Misbah sees bright future despite Sri Lanka defeat
Captain Misbah-ul Haq Saturday said Pakistan's future was secure with
the emergence of promising young players despite losing the Test and
one-day series on their tour of Sri Lanka.
Pakistan lost the five-match one-day series 3-1 and three-Tests 1-0
on the tour which ended on Thursday. They levelled a two-match Twenty20
series 1-1. The Test defeat ended Pakistan's unbeaten run of seven
series since losing to England on the 2010 tour which was marred by
spot-fixing allegations in the Lord's Test.
That unbeaten streak also included a 3-0 whitewash of world number
one Test team England earlier this year.
Misbah, who captained Pakistan since their defeat against England in
2010, deplored the defeats on the Sri Lanka tour.
“Defeats in the one-days and Tests are disappointing,” Misbah told
reporters on the team's return home Saturday.
“We could have won the one-day series but our fielding let us down in
the last two matches.” Pakistan hired former Australian batsman Dav
Whatmore as head coach and Englishman Julien Fountain as fielding coach
earlier this year, but their fielding has still been a gray area.
“The Test defeat was also unfortunate. But the performance of young
players like Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Junaid Khan assured Pakistan has
a good future,” said Misbah.
“Our junior players did very well in the Tests. Ali, Shafiq and
Junaid have done well in the series and with their performance we can
say that our future is secure,” said Misbah.
“In difficult situations these players performed well for us. The way
Adnan Akmal played (in Pallekele Test) with a fractured finger is a good
sign. Junaid is a big plus.”
Ali scored two hundreds in the Tests, while Shafiq hit a match-saving
century in the final Test at Pallekele which ended in a draw.
Sri Lanka won the first Test in Galle by 209 runs while the rain-hit
second Test in Colombo also ended without a result.
Left-arm paceman Junaid took 14 wickets in the three Tests, including
five-wickets hauls in the second and third Tests. Twenty20 captain
Mohammad Hafeez said team's loss in the first T20 match was due to
inexperience.
“We had a number of new players in the Twenty20 so the first match
was lost because of inexperience but we came back well to win the second
game,” said Hafeez.
AFP |