Arafat urges better powerplay batting

Pakistan’s all-rounder says stronger partnerships can help boost T20 totals

Pakistan’s emerging all-rounder Arafat Minhas has said that Green-shirts need to make better use of the powerplay and build early partnerships to post bigger totals in T20 cricket.

Reflecting on Pakistan’s batting approach, Arafat said the team had failed to capitalise on the opening overs as effectively as in previous matches.

“I think we didn’t capitalise on the powerplay like in previous games. We could have built partnerships early on in the innings; the total would have been 200 or 200 plus if we had a couple of partnerships,” he said.

Sri Lanka on Tuesday denied Pakistan whitewash when the visitors crushed the hosts by eight wickets in a one-sided game in Pindi.

Arafat explained that when he came to the crease, the captain was already settled, and the pair discussed building a partnership. He said Sahibzada Farhan guided him throughout the innings and he tried to give him as much of the strike as possible before taking the initiative himself.

“However, when I got set, I seized the opportunity and charged against the bowlers,” he added.

He also highlighted the growing importance of adapting to changes of pace in modern T20 cricket, saying teams needed to prepare for bowlers who increasingly rely on variations.

“Wherever you play T20 cricket, changes of pace and variations are now becoming common; I think we have to practise accordingly,” he said.

Explaining his bowling approach, Minhas said he focused on maintaining accurate lines and lengths to restrict the flow of runs and create wicket-taking opportunities.

“As a spinner, I tried to bowl in good areas and contain the run flow; that helped me create those wicket-taking chances,” he said.

Minhas also praised the support of the home crowd at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where he made his international debut, describing the atmosphere as a major advantage.

“It is always good to play in front of the home crowd. I made my debut at this venue. It is a huge advantage having fans’ support,” he said, adding that he particularly enjoyed playing at the Rawalpindi venue.

He said Pakistan’s 2-1 series victory was a collective effort that had boosted the team’s confidence, while the quality of cricket throughout the series had also been encouraging.

“The way we won the series 2-1, it was a team effort and gave us confidence; the level of cricket was also good,” he said.