at least I want the team to perform consistently.” When asked how inspiring it was for his team to break the record for highest the ODI score at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, he said: “I think the happy part is that all our batsmen have scored runs. “Getting 360-odd runs on a pitch where the ball was coming on nicely and Shahid Afridi batting very well, is good. The fact that all my batsmen are chipping in is more heartening for me.” He had a tough time from Pakistan journalists on the form of Younis Khan in one-dayers and Sarfraz Ahmad’s skills as a wicketkeeper. Some expressed concern over Younis, who is in stupendous form in Test matches but has been unable to carry that into the one-dayers. “Younis played a run-a-ball innings [35 from 39]. We are looking for someone in the middle-order whom others can play around. We need someone experienced and he is perfect for it.” He has got an amazing record and amazing technique. “I feel he needs a few more runs to get his confidence back in one-dayers, but we know Younis of the past and such a knock is just around the corner, about to come.” Sarfraz dropped two catches and he said: “There is no extra pressure on Sarfraz due to his batting. One should understand that we are playing continuously for the last three months in five Test matches, eight one-dayers and also a few Twenty20 matches. So some small mistakes are bound to happen. “Sarfraz is a wonderful wicketkeeper and he is a fighter and has plenty to offer. He needs improvement in his keeping and he is working on it.” He insists the team is going through a testing time due to the loss of key players like Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez, who can’t bowl due to ICC bans, ahead of next year’s World Cup. “Hafeez’s loss as a bowler is a big one as we had also lost Saeed Ajmal. There are many loopholes and so we are trying to develop some bowlers like Haris Sohail. He has picked up wickets and his confidence is coming back,” he said. “It is still a work in progress and we are not perfect yet when we talk about our bowling side.”
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 17:32:53 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015