Pakistan coach Waqar Younis regrets that the allegations that surfaced during the England tour have overshadowed the performance of the players and that the team was never appreciated for their cricket.
“I am satisfied with the team’s performance in our tour of England,” Younis told The Express Tribune. “The players all played good cricket but their performance was ignored after the spot-fixing outrage.
“Nobody appreciated Mohammad Amir and his outstanding bowling, Salman Butt and the authority with which he was batting or Azhar Ali, just to name a few. But instead, once the claims came out all their efforts were overshadowed and no one was appreciated for their individual performances in England’s tough conditions.”
High hopes against South Africa
However Younis was eager to put the spot-fixing claims aside and is now aiming for a good show as they face South Africa later this month. Pakistan will be competing against South Africa in two Twenty20 Internationals, five One-Day Internationals and two Test matches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi starting from October 26. “We have set up a six-day camp from October 17 before departing for the UAE on October 23,” added Younis.
Younis also seems to have chalked out his main priority for what he claims may be a weak spot in the team. “Although I am placing emphasis on the three departments of batting, bowling and fielding – fielding, once again is our highest priority as it has never been good,” said Younis. “Fielding has been an issue for Pakistan. I see weak fielding in the ongoing domestic Twenty20 championship as well even though it is a vital aspect of the game and if you start working on it at the lower levels it can help you at the top at the international level.”
The coach has welcomed the appointment of middle-order batsman Misbahul Haq as captain. “No doubt, Misbah is very humble as captain and has a good cricketing mind, but the important thing is how he will be fare with the bat against South Africa.”
