Our bowlers can challenge Indian batting: Hafeez
25 Dec 2012 1:43 AM GMT
Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez today said that his team has a good mixture of fast and spin bowlers who can pose questions to the Indian batsmen in the five-match limited overs series, starting with the Twenty20 encounter here on Tuesaday.
‘Indian batting is well known all over the world being extremely good. But winning or losing does not depend only on batting. Bowling will also have a major role. When we see our team, both batting and bowling is very good. So, our bowlers can negotiate the strong Indian batting line-up,’ Hafeez said.
Hafeez said the team has prepared well for the series and is looking forward to the match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. ‘We are very much ready and looking for good, positive results for our country,’ he said.
Hafeez said the selectors wanted to give opportunities to youngsters who have done well in the last couple of years at the domestic level.
‘It will be a good experience for them in India because the crowds are always good. So the pressure is always there, but you have to handle it. Our team is a mix of both experience and youth. We have Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal. It is a mixture of seniors and juniors,’ he said.
On Afridi’s poor run with the bat, Hafeez said there is no doubt that in the recent past he has not done well, but added that he is still a match winner.
Hafeez said Sayeed Ajmal is bowling very well at the moment and getting the results for Pakistan.
‘We want him to stay at the peak. We don’t want to put too much pressure on him. At the same time, other bowlers also have to do and take wickets to give confidence to him,’ he said.
‘INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE MATTERS’
Toss and pitch were distinctly missing from his utterances as Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni turned his focus on performance of the players, asking them to make themselves count in the limited-overs series against Pakistan starting here on Tuesday. ‘It will be important to see how individuals perform, what kind of a platform they give each other. The part-timers also need to contribute at the same time. Both teams are evenly placed and the team that plays better will win,’ he said. ‘We do not set a target before the start of the match, but plan it after every five to six overs to get it going.’
‘Indian batting is well known all over the world being extremely good. But winning or losing does not depend only on batting. Bowling will also have a major role. When we see our team, both batting and bowling is very good. So, our bowlers can negotiate the strong Indian batting line-up,’ Hafeez said.
Hafeez said the team has prepared well for the series and is looking forward to the match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. ‘We are very much ready and looking for good, positive results for our country,’ he said.
Hafeez said the selectors wanted to give opportunities to youngsters who have done well in the last couple of years at the domestic level.
‘It will be a good experience for them in India because the crowds are always good. So the pressure is always there, but you have to handle it. Our team is a mix of both experience and youth. We have Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal. It is a mixture of seniors and juniors,’ he said.
On Afridi’s poor run with the bat, Hafeez said there is no doubt that in the recent past he has not done well, but added that he is still a match winner.
Hafeez said Sayeed Ajmal is bowling very well at the moment and getting the results for Pakistan.
‘We want him to stay at the peak. We don’t want to put too much pressure on him. At the same time, other bowlers also have to do and take wickets to give confidence to him,’ he said.
‘INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE MATTERS’
Toss and pitch were distinctly missing from his utterances as Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni turned his focus on performance of the players, asking them to make themselves count in the limited-overs series against Pakistan starting here on Tuesday. ‘It will be important to see how individuals perform, what kind of a platform they give each other. The part-timers also need to contribute at the same time. Both teams are evenly placed and the team that plays better will win,’ he said. ‘We do not set a target before the start of the match, but plan it after every five to six overs to get it going.’
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