PAK v AUS 2018: Sarfraz Ahmed confident of winning Abu Dhabi Test

Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan have been replaced the injured Imam ul Haq and Wahab Riaz in the squad for final Test.

Sarfraz Ahmed and Tim Paine at Abu Dhabi | Getty Images

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed is confident that his team will come with their best in the second and final Test to win the match against Australia to be played from Tuesday (16 October) at Abu Dhabi.

A lot of questions have been raised on Ahmed’s captaincy and his own form after Pakistan failed to register a win over Australia in the first Test match, as Usman Khawaja’s heroics helped Australia escape with a hard-fought draw in Dubai.

However, Ahmed says “he is proud how his team responded in the first match” in Dubai, though admitted that there are lots of factors that are taken into consideration in a very short period of time, but at the moment, the morale in the camp is high and looking forward to the final encounter here.

Ahmed told media, “As a captain, I am confident of winning this Test match. As a captain, I am proud how my team responded in the first match. Things went well for us for four and a half days but unfortunately, we couldn't win the match. Credit goes to Australia. They fought really hard on the last day. But, the way we played the first Test match, I am very proud of my team.”

He further added about team’s state of mind before final Test, “There's no such fear [of losing]. The morale in the camp is high. All of our batsmen scored runs. Bowlers put up good performances. We have a good opportunity to perform well in this Test match and win the series.”

Meanwhile, the wicket-keeper batsman feels accountable for missing stumpings on more the one occasion, while his on-field tactics also raised a few eyebrows, as his reviews stood out against Pakistan.

The skipper further explained, “There are a lot of things that need to be taken into consideration while you are going for a review. We have only 15 seconds to make the call. So, I guess, some margin of error needs to be given for an error of judgment. Umpire's call plays a huge role when a review is taken. If it is given out and the review shows the ball clipping the bails, it is adjudged out. But, when it is not out, if the impact is minutely outside the line it will be given not out.”

He continued, “When it is LBW, it is usually the wicketkeeper and the bowler. But, the fielders in front of the batsman also play a role when it comes to reviewing a decision. Like, it happened in Mitch Marsh's case. After the umpire had missed that the ball clipped the pad first, it was our guy at the mid-on who thought that the ball had hit the pad first.”

Besides captaincy, there are questions about his form with the bat, as Ahmed has scored one half-century in 10 innings and averages below 20.

He signed off by saying, “I am concentrating on my batting and I am working hard in the nets. Whenever I get an opportunity to play a big inning for the team, I will grab it.”

(Input: Cricketnext Staff)

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 16 Oct, 2018

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