Skipper Sarfraz praises team after crushing win
Date
9/25/2016 2:36:58 AM
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed was all praise for his men after his team defeated world champions West Indies in the first T20 International at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday night. And he also laid emphasis on the fielding which helped his side beat the best T20 side in the world. Pakistan were top notch in all three departments of the game and they were especially sharp on the field. "There is no secret but the full credit goes to the boys for the way they have been working hard and the way they are giving their absolute best on the field in both the games, the one at Manchester as well as this," Sarfraz said. "Our job is to motivate the boys. We are putting a lot of effort in the fielding and the boys are responding to that and working hard. So, whatever plans we have, we have been able to execute it well. And it because of that, we are getting good results. If you want to beat a good side in T20, it is through some good fielding that you can do that," he added. All-rounder Imad Wasim returned with a career-best 5-14 with his left-arm spin, the first Pakistan spinner to take a five-wicket haul and the second Pakistan bowler to do so. Sarfraz used Wasim to open the bowling and it clearly paid off. Sarfraz said that he had not imagined that they could get the West Indies out so cheaply but had the belief that Wasim would do well. "We never imagined that we would get them out so early. We are using Imad as an attacking bowler, the way he has been bowling over a period of time. He was in fine form in the CPL so, we decided that the way he has been bowling in the Powerplay, he has a good idea on how to bowl. So, we decided that we will try to open the bowling with spin and attack with him. And he was very successful," said Sarfraz. Sarfraz had obviously read the surface well and knew how it would behave. "We had an idea about how the pitch would behave and we knew how we had to go about it. The ball was skidding and there was a bit of grass on the pitch and that helped the spinners. It was turning a bit as well. And we took advantage of that and our bowlers bowled really well," he said. Apart from Wasim, one-down batsman Babar Azam top scored with an unbeaten 55 and Sarfraz was pleased with his showing. "Babar is a fine player and an upcoming player. He has been playing in the ODIs and I was confident that he is a player who would do well and would stay at the wicket because we do need a player in T20 who can come in at one down and bat and anchor the innings. And the way he batted against the West Indies, he showed he has the capability that he can finish the game," said the 29-year-old. Share
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