Pakistani captain Misbah Ul-Haq feels that batting stalwart Younis Khan will have a huge role to play in the upcoming ODI series against India.

By Shayan Siddiqui (29th December 2012)

After two thrilling T20 matches which were shared, the focus now turns to the 50 over format, as India and Pakistan play the first of a three match series in Chennai tomorrow. There are several changes in Pakistan’s squad, one of the key ones being the arrival of middle order stalwarts Younis Khan, and captain Misbah Ul-Haq. The visitors’ batting line-up is often said to be brittle, and has regularly succumbed in high profile encounters, so much will be expected of the experienced players, a fact Misbah acknowledged in remarks to the media today.

“India-Pakistan are high pressure games and Younis Khan is someone who has done well against India over the years. He knows exactly what the demands are when you’re playing against India in India. The younger players can benefit from his experience and guidance. Not only is his contribution crucial with the bat, but also when it comes to giving advice to the youngsters.” 

Pakistan’s T20 captain Mohammad Hafeez was named man of the series for his 116 runs in the T20I matches, which were scored at a strike rate of 165. His 55 in the second game was an enthralling masterclass of finesse, timing and strokeplay, and it took Pakistan within a whisker of a victory. Misbah Ul-Haq, although taking over as captain from Hafeez for the ODI’s, recognised the importance of the opening batsman’s rich run of form.

“His contribution will be very important for us,” Misbah said. “It’s crucial for the openers to be in good form to set a solid base for the team. The confidence and the strike-rate with which Hafeez has played, is very commendable. He’s middling the ball very well. He will play a key role for us in this series.”

One of the most talked about events of the recent T20 games was an altercation between Ishant Sharma and Kamran Akmal, in which the players exchanged angry words and had to be separated by the umpires and their teammates. Both Sharma and Akmal were reported to the match referee and eventually fined 15% and 5% of their respective match fees. Whilst passion and intensity will always play a part in India-Pakistan encounters, Misbah Ul-Haq felt that there are more effective ways to channel that aggression, and that it is important for Pakistan to handle the pressure if they are to perform in the ODIs.

“Your aggression should come to the fore in the form of your performance. My message to all the players would be that if you want to show aggression, show it by bowling a 150kph delivery, scoring big runs, taking a brilliant catch or effecting a good run-out,” said the Pakistani captain. “You can say anything to anyone, but at the end it’s the performance that matters. For the first time Pakistan is playing good cricket without any pressure, and when we left for India this was our main goal. In ODIs too we will try to express ourselves and play freely.”

The current tour is the first bilateral series between India and Pakistan in 5 years, with one of the most disappointing aspects being the lack of any test matches. The Pakistani skipper highlighted that world cricket would benefit from more regular series between the two countries, and that with such a huge following all over the world, the rivalry could be even bigger than the Ashes.

“These two countries should play against each other regularly. The two T20Is showed how important this series is for world cricket. Everyone knows that India-Pakistan is always a big series, the followers of this series are more than those of the Ashes,” Misbah concluded.

The first game of the ODI series commences tomorrow in Chennai, followed by matches in Kolkata and Delhi on January 3rd and January 6th.

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