Azhar vows to take English bowlers for a spin

Pakistan ODI captain welcomes veteran Younus Khan back in the squad

Pakistan ODI captain Azhar Ali said on Tuesday his team’s batsmen will target England’s inexperienced spinners when the two countries meet in the four-match one-day international series.

“We’ll try to dominate with the bat, especially the spinners who haven’t bowled much in the subcontinent and UAE conditions,” said Azhar.

“We’ll try to capitalise on that and put them under pressure.”



The hosts will have a more experienced line-up following veteran Younus Khan’s comeback after a gap of eight months in shorter formats.

“Younus is a legendary player, and his role has always been important for the team – not only in Tests but also in the one-dayers. His commitment level is great,” the Pakistani captain said.

“We welcome him into the team, and he always helps with his spirit. He’s a very fit guy, so we hope he can do well and then can carry on. We hope he plays how he has in the past,” he added.



“We welcome him into the team, and he always helps with his spirit. He’s a very fit guy, so we hope he can do well and then can carry on. We hope he plays how he has in the past.

Pakistan was thrashed 4-0 three years back when the English team visited UAE in 2012, even though the hosts clean-sweeped the visitors in the longest format. This time, Azhar is hoping that his young and improving team will carry momentum from good performances in the Test series to produce better results than last time.

“We’ve have won the Tests, so we want to take that morale into the ODIs and perform like that,” said Azhar on the eve of the first match of the series against England.



“Our Test team has been the same for the last five or six years, but in the ODI format a lot of new players have come in after the World Cup. I am new as captain, so I hope this team will settle,” he added.

The article originally appeared on The Guardian