Coach Andy Flower expressed his confidence in England staging a swift comeback against Pakistan after losing the opening Test by 10 wickets inside three days.
Top-ranked England crumbled to 160 all out in their second-innings to go down in the three-match series.
‘We were outplayed’
It was the team’s first Test as world number one, a position they attained in August last year following a 4-0 rout of India.
“Pakistan certainly outplayed us by a long margin in this Test,” said Flower.
“We underperformed. However, we can come back from this. Is it a real test? Yes it will be. Beating Australia in Australia was [also] a big test.
“This team has done great things in the recent past, but we have to move on from the past and live in the present.”
England have not lost a series since losing to the West Indies in 2009 – Flower’s first after he took over from Peter Moores. The coach also disagreed that England were under-prepared or lacked application.
“I don’t think it’s either of those. Our preparations were excellent. Our challenge now is to get up to speed for the second Test.”
Strauss will bounce back: Flower
Meanwhile, Flower backed captain Andrew Strauss, who made 19 and six in the first Test, to regain his touch in time for the second Test.
“Strauss is a pretty calm person and I wouldn’t say he’s in poor form at all.
“He got out in the first-innings to a shot he wouldn’t want to repeat, and he was unlucky in the second. That’s how it goes sometimes. He’ll bounce back.”
The second Test of the three-match series starts in Abu Dhabi from January 25.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 21st, 2012.
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