Speaking exclusively from Lahore to Pakpassion.net former Pakistani opening batsman, skipper and chairman of selectors Aamir Sohail expressed his appreciation for the Sri Lankan team and their efforts in Galle in the recently concluded first test match against Pakistan that the home team won by 50 runs.

8th July 2009

Speaking exclusively from Lahore to Pakpassion.net former Pakistani opening batsman, skipper and chairman of selectors Aamir Sohail expressed his appreciation for the Sri Lankan team and their efforts in Galle in the recently concluded first test match against Pakistan that the home team won by 50 runs.
 

“You have to give the Sri Lankans credit for their bowling performance in the second innings, especially considering what an inexperienced attack it was without Muralitharan and Vaas”. “They fought hard and bowled to their gameplan on day 4 in good bowling conditions” added Sohail.

When asked about the selection and balance of the Pakistan team that took the field in Galle, Sohail stated “it was the right team that was selected in my opinion. You just have to look at the fact that Pakistan dominated the test match barring a couple of sessions and should really have won the test match”. “The captain and coach picked the exact right team for that surface”.

Sohail who is widely tipped for the role of Chairman of Selectors once again, added “my only criticism of the Pakistan bowlers would be that they didn’t wrap up the tail quickly enough in both innings, although especially in the first innings allowing the Sri Lankans to reach 292 after being 194 for 6 in the first innings and 156 for 7 in the second innings. The Paksitani bowlers allowed the home team’s lower order and the tail enders to add valuable runs in both innings”. “The Pakistani bowlers really need to improve their approach and tactics against the lower order and come up with a gameplan whereby they can get rid of the lower order much more cheaply than they did. The same thing happened in the Twenty/20 World Cup final and it’s a worrying aspect of the current bowling attack”.

Sohail when quizzed about the fact that the Pakistani batting just seemed to succumb to the pressure in the second innings stated that “there was obviously a fair bit of movement out there and the Sri Lankan bowlers exploited the conditions very well.” Losing those key wickets so early on day 4 wasn’t something that the Pakistani team had contemplated but it was disappointing the way that Pakistan folded and struggled under the pressure of a 4th innings run chase”. “I don’t think it was overconfidence, rather it was a case of the pressure got to the batsman especially after Yousuf’s dismissal”.

Aamir added “Younis Khan made a brave decision to bowl first and that decision was justified throughout the test match apart from Day 4’s proceedings. Again you cant argue with the decision to bowl first by the Pakistan skipper”.

As for changes to the Pakistani lineup for the second test Sohail stated that “the Pakistani skipper and coach need to have a very close look at the nature of the pitch before making any enforced changes to the lineup”.

The aggressive left handed batsmen added “I’m busy working at the National academy at the moment in Lahore working with some of the up and coming talent which has meant that my commentary work has had to take a back seat for now.