LAHORE – Pakistan former Test captain Zaheer Abbas has said that there is a dire need of improvement in Pakistan team’s fielding and bowling if they want to win Pakistan-Australia series as well as ICC T20 World Cup.
Talking to this scribe, Asian Bradman said: “The line and length of Australian bowlers is up to the mark while their fielding is superb therefore Pakistan players have to really strive hard in the batting and fielding departments.”
“Pakistan batsmen have to play long innings to help team pile up mammoth totals in order to give strength to the bowlers who need players’ support to take catches for victory,” he said. “Pakistan team has to work really hard against Australia to win the series and then go for the ICC T20 World Cup with great confidence. UAE conditions will also favour Pakistan team and they have good chances of winning the series.”
To a query regarding Pak U-19 team’s debacle in the Under 19 World Cup, Zaheer said: “All the U-19 lads are good players but the defeat against arch-rivals India disappointed them to larger extent and they lost their nerves and winning spirit therefore they faced two more consecutive defeats.”
Talking about new bowling coach M Akram’s appointment, he said that it was a good decision by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as the coach finding committee had chosen the best suitable coach for the national team.
“M Akram has a vast domestic and international coaching experience as he had worked as a coach with Allied Bank besides county teams coaching and I hope by applying his experience on senior and youngsters, he will help a lot in improving their bowling skills. The decision of one-year-contract for coach is also laudable as one year time is enough to adjudge the abilities of a coach and if he delivers then his contract can be extended,” Zaheer concluded.