Yousuf confident Pakistan will make a comeback

By our correspondent

KARACHI: Despite the precarious situation of Pakistan in the second Test against Australia the Green-shirts batting coach Mohammad Yousuf said they will fight till the end and will make a comeback.

“I will not give any excuse. We will motivate the players and give them confidence and InshaAllah will fight in the second innings and will make a comeback,” Yousuf told a virtual news conference after the third day’s play here at the National Stadium.

Yousuf said that the run out of Abdullah Shafique gave them momentum and they never looked back.

“Yes, Australia got momentum when they got Abdullah Shafique run out and then they bowled at the right area,” Yousuf said.

Asked had Pakistan posted such a big total Australia could also face the same situation in which Pakistan is at the moment, Yousuf said they could also face the same situation.

“Yes, Australia can also be in such a situation,” Yousuf said. “In the past, too, when we would post a huge total on the board, tough teams would collapse. In 2002 in New Zealand, we posted a huge total with Inzamam scoring a triple century and Shoaib Akhtar then took 6-11 to tear apart the hosts’ batting,” Yousuf recalled.

He praised the Australian bowlers for the way they bowled at the right area.

“When such a huge total is posted by a team then the team which chases that gets under pressure. The ball was reversing and both Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc bowled at the right area. I will give full credit to the Australian bowlers,” Yousuf said.

Asked Pakistani batters, including Imam-ul-Haq, threw their wickets, Yousuf said Imam-ul-Haq also would use his feet during the previous game in Rawalpindi where he achieved success and it is his strength. “The batsmen score runs as per their strength and also lose their wickets as per their strength,” said Yousuf, also a former batting guru.

Yousuf said in such a situation batsmen can get the benefit if they play close to their body.

He said that the learning process never ends and they will try their level best to educate the boys so that they can bat well onwards.

After declaring their first innings at 556-9 Australia then rocked Pakistan and skittled them out for 148 to take a massive 408-run lead.

Australia did not enforce follow-on and then reached 81-1 in their second innings at stumps and had a lead of 489. There are two full days left in the Test match and Pakistan are on the back foot.

The first Test in Rawalpindi ended in a draw as only 14 wickets fell in five days during which 70 overs game also got wasted due to bad weather.