Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq believes his side has a clear edge over South Africa in the two-Test series in the UAE, where extreme conditions will provide the ultimate test for number one-ranked tourists.
“No doubt, South Africa are the No. 1 side in the world but they are in the UAE. Here, it’s a different story, a different ball game altogether,” Misbah told reporters after an energy-sapping training session at the Shaikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
According to Misbah, South Africa’s strike force of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel will not be as effective as they were in their home conditions and the Pakistan batsmen need to take full advantage of it.
“Steyn and Philander are not going to enjoy the home advantage. They are not going to get that 10mm and 15mm grass that they had back home. But they are world-class bowlers and can perform under any circumstances. I believe if we apply ourselves like we did in 2010 against them here we can definitely get good results.”
Misbah’s comments come days after South Africa bowling coach Allan Donald warned the hosts of the threat posed by a super-fit Steyn who was “very eager and hungry to make a huge impact in this series.”
But the Pakistan captain seemed unperturbed by the mind games.
“Things will be difficult for the fast bowlers but conducive for spin bowling. So you could say the conditions are a bit more suitable for our side. Let’s hope we get something out of it and play hard cricket.”
On Pakistan’s uncertain batting line up, which is yet to decide on an opening partner for Khurram Manzoor, Misbah said, “Let’s hope some of the guys who are playing for Pakistan ‘A’ get some runs and get some confidence. It will be a boost for us then. Mohammad Hafeez was struggling for form but I still feel he could have added depth to the bowling in these conditions. Sometimes we have to take this sort of decision because it is really important for our team to get good starts.”
Pakistan has only named a 12-man squad for the Tests thus far. Ahmed Shehzad and Shan Masood will compete for the opening slot while the remaining two members will also be picked after the three-day game which ends on October 10.
The first Test starts in Abu Dhabi from October 14.
No comments:
Post a Comment