Azhar: I won't give up my wicket without a fight (now on Cricinfo)

[Mercenary]

Azhar: I won't give up my wicket without a fight

by Abdul Habib
25th July 2010

Azhar Ali (like all his colleagues) is very proud to have been part of the team which finally ended Pakistan's seemingly endless losing streak against Australia. Azhar said that Pakistani fans and players alike had been waiting a long time for this day.

"Before I became a cricketer, I was a fan. As both a fan and a cricketer there was always a desire to see Pakistan beat the best team in the world. There's a certain sense of frustration when you see Pakistan repeatedly lose from a winning position and when you're stood outside looking in as a fan then there's a feeling of helplessness too. That's why I was determined that I would make the Aussies work for my wicket, they would have to take it from me."

"We won this game because the bowlers put us into such a great position on day 1, after that it was our game to lose. I'm really proud of my second innings partnership with Farhat and of my first test 50 but I was absolutely gutted to get out. When my wicket fell we only needed 34 more runs and I had wanted to stay till the end and win the game for Pakistan." Azhar Ali stated exclusively to Cricistan.com.

When asked if there were any jitters in the Pakistani dressing room when wickets were falling in the morning, Azhar said that they had still been confident of a win but that they respected the Australians ability to come back.

"Of course when wickets fall together, there'll be some trepidation in any dressing room. But on the final morning, there were so few runs needed that we still felt that we would win the match. Australia did their best to stop us, their fielding was brilliant. If they hadn't blocked a couple of early shots, which were on their way to the fence, then the game would've been over a lot quicker. They are experts at applying pressure and making even the smallest of totals look like they'll be hard to get. It worked for them against us in the past but today was our day and hopefully we've now broken that jinx." Azhar told Cricistan.com.

When I asked Azhar about the England series and what it felt like to be given the coveted number 3 position held by batsmen such as Ponting, Dravid, Sangakarra and Younis he was very positive on both counts.

"I agree with you that the number 3 position is a very important one. I want to be the best player that I can and I see batting at number 3 as a great challenge. It's an opportunity for me to show what I'm capable of and it helps my confidence to know that the team management have trusted me to bat at such a pivotal number. I look forward to the challenge of the upcoming test series against England. They're a very good team and we're going to have to be at the top of our game to compete with them but I'm confident that this Pakistani team will give as good as it gets." Azhar explained to Cricistan.com

Pakistan's next game is the 1st test against England at Trent Bridge in Nottingham; hopefully Pakistan's new number 3 and his team mates will continue the good work that they started at Headingley.

[Nadeem]

To be honest I was expecting more from Umar Amin for all the hype surrounding him but Azhar Ali has certainly surprised me. He seems to have talent and temperament needed for test cricket to become a solid number three. However talent and temperament doesn’t necessarily make a good player, it’s the consistency which is required at the top level.

Let’s hope the management keep faith with both Umar Amin and Azhar Ali to build a team for the future.

Thanks for the interview cricistan.

[Boi]

Only if Umar Akmal had that attitude and temperament.

In his first 3 innings he looked very cautious and quite edgy while at the crease. But when it really mattered he did really well and played more freely to get vital 51 runs for the team. He deserved that fifty due to the fight, guts and application he showed at the crease. I hope he gets some big scores against England and cements his place in the side along with Umar Amin.
It would be a travesty if either of the two were dropped through the tour.

Thanks for the interview, Merc. You and Cricistan are doing a really good job. Keep it up.

[HuskerFan]

Originally Posted by Nadeem

To be honest I was expecting more from Umar Amin for all the hype surrounding him but Azhar Ali has certainly surprised me.

I was not expecting anything from the two youngsters because they are rookies and they should be allowed to fail in game or two. When players do get established like --- lets say Hussey, KP, Greme Smith, Amala, etc, these players are allowed to fail in many matches consecutively. Nobody raises any eyebrows but most of the fans expect and want debutant players to start performing from the word go. To me that is not fair!

If Azhar Ali and Umar Amin (or even Umar Akmal) were good enough to get selected into Pakistan team then let them play 6-7 test matches on the trot get some on the job training and play their natural game without the fear of being dropped after 1 or 2 failures.

[attidude.asif]

to husker fan...
na bro u r not very right..... i understand aussie r a tough oppenent.... but whenever a great player started playing...they showed their mettle from the first day.... remember ganguly, dravid at lords...jayawardena 240 against india in his debut match..... if u r a performer and expect big then no day is different..... if u have a will then theres a way..... did u see akmal after so many matches he has played he has gone back to zero...doesn't read the situation just wanna shine with few sixes...
__________________

[Mercenary]

Originally Posted by attidude.asif

i understand aussie r a tough oppenent.... but whenever a great player started playing...they showed their mettle from the first day.... remember ganguly, dravid at lords...jayawardena 240 against india in his debut match..... if u r a performer and expect big then no day is different..... if u have a will then theres a way

That's not true. Graham Gooch, Allan Border, Saeed Anwar, Majid Khan and many others made a duck on debut.

