Gul, Junaid, Irfan key to Pakistan`s success in India: Misbah
Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq on Thursday said the pace trio of Umar Gul, Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan played a crucial role in Pakistan`s first ODI series win in India since 2004-05.
|Last Updated: Jan 03, 2013, 10:31 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Kolkata: Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq on Thursday said the pace trio of Umar Gul, Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan played a crucial role in Pakistan`s first ODI series win in India since 2004-05.
Pakistan`s pace department once again rocked the famed Indian batting line-up to hand the visitors an 85-run win in the second ODI at the Eden Gardens here, which enabled them to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
"We got the edge for the quality of our bowling. Indian batsmen are struggling for quite a long time. But I think our bowlers exploited the conditions better. Normally we get flat pitches here in India. But both the pitches -- in Chennai and Kolkata -- were challenging for batsmen," he said.
"It`s mainly because of our fast bowlers` spell in the middle overs we won the match here.
"With the pitch and the batting line-up, we thought 290-300 would have been a good total but 250 was a fighting total. It was important to bowl well as 250 was not a winning score," he added.
Misbah said it was really a good time for Pakistan cricket as their struggling bowling attack finally started to produce results under trying circumstances.
"I really feel happy for Pakistan. The happiest thing was that before the start of the series we were struggling in our fast bowling department, but here all the three fast bowlers did really well. It`s a positive thing. The way we are playing as a team is a big achievement," he said.
Pakistan`s ODI series win over India came in the backdrop of the team`s 3-0 Test victory over England and the Asia Cup triumph.
"A win against India is always big. We had lost to them in the World Cup. This is a big win and a 3-0 margin (by winning in Delhi on January 6) will be a big achievement," Misbah said.
Misbah also credited coach Dav Whatmore for Pakistan`s recent string of success.
Whatmore became Pakistan`s coach after the team`s 3-0 win over England under Mohsin Khan`s guidance.
"He (Whatmore) is working hard with the team. He has changed the attitude of the team. He is backing the captains -- (Mohammad) Hafeez and me, and also the players. Things are getting better under him," he said.
"We always tried to be strong mentally. It was important to rope in a psychologist to get the side out of the mental barrier, especially in a short tour," Misbah said about the appointment of Maqbool Babri as the team`s psychologist before the tour to India.
Asked whether Pakistan prefers a foreign coach over a domestic one, he said, "Whoever maybe the coach, he`s here to improve our side be it foreigner or domestic. It depends on the players` attitude to work under him."
On the failure of their middle order after an excellent opening stand of 141 runs between Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed, Misbah said: "The conditions were difficult but we could get this score with the way our openers started on these conditions."
"The key is partnerships. We could not get going in the middle. It`s difficult to get going in these conditions if you lose wickets, so our middle orders could not capitalise. But the openers batted well and scored with six-plus run over."
He handpicked back-to-back centurion Nasir Jamshed for special praise and termed the elegant left-hander as a bright prospect for Pakistan.
"It`s happy to see a youngster show maturity. He is trying to bat 50 overs. There is talent no doubt but he is showing amazing temperament which is the key. He has bright future," Misbah said about Jamshed, who scored a magnificent 106 today to claim the man-of-the-match award.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.