Azhar Ali will continue to back the two inexperienced quicks in his bowling attack as Pakistan look to level the Test series against England at the Rose Bowl and ease some of the swirling debate that surrounds his captaincy.
Pakistan have won two of their seven Tests since Azhar took over from Sarfaraz Ahmed last October and the softly spoken 35-year-old has produced one notable score – 118 against Sri Lanka in Karachi – during an otherwise lean spell with the bat.
When England successfully chased 277 at Old Trafford in the first Test, a day on which Azhar was slightly caught in the headlights, it prompted the former all-rounder and captain Wasim Akram, commentating for Sky, to suggest his position was already under pressure for results.
But looking forward to Friday’s third Test, Azhar said: “At the moment we are in a very good space and we think we have everything to win the final match. As a player, a professional and a captain you have to look at the challenge ahead of you.
“I’m lucky to have such a nice bunch of guys who are putting everything in for Pakistan. They have gelled really nicely, which makes the job very easy for me, so I focus on all the strategies. I’m enjoying it. Hopefully we can win this Test and move forward from there.”
From the outside Pakistan do appear united and their performance in the first half of the first Test, along with the little action witnessed during the soggy second, suggests they are more than capable of avoiding a first series defeat to England in 10 years.
Mohammad Abbas enjoyed the conditions during the first outing in Southampton and though Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah are 20 and 17 respectively, Azhar wants to further their education rather than draft in a more experienced seamer such as Sohail Khan, who took two five-wicket hauls during the warm-up games.
Azhar said: “Shaheen and Naseem are exciting characters and you can’t buy experience without playing. We have to back them, they are bowling really well, putting the opposition under pressure.
“At the end of last year we were struggling for fast bowlers when we went to Australia; they have taken up the challenge and impressed everyone around the world. They have so much potential, experience will come. I still feel they are good enough to win Test matches.”
Asked about his own form with the bat, he said: “I was feeling really confident about myself in the two hours or so I spent at the crease in my previous innings [20] and my balance was good as well. It is my responsibility to make sure I score runs.”
Pakistan have confirmed Mohammad Yousuf has been appointed batting coach at their national high performance centre in Lahore. The 45-year-old scored 24 centuries during a 12-year Test career that ended in 2010.