In fact Saeed Anwar got a duck in both innings of his first test match!!

[HuskerFan]

Originally Posted by attidude.asif

to husker fan...
na bro u r not very right..... i understand aussie r a tough oppenent.... but whenever a great player started playing...they showed their mettle from the first day.... remember ganguly, dravid at lords...jayawardena 240 against india in his debut match..... if u r a performer and expect big then no day is different..... if u have a will then theres a way..... did u see akmal after so many matches he has played he has gone back to zero...doesn't read the situation just wanna shine with few sixes...
__________________

So you must be looking for a great legend every time a player makes a debut?

[rizzy]

Originally Posted by attidude.asif

to husker fan...
na bro u r not very right..... i understand aussie r a tough oppenent.... but whenever a great player started playing...they showed their mettle from the first day.... remember ganguly, dravid at lords...jayawardena 240 against india in his debut match..... if u r a performer and expect big then no day is different..... if u have a will then theres a way..... did u see akmal after so many matches he has played he has gone back to zero...doesn't read the situation just wanna shine with few sixes...
__________________

Some of the most consistent batsman like Ponting, Clarke and Hussey found it difficult to score in this series. If greats like Ponting are struggling we cant expect youngsters who have played most of their games on flat pitches to score big hundreds on debut.

[attidude.asif]

ok cool so guyz u wanna paas on the message to young players... to get out on duck...u might become into a saeed anwar or may b border.... i already said conditions r tough...aussies ar mighty tough...but thn it doesn't become an excuse..... if u were lyk me eagerly expecting pakistan to beat aussies in 15 years...then u can't say u dun expect big from ur new players...... u always do... if they dun perform thats a different thing...a good coach or a good cricket follower will always look for good technique , discipline, determination n as well gutz.... won't say juz go play on i dun expect much from u anyways...u just a beginnner...

[Qazaa]

It was great to see Azahar batting. He was not flashy, did not chase things he didnt need to and always looked composed at the crease.

I agree with Nadeem, i heard a lot of hype about Umar Amin who was meant to be the best of the 3 (Azhar, Jnr Akmal and himself). I think Umar looked very nervous at the crease and with a little confidence he will come good. Lets hope its sooner rather than later.

In regards to Umar Akmal, i think he is still trying to find the happy medium with his attacking style and defensive style. He will need time to find this and i would be willing to give him as much time as he needs.

[Hammad1]

I agree completely that Australia are really good in putting pressure but they are defeatable and pakistani team has done us all proud by defeating the aussies.

[Inferno]

Good attitude, but Umar Akmal is setting a bad precedent, him being similar age as the debutants, they might think why can't we play as recklassly as him and still be secured of our place in the team.

[cricfreak]

after a long time we're gettin to c a pakistani batsman who doesn't try to feel the ball on EVERY SINGLE DELIVERY ...
players like azhar tend survive in almost all condtns .. just because they got good temperament and better shot selection ...
i hope he along with umar amin score some big runs for pakistan in the coming future =D ..

[Cricket_MN]

Originally Posted by rizzy

Some of the most consistent batsman like Ponting, Clarke and Hussey found it difficult to score in this series. If greats like Ponting are struggling we cant expect youngsters who have played most of their games on flat pitches to score big hundreds on debut.

To be fair Ponting, Hussey were facing one of the most talented, lethal fast / swing bowling attack in the world.

I doubt Hussey, ponting would have any trouble facing the current Aussie attack on most of the surfaces.

[Cricket_MN]

Originally Posted by Qazaa

It was great to see Azahar batting. He was not flashy, did not chase things he didnt need to and always looked composed at the crease.

I agree with Nadeem, i heard a lot of hype about Umar Amin who was meant to be the best of the 3 (Azhar, Jnr Akmal and himself). I think Umar looked very nervous at the crease and with a little confidence he will come good. Lets hope its sooner rather than later.

In regards to Umar Akmal, i think he is still trying to find the happy medium with his attacking style and defensive style. He will need time to find this and i would be willing to give him as much time as he needs.

Umer did struggle but he does have a better batting technique when compared to the current Paksitani team (excluding Mohammad Yusuf). We(Pakistan), for some reasons struggle to get a good/solid batsman and I think Umer is the one who "could" be the answer.

Although Azhar did play well but he has to make lots of adjustment and improve a lot to survivve at the inetrnational level.

But then again with this pcb administration you never know they keep on playing their fav player even if he fails on numerouse occasion (Imran Farhat) and might score might score some runs accidentaly and would reserve his place for the next 5-8 years.

[Omar]

Azhar has done well in the 2 tests against Australia - He showed determination to stick it out and keep his wicket intact for as long as possible, which in return he got to make his first test 50 in his 2nd test match.

