CHENNAI – Adapting to the new ODI rules will be ‘very difficult’ for both the bowlers and captain in the beginning of a match, Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq said here on Saturday.
The match between the two neighbours would be the first occasion when the new rules would be implemented. Asked how would they about in the three-match series, Misbah said his side will have to play positive cricket. "It is a very difficult scenario. At the beginning, both for the bowlers and the captain, it will be difficult to adapt because for a long time, this (the old) format has been in vogue," Misbah told reporters.
Under the new rules, one new ball will be used at each end, bowlers will be allowed two bouncers an over, there will be no batting Power Play, the bowling Power Play will have to be completed before the 40th over, and at no stage in the innings will more than four fielders be allowed outside the 30-yard circle. "To adapt will be difficult, there will be changes in the game - the way the batsmen play, the tactics of the bowlers and slowly, bowlers, batsmen and captains will come to grip with it. But at the start, it will definitely be difficult for everyone concerned," Misbah added.
"One thing we thought before coming here is that we have to play good positive cricket. Hopefully, we will play the same way in the ODIs as we played in T20s, be it in batting or bowling, play with the same kind of aggression."
About playing in this cricket-crazy country, he said the Pakistan team has always enjoyed the "thrill" of being involved in a match with India here. "It is always good to play in India because the people here really love watching cricket and specially India-Pakistan, we have always enjoyed the thrill, the people's interest. "It is good to play in an atmosphere like that. And I think without Sachin …everybody misses him, especially the Indian team as he has performed so well over the years. 49 centuries in this particular format...I think Indian team is going to miss him," Misbah said.
"I am very much a part of the side, we discuss a lot about the game, even about the T20 format and what Pakistan need to do, what the team should be. I think it's all just sharing of thought between the players and the management, so it doesn't matter," Misbah said.
And about the importance of having seniors in series like these, he said, "They are pressure games and Younus Khan is the guy who has always performed well against India. He knows what sort of demands there are when playing against India, playing in India. "He can just convey those to the younger players and they can benefit from that. I think seniors can just perform with the bat and also give advice to others..
"I think I have always maintained that your aggression should come out through your performance. There is no point in saying anything. Our bat and ball must do the talking. That is the message about your aggression. If you talk and don't perform, then there is no use of aggression. "My message to all the players is to focus on your performance. If you have to show aggression, do it by bowling at 140-150, or by playing good strokes and making a big score, take a good catch or make a good run out." Misbah defended Ajmal who conceded quite a few runs in the T20 game.
"Everyone can have one bad day. That day is over. ODI cricket is different. In T20 cricket, any bowler can get hit. When a batsman tries to hit out, any bowler can get hit..”
Indiam captain MS Dhoni rates the Pakistani side, especially its bowling, quite high but believes that the side which performs consistently will emerge as the winners in the three-match ODI series. "Overall, Pakistan is a very good team. Its combination is such that they have specialist bowlers and have five bowlers for a match. In a way I feel they have a complete bowling attack and they have experienced batsmen who can bat well in any conditions. The specialist spinners are also performing well," Dhoni said. "When it is compared to Indian team it is a very balanced side with talented players. Overall, which ever the team bats and bowls well for a long period of time will turn out to be well," Dhoni added.
Teams (from):
India: MS Dhoni (Capt.), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ashok Dinda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shami Ahmed, Amit Mishra.
Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (Capt.), Nasir Jamshed, M Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Younus Khan, Haris Sohail, Kamran Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal, Anwar Ali, Zulfiqar Babar, M Irfan, Shoaib Malik.