Misbahul Haq throws weight behind ‘non-performing’ Asif Ali, Haider Ali

LAHORE (Monitoring Desk): Pakistan’s head coach Misbahul Haq, in a press conference on Tuesday, threw weight behind ‘non-performing’ players such as struggling batsmen Asif Ali and Haider Ali, who had a horrid tour of South Africa.
The 46-year-old emphasised that players were being selected based on their performances.

“Asif Ali is a player for me. Selectors chose him on the basis of his performances. I support whoever is performing the most. I equally support everyone but it seems, in media, my name is only associated with players who are not performing well.

Nobody mentions players who are doing well,” Misbah said.

The head coach claimed that winning the series against South Africa was their main objective.

“The team has many new faces. We can give them opportunities and prepare them for the future. The most important part was winning the series. If we had lost people would have started talking. We will give chances to youngsters but making a better combination is also important. 200 runs in today’s world is common. Our power—hitters could not live up to our expectations. We are giving chances,” he said.

Misbah revealed that a settled squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup will take shape in the series against England. “Despite performing in domestic cricket and the PSL, some players could not live up to our expectations in international cricket. We are hopeful of having a settled squad before the world cup in the series against England,” he concluded.

Misbahul Haq warns against complacency ahead of Zimbabwe T20Is
Pakistan’s head coach Misbahul Haq, in a press conference on Tuesday, warned against complacency ahead of Pakistan Twenty20 International (T20I) series against Zimbabwe.

The Men in Green are fresh off a three-one T20I series victory against South Africa. The 46-year-old stated that the win against South Africa had given them immense confidence while revealing that there is added pressure playing a side like Zimbabwe.

“Winning the series against South Africa has given us immense confidence. We will try to continue winning in the future. There is more pressure when you face sides like Zimbabwe. The expectations are really high. There are different conditions and oppositions. Zimbabwe have nothing to lose. The host team is comfortable in their own conditions and would be looking for opportunities. A mistake can cost us badly. The conditions here will be different and we expect some extra bounce,” Misbah said.

The head coach believed that the upcoming series was a chance for performing players and youngsters alike to make their mark. “It is an opportunity for performing players to stamp their authority while it is a chance for youngsters to make their mark.

We cannot make all the changes in one go. We have made a rotation policy. People should stop worrying about Shaheen Shah’s workload. We are looking into it and will rest him wherever necessary,” he said.