Step up or fall back: Arthur’s warning to players in ODI squad

Head coach says no player has a fixed place in the team against England

Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur said on Friday that no player in the ODI squad has a fixed place in the team and every spot will be up for taking by a cricketer who can deliver.

“I said to the players this morning that nobody is safe,” said Arthur while addressing the press conference at Lord’s. “And if you are over 30, I am afraid you have to come to the table more often than not. Otherwise, it gives us the opportunity to play some younger players. So, nobody is a 100 per cent safe, and the guys know that. They need to step up.”

Yasir's prospects

Yasir is in consideration: Arthur. PHOTO: AFP

Pakistan lost the first ODI of the five-match series against England on Wednesday by 44 runs and Arthur believes the team needs someone to take wicket in the middle to restrict the hosts from scoring profusely – and who better than leggie Yasir Shah.

“Without a doubt yes; we have got to find a way to get Yasir Shah in,” he said. “We need to be able to take wickets through the middle overs; they are going to be key. Particularly playing against a side like England, who bat deep, the only way we are going to be stop them from scoring is by taking wickets. We have to that so Yasir becomes a big consideration.”

Azhar's meekness

Azhar scored 82 off 110 balls in first ODI against Englanad. PHOTO: REUTERS

Pakistan ODI captain Azhar Ali has been under scrutiny for being too defensive and Arthur thinks he needed to attack a little bit more than he did in the first ODI.

“We certainly spoke about that,” said Arthur. “We needed wickets the other night. We probably needed to attack just a little bit more. By the way I think Azhar is a fantastic captain; he will develop into a very good one. The good thing about Azhar is that he listens. We’ve had some lengthy chats about how are we going to take wickets and how we probably needed to attack a fraction more.”

Amir's fitness

Amir was wicket-less with figures of 0-33 in six overs. PHOTO: AFP

Left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir walked off the field in the first ODI while holding his side, however, according to Arthur it was just a cramp and his net session today will decide if he will be fit for tomorrow.

“I am not a 100 per cent sure,” he clarified. “He is going to run in and bowl. It isn’t that serious. Physio thought it was just a cramp. But he will have to go through today’s net session to be fully fit for tomorrow.”

Malik's role

Shoaib Malik was uninspirational with his 17 off 25. PHOTO: AFP

Veteran Shoaib Malik scored 17 runs off 25 balls in the first ODI at the number six position without hitting any boundary and when asked about his role, Arthur said the right-hand batsman has been appointed the finisher’s role in the team.

“We needed somebody to finish,” said Arthur. “Number six in the batting position is so important in one-day cricket. You need experience there. You need somebody who knows how to end the innings; whether that is in setting or chasing. So, we have given him [Malik] that role specifically because of his experience.”

Misfiring Pakistan

Sharjeel (16) was not able to reproduce the Ireland-bashing against Engalnd. PHOTO: REUTERS

On Pakistan’s lack of firepower in the lower-middle-order, Arthur said he will be working on the prospects but for now, team needs to formulate a plan with the 15 available players in the squad.

“I am going to work on that in the next couple of week; to try and give ourselves some sort of brand or some sort of style with which we can play,” he said. “I think we hit 24 fours, we didn’t hit a six but that is something we have to keep working on. I’ll see if we have got a young guy who can do that [hit big]. For now, what we’ve got is what we’ve got. We’ve got to formulate a plan to make that work for us.”