Sharjah: Pakistan ‘A’ captain Asad Shafiq feels the team has the ability to challenge the Australians XI in the four-day tour match beginning at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
“We have created a good combination to play against Australia and hope to give our best,” said Shafiq after a long training session on Tuesday.
Australia’s morale is high in the light of their clean sweep in the one-day series and also winning the one-off Twenty20 match. But Shafiq has been given a group of promising players who have impressed in Pakistan’s domestic cricket.
“I feel honoured at being able to lead the Pakistan ‘A’ team. From a personal point of view, it is a big honour,” said Shafiq, who top scored for Pakistan with a half-century in the third one-day match in Abu Dhabi.
“For any player, performance is vital. It makes him happy. If the team also wins, it gives double satisfaction, but if the team loses it gives a mixed feeling. The result of the match does matter.
“Before a Test match to get such a match is a great blessing. The focus will be on correcting the flaws we exhibited in the one-dayers and go on to win the Test matches.”
Shafiq knows that to challenge Australia will not be easy. “Australian bowlers are superb, especially their pace attack,” he said. “They have come here very prepared but we have improved with every one-day match. Even in our practice our focus was on how to apply ourselves and win matches.”
Shafiq is confident that the youngsters in the team will come good.
“Everyone must have confidence in the youngsters and also the team. After the first match, our batting improved in the second and in the third it was even better. So we are getting better and we are working on our mistakes and we will give our best in this match,” he said.
