Srinagar: Pakistan star opener Imam ul Haq has said that their is no time for experimentation in the Pakistan team ahead of big tournament like World Cup 2023.
On Wednesday Pakistan beat New Zealand in third ODI in Karachi to seal series 3-0. It is first series win in ODI’s for Pakistan against Kiwis in 12 years.
Imam-ul-Haq scored 107-ball 90 while Babar Azam made an important contribution of 62-ball 54 for his 26th ODI half-century to guide Pakistan to 287-6 in their 50 overs.
“Every series before World Cup is very important. I felt good that we dominated and yes, it feels bittersweet not to score a century but I am glad we are doing well as a team. When you are representing Pakistan, there is pressure in any situation and you have to get out of that pressure and handle it well. Pressure handling is most important and this is where we sometimes lack so you have to take the pressure. The new openers are really good and talented and now they are playing in the middle order; there is no pressure about it but truth be told, it raises the competition and you are on your own toes and you should go one or two levels up in your performance and in terms of fitness and I think this healthy competition is good for the side,” said Imam-ul-Haq in post-match presser.
“My role is not of an anchor; One-day cricket has become fast now and if you see my last eight to nine matches, my strike rate is almost 100 and whoever gets a good ball, we go for the boundary. Wicket was playing a bit differently and we were all in Pindi’s mindset because the ball wasn’t coming very nicely onto the bat. Our plan (with Fakhar) was to score 50-60 runs without losing any wickets. We were aiming for 330 to 350 but by saying that conditions need to be factored in too. Today, the ball wasn’t coming well on the bat and Karachi’s wicket tends to stay on a bit slow side. I think if our top four batted a bit longer, we could have got to 300,” said Imam-ul-Haq.
Imam-ul-Haq doesn’t think there is much time to try different permutations and combinations considering there are only a handful of ODIs this year before the World Cup in India.
“Fakhar doesn’t speak much and Babar doesn’t stay quiet much so it’s a very different combo; it’s because Babar knows me really well and he knows what I am thinking.
“If you give someone a proper run, which has been the case in ODI cricket, then it yields good results and we have been playing together for 5-6 years, that’s why we are progressing as a side. I enjoy bating both with Fakhar and Babar; I have played with Fakhar for HBL and Babar is such a good friend and he doesn’t hold back when he has to offer advice.
“Fielding was under discussion in the last two ODIs and this is something that we have worked on it a lot in this heat. We haven’t played much ODI cricket in the past so that might have been a reason why we weren’t that switched on in the fielding but today I think our fielding was really good. Fielding and fitness are two areas that we are emphasising leading to the World Cup. We don’t have much ODI cricket this year so we don’t have a big room for experimentation. I think from 11 to 35 overs, we should pick more wickets there and that’s where we are struggling a bit. Sometimes, I think this is what is missing. If our spinners pick wickets in the middle phase then lots of things will work in our favour,” added Imam-ul-Haq.
“I think we have enough power-hitters in our side with Nawaz, Shadab, and Agha and we don’t have much time for experimentation. It’s just that we need to give them more confidence. Sometimes, it’s very hard to go big in the last six-seven overs. Maybe, it doesn’t show up in their stats because they only get to play a few overs….you saw how Agha scored 32 and also took a few wickets, he bowled superbly so I think we should give these players confidence…Nawaz and Shadab are fabulous all-rounders and indeed Haris and Iftikhar Bhai should be given chances but we don’t have enough games and before a World Cup, the more confidence our main players have the better it is for us. Maybe, Babar (Azam) is thinking on other lines but that’s what I opine,” concluded Imam-ul-Haq.