England holds no fears for Pakistan, says Azhar

ODI skipper believes side can perform well despite difficult and alien conditions

KARACHI: ODI captain Azhar Ali has said Pakistan are up for the daunting tour of England as the skills camp in Lahore continues without new head coach Mickey Arthur, who is waiting for his Australian citizenship before travelling to Pakistan.

Footages from the camp show chief selector Inzamamul Haq working with the batsmen to improve their technique in order to help them face the England bowling line-up in conditions favourable to fast-bowlers.

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The team’s probables had earlier been part of a rigorous training camp organised by army trainers in Abbottabad.

“We’ve played competitive cricket in England before and there is no reason why we can’t do well again,” said Azhar, while speaking to media in Lahore. “It’s always a challenging tour, but it’s important to believe in our own ability and play well as a team. If everyone chips in then we will do well.”

Pakistan have been playing their best cricket in the game’s longest format under the astute leadership of Misbahul Haq, with the playing eleven much more settled than those of the two limited-over formats.



Younus Khan, Misbah, Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar, Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed are part of an increasingly familiar batting line-up, while the bowling is usually a combination of Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali and Junaid Khan.

To boost the bowling attack, Mohammad Amir will be playing Test cricket for the first time since a five-year ban for his involvement in the spot-fixing scandal in England.

Azhar stated that Pakistan’s recent record in Tests means they have little to fear. “We’ve been doing well in Test cricket for the last two years so confidence is high,” he said. “The Test side is more settled as compared to the ODI and T20I outfits. The aim is to go there and perform well in tough conditions.”



And the 31-year-old is confident that the visitors’ bowling attack can match England’s. “A lot depends on the weather; the spinners get purchase on those tracks when it’s dry, as well as on the final three days,” he said. “The way our spinners have been performing, they can cause problems to English batsmen in their own backyard as well.”

Azhar also revealed the players are trying to get used to the Duke balls used in England and are also working on batting for long sessions during their skills camp.

With Hafeez yet to recover from a knee injury, Azhar said he is willing to go further up the order and open the innings.

“If there is a need for me or anyone else to play in any slot, then I’m sure we will all be ready to serve our team, though our batting positions are very consistent in Tests,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2016.

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