Pak Can Beat Any Side, If Consistent: Azher Mehmood

Pakistan Bowling Coach Azher Mehmood has said that Pakistan team was capable of surmounting any opposition if they remained consistent and disciplined

BIRMINGHAM, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jun, 2019 ) :Pakistan Bowling Coach Azher Mehmood has said that Pakistan team was capable of surmounting any opposition if they remained consistent and disciplined.

Address pre-match conference at the Edgbaston Cricket Stadium here on Tuesday, he said the team must do their basics in fielding, batting and bowling right in order to succeed, adding the team was full of confidence after victory against South Africa.

On team's preparations against New Zealand, he said New Zealand were a very strong side and they had played a lot of cricket against each other in recent times, adding Pakistani needed to get early wickets while the top three batsmen must score upfront in order to beat New Zealand.

About New Zealand's jinx of performing poorly in crunch matches in big tournaments, the veteran former Pakistan all-rounder agreed that the New Zealand had a history of not doing well in crunch matches after they had done well in early part of the big tournaments, expressing the hope the New Zealand do not do well.

Regarding playing more spinners against New Zealand, he said Pak team had already played two spinners with Muhammad Hafeez as the third option and Haris Sohail could also bowl, adding that decision regarding playing more spinners or fast bowlers would be made according to the pitch condition in the morning. He said the team did not get a chance to have a look at the pitch due to wet outfield, adding Pakistan may play four seamers and include Muhammad Husnain if the pitch conditions demanded. "The team believed in consistency and there was no chance to replace Shaheen Shah Afridi with Muhammad Husnain," he added.

On similarity between Pak team's current progress and the World Cup 1992, he said some similarity could be drawn in in team's situation in the World Cup now and then, adding the CWC 19 was progressing on a different pattern as Australia were in a stronger position today but their situation in the WC 1992 was not that good then.

To a question, Azher said Pakistan team needed to improve their fielding standrads, adding that the team's ground fielding was good against South Africa but they could not hold on to catches. He said the teams do not drop catches intentionally, adding the English team had also dropped as many as 13 catches as compared with Pakistan's 13 in the tournament so far.

To a question, the team had played at Edgbaston during the Champions Trophy 2017 and had good idea of the pitch but the decision regarding plying eleven would be taken after pitch inspection by the team.

On public criticism in the wake of loss, Azher said the cricketers were more hurt on loss than the fans, adding that the fans must stay patient if the team lost and bear in mind that the team never want to lose.

On Hasan Ali, he said Hasan Ali was passing through a lean patch, adding that two or three wickets in a match would do a lot good to his confidence. He said Muhammad Amir did not do well after the Champions Trophy 2017 but he believed in himself and he was among the top-wicket takers in the CWC 19.

About Shoaib Malik, the Pakistan bowling catch said that Shoaib Malik was present at the practice session but he did not taken part in the optional training session like Muhammad Amir and Babar Azam.

To a question, he said Muhammad Amir, Mitchell Starc and Trent Boult were bowlers of high quality, adding that Starc had more pace than Muhammad Amir. He said Muhammad Amir and Boult were capable of bowling well in all conditions.