He's not the typical flashy type player like we mostly see in our team but he's more of a accumulator who can bat for a long time and build up partnerships while others around him can score at a quicker rate. Hopefully the upcoming England series will see him get better scores and show more composure and determination to bat out for the team.

Umar Amin and Azhar Ali are definitely 2 lads that need to be given full backing for the next few series!

[pakmufc]

Just the type of nitty gritty batsman we need at 1 down. Was very impressed with his tempremant and inshallah if he continues playing the way he did it will turn him into a much better player. Its not easy coming into the national team against the best in the world on some tough batting surfaces. He took advantage of his chance better than Amin. Lets pray he can continue in this way. Good luck kiddah!

[BALOCH_786]

I wanna see his bowling. I believe he first started cricket as a leg spinner.

[pakmufc]

Acha? Thats news to me. But doesnt every pakistani start off as an allrounder? Amin impressed more with the bowl than the bat. But we have to stick to the young guns now they are in. The future is looking brighter all of a sudden. If only umar akmal can get his act together, he cant let that talent be wasted with the rush of blood he gets from time to time.

[Mercenary]

It's nice to see this news reported on Cricinfo too! Hopefully Azhar can make the number 3 spot his own! Here's the link...

http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pa...ry/469177.html

[BALOCH_786]

Originally Posted by pakmufc

Acha? Thats news to me. But doesnt every pakistani start off as an allrounder? Amin impressed more with the bowl than the bat. But we have to stick to the young guns now they are in. The future is looking brighter all of a sudden. If only umar akmal can get his act together, he cant let that talent be wasted with the rush of blood he gets from time to time.

Lol

Man i hope umar akmal just doesnt turn into a t20 player! Otherwise we in trouble.

[rizzy]

Originally Posted by Cricket_MN

To be fair Ponting, Hussey were facing one of the most talented, lethal fast / swing bowling attack in the world.

I doubt Hussey, ponting would have any trouble facing the current Aussie attack on most of the surfaces.

Fair point but i guess that being the second leading test run scorer must have some benefits and advantages. These guys have probably had tons of experience playing with McGrath in the nets and domestic.

[zeenix]

That's the spirit Lad. However he must realize that his being new, it was difficult for the bowlers to set a plan for him. Not anymore. English bowlers would have watched his videos and would know his exact weakness. Having Waqar as a coach would benefit him, since Waqar being a bowler himself, knew batsmen weaknesses. Hence he must work on covering those weaknesses.

Between i would want to have YK back at No 3 and Azhar at Number 4

[shahrukh619]

good to see that this article was also posted on cricinfo and also crcistan was mentioned there.

Eng v Pak: Relieved Azhar Ali looks ahead to England challenge | Cricket News | England v Pakistan 2010 | Cricinfo.com

[attidude.asif]

i agree with u zeenix...by now they have outlined his weakness...as well as farhat n salman..... i dun expect too much from akmals.....for them every game is t20...it last only 20 overs....... "kuan ke maindak"

[Inferno]

[attidude.asif]

pakistan should play for draw now on

[BALOCH_786]

Azhar: I won't give up my wicket without a fight*

*Disclaimer:
I won't give up my wicket without a fight + without scoring lowest possible runs in most possible faced balls

[shahrukh619]

Originally Posted by BALOCH_786

Azhar: I won't give up my wicket without a fight*

*Disclaimer:
I won't give up my wicket without a fight + without scoring lowest possible runs in most possible faced balls

man that made my day.

[Mercenary]

Originally Posted by BALOCH_786

Azhar: I won't give up my wicket without a fight*

*Disclaimer:
I won't give up my wicket without a fight + without scoring lowest possible runs in most possible faced balls

That's a little harsh on Azhar Ali. He's only playing his 4th game and is batting at number 3 which is where the best batsman in your team should bat.

Despite that he's the 3rd highest run getter for Pakistan (after Butt and Farhat) in these last 4 tests. Plus he has a 51, 42 and 30 in what have proved are very difficult batting conditions even for English and Australian batsmen!

[Gulli-boy]

I think he needs to work on knowing where his offstump is mainly and then work on rotating the strike (scoring more runs), but the good thing is he does stick around for a while so he doesn't give his wicket away that easily. People should remember that we are playing one of the better teams in test cricket with a really young side, he's just started off his international career, the lack of proper test batsmen in the team is hindering our performances but i say give them time, if the security situation doesn't get better in Pakistan, they could be touring England more regularly and then surely they'd improve in tougher conditions.

[Mutazalzaluzzaman Tarar]

wasn't Azhar an opener in domestic cricket?

[Gulli-boy]

Originally Posted by Mutazalzaluzzaman Tarar

wasn't Azhar an opener in domestic cricket?

Yup, I think that is his preferred position as well.

[LBW]

great prospect for Pakistan