Azhar Ali Highlights Bowling Challenges as Key Factor in Pakistan’s Performance Against Australia
A former Test cricketer says Pakistan didn’t do well against Australia mainly because they couldn’t get them out while bowling.
Azhar Ali, who used to be the captain of the Test team, says the reason why Pakistan is not doing well in Australia is because their fast bowlers are not performing up to the mark.
In an interview with Geo News during the President’s Trophy, Azhar emphasized that Pakistan is facing difficulties in Australia because they are unable to dismiss the Australian team by taking wickets.
Pointing out the team’s not-so-great bowling, he explained, “In some matches, our batsmen did well, but our bowlers couldn’t get Australia out. It’s been a while since Pakistani bowlers managed to dismiss Australia twice in one match, and that’s the issue.”
He made these comments when the Pakistani team, in their attempt to chase a 450-run target, got out for just 89 runs. Saud Shakeel was the highest scorer with 24 runs.
Pakistani bowlers have managed to take 20 wickets against Australia in their home ground only twice – once in 1995 and then again in 2010.
“People might point out that Pakistan got bowled out for 89 runs in Perth, but I believe the pitch had become challenging with uneven bounce by the time Pakistan batted. Considering Australia’s fast bowlers, I think our batting collapse was not surprising,” Azhar stated.
The ex-captain mentioned that Pakistan can bounce back in the series, but it will depend on the bowlers taking more responsibility.
Azhar emphasized the need for Pakistan to restrict Australia to under 300 runs if they want to defeat the Kangaroos.
“I believe our Pakistani batsmen can achieve scores of around 450 to 475. However, it is crucial for Pakistan that the bowlers can limit Australia to a smaller total,” he mentioned.
The former player also mentioned that Pakistan should have included one more specialist bowler instead of playing two all-rounders, Faheem Ashraf and Salman Agha.
“If you aim to take wickets, it’s essential to go with specialist bowlers,” he stated.
Azhar Ali recently achieved his 49th first-class century during a President’s Trophy match for SNGPL against Ghani Glass.
Discussing his recent cricket endeavors, the ex-Test cricketer disclosed that he hasn’t been practicing much but expressed his joy at scoring a century.
Even though he’s aiming for his 50th century in first-class cricket, Azhar Ali has no intentions of coming out of retirement.
“I might have retired a bit earlier, but I felt it was the right time. I wanted to leave the game on a positive note and create opportunities for new players,” he explained.
