ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Skipper Babar Azam believes the absence of Hassan Ali and Faheem Ashraf might have disturbed the team’s combination a bit, but hoped that the top order was in good form to give tough time to Australia.
“The absence of Hassan and Faheem has disturbed our combination a bit as Faheem contributed both in batting and bowling while Hassan is one of the best bowlers who have made us win matches.
But our focus is to play the best combination and our top batters Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam and Mohammad Rizwan are in form, so I’m hopeful that we will play good cricket and give tough time to Australia. No doubt Australia is a top team and we cannot take them easy, but we have planned and you will see good cricket,” he said in a pre-match presser on Thursday.
He said players prepared well in the training camp at Karachi. “We have not prepared the final 11 yet, we will see the pitch on Friday and decide. Definitely fast bowlers get help on Rawalpindi wicket but spinners do have an important role to play there.”
The prolific batter said we would try to continue the Bangladesh series win momentum. “The matches will be tough matches but we will utilize the home conditions. Though our main players have suffered setbacks but it goes on. We keep that aside and focus on cricket.”
He said we would rely on our Playing 11 and he was confident to give his best. “We will see the next week’s weather and will go in the morning and decide the final 11.”
On playing spinner Yasir Shah, he said there was his injury issue, but he was called in the camp and he is in the reserves. “He hasn’t played cricket from the past one or two months but work on his fitness is underway, as he’s one of the best bowlers who has won many matches for Pakistan. We will utilize him wherever we’ll need him after he gets 100 percent fit.”
Azam said as a captain his focus was to take work from the team and make Pakistan win through performance.
