Finding the right balance: All-rounders Imad, Haris being missed, says Azhar

ODI skipper deems loss of players to injuries as main reason behind team re-shuffling

KARACHI:

Pakistan ODI captain Azhar Ali has said the loss of injured all-rounders Imad Wasim and Haris Sohail has disturbed the balance of the team and is one of the main reasons why the think tank has not been able to field a settled combination in the ongoing ODI series against England.

The 30-year-old defended the team’s performance in the last two one-dayers, which saw Pakistan surrender their 1-0 lead to go behind 2-1 in the four-match series, insisting that the situation demanded changes in the side and that the men in green would soon bounce back.

“Our balance has been badly disturbed by the injury to Imad because he was proving to be a game changer and someone who brought the right balance to the team,” Azhar told The Express Tribune from UAE. “Unluckily, Imad got unfit while another important all-rounder, Haris, is yet to recover. Mohammad Hafeez is banned from bowling
so our work as a think tank has been cut out and people need to understand that we need the sixth bowling option as well.

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“All we want to do is to try players who can help us find a stable core for the longer run and I think that the time is right to do it. I’m pretty sure that we will bounce back to level the series.”

The ODI skipper also faced heavy criticism for under-bowling Mohammad Irfan and Wahab Riaz, who had seven overs left between them, but Azhar rubbished the claims, insisting that the decision was taken with the consent of both bowlers.

“Both Irfan and Wahab felt that in their second spells, neither was the ball zipping off the pitch nor the cutters were gripping, hence the only viable option was to get the spinners in the fray,” he explained.

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Asked whether the off-field issues, such as injuries, retirement of Younus Khan and expectations of captaincy, were playing their part in Azhar’s average of 8, 22 and 36, the skipper replied: “Not at all because when I’m batting out in the middle, my focus is on the match and nothing else. I’m extremely eager to contribute to Pakistan’s victory.”

Ever since Azhar has taken over as ODI captain, a lot has happened too quickly for him.

In his first assignment, a relatively young Pakistan team was whitewashed by Bangladesh while the team barely managed to beat Zimbabwe at home in the three-match ODI series.

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However, stuck in a must-win situation to qualify for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan won hearts when they beat Sri Lanka — another team in transition — with a slim 3-2 margin to go through while a 2-1 win over Zimbabwe followed.

The 1992 world champions have been urged by the team management, led by head coach Waqar Younis, to play a positive, attacking brand of cricket, but not much of that has come to pass of late and Azhar admits that it is taking time to grasp the approach in its entirety.

Meanwhile the captain brushed aside claims that opener Ahmed Shahzad, who has missed the entire England series, was being punished for his behaviour by the management.

“There is no such issue and Shehzad remains an important player for Pakistan,” said Azhar. “We all know his ability but in trying to play a sixth bowler, we haven’t been able to include him and this is why Iftikhar Ahmad has been given the run.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2015.

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