Cricket

Babar pledges to play positive cricket on Sri Lanka tour

By our correspondent
KARACHI: Pakistan cricket team skipper Babar Azam has pledged that his team will play positive cricket on the Sri Lanka tour.
“Last time we had also faced challenging conditions in Sri Lanka. At Galle we had chased 350 plus and we know about the conditions and here also we practised keeping in view such conditions. Effort will be made to play good and positive cricket and to learn from our mistakes which we made in the past and we will have to look where we need to improve,” Babar told a news conference here at the National Stadium.
“We have made the plans and know the conditions of Sri Lanka. We will also get feedback from Micky Arthur as he has served also as Sri Lanka coach to know how we can play better on those tracks. We are working on that. Bowlers are also training as per those conditions and batsmen are preparing accordingly as you know there spinners normally dominate due to slow pace of the wickets,” he said.
Asked what type of approach Pakistan will bring this time in the World Test Championship which begins with the Sri Lanka tour Babar said it is seen what positive they had done.
“The main thing is to see where we lacked last time. We worked on those things. We also worked on partnerships and you also need partnerships in bowling as well. We are very positive and want to take a positive start to the Test Championship. We have discussed to further streamline our game and where we went with three and a half we should go with four in an over. Effort will be made to apply these things on the Sri Lanka tour,” he said.
Asked can Pakistan adapt the approach of aggressive display as demonstrated by England and now also Australia in test cricket Babar said effort is always there to produce result.
“Every team has its own mindset and effort will be made to play our best cricket. England has made its set-up and the rest of the teams also play according to their own strategies. We chased 350 plus in Galle and we did it as per our own game plan. Sometimes you play with three to four runs average and sometimes you are to play quite defensively. You play according to the situation. We learn everyday and effort is made to add something new to it,” Babar said.
Babar said that the best effort is being made to utilise well the time before the series.
“Yes the boys are very excited. As after some gap cricket activity is being held. You know we held a camp at Lahore also and now here this is the fourth day of our camp and effort is being made to ensure its maximum utilisation,” Babar said.
He also conceded that the boys are also getting ready for the World Cup.
“Yes as a team we are ready for every kind of cricket and the boys are getting ready for the World Cup also. And everyone is working on fitness as it is very important as back-to-back cricket is ahead,” the skipper said.
Asked if he loses the series again will he step down as a skipper Babar said: “In the past we did not play good cricket and so we did not win matches. There was a sort of inexperience and due to some injuries we lagged behind and when you don’t get 20 wickets you will not win the game. There we drew the series, we had not lost and this time we will try to win the series,” he said.
“As far as my captaincy is concerned so I am doing my best and this decision is of the PCB and in my opinion if you ask it it will give you a good answer,” he said.
“As a skipper I give my input in the selection and selectors always back me and they provide the boys what I need as a skipper. The more you keep positive the more you will produce good performance,” he said.
Babar said that Sarfaraz Ahmed, who had a fine last series, will be his first choice but it will be seen there with which combination they will have to play.
“Effort will be made to go with the best playing XI,” Babar said.

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