Pakistan’s veteran batsman Mohammad Hafeez in his recent interaction talked about batsmen who face the majority of the balls in T20 cricket should take their team home and if the team loses, these batsmen should be blamed and not those who face just 8-10 balls in a match.
“Significantly, in T20 cricket, if your opener, No. 3 and 4 bat 40-50 balls, it’s their responsibility to take the team to a par total from where they can win a match. If they are unable to do that, it is their mistake," Hafeez told Cricket Pakistan.
"I feel in T20 cricket, intent plays the most important role. It cannot be a case where two players play with one intent and the others with a different intent. The entire team needs to follow one process and have the same intent for a T20 game."
"If a batter faces 40-50 balls and the team doesn’t win, whether he is batting at the opening slot or at No. 6, that is where the problem lies. Any cricketer from any side, when he plays more balls, there is a greater responsibility on him to win games for the team,” he added.
The right-hand batsman then talked about how Pakistan middle-order needs to perform but is not being given enough chances to secure their spot in the team.
"In T20 cricket, your failures will come to the fore. But both the management and players must absorb it. If you are playing a role for the team and your intent is to do what the team requires, they such players must be backed," the right-hander said.
“You are not allowing your middle-order to settled down at all. In the last year, at least 8-10 players have been in and out of the squad. We shouldn’t be doing this. If you are bringing someone on the basis of his success in domestic cricket, give him a fair chance to prove himself,” the 40-year-old added.
The all-rounder then pointed out that players who face 4-7 balls are often blamed after losing the match.
“Even if a middle-order batsman gets 10 balls to play, we start pointing out at his average. We need to actually judge him on the kind of intent he showed during those few balls. We blame those who have faced only 4-7 balls,” the all-rounder concluded.
The right-hand batsman then talked about how intent is important in T20 games and how Pakistan team management needs to back talent.
"I feel in T20 cricket, intent plays the most important role. It cannot be a case where two players play with one intent and the others with a different intent. The entire team needs to follow one process and have the same intent for a T20 game.
In T20 cricket, your failures will come to the fore. But both the management and players must absorb it. If you are playing a role for the team and your intent is to do what the team requires, they such players must be backed,” he concluded.
(With Cricket Pakistan Inputs)
