Watch: Mohammad Yousuf believes every host team prepares wickets according to their strengths

KARACHI: Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistan’s batting coach for the Australia series, believes every host team prepares the wickets based on their team’s strengths.

The pitch at the Rawalpindi Stadium had provided little help for the bowlers, forcing the visitors, who rely on Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood for their quicks, to work hard.

Recently, PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja indicated that Pakistan did not want to play into Australia’s hands by creating a fast, bouncy pitch for the historic Test series between the two nations.

For this series, which comprises three Tests, as many ODIs, and one T20I, Yousuf, who formerly served as a batting consultant at the National High-Performance Centre (NHPC), has been appointed as the national men’s team batting coach.

“I think you have to look at the strengths of your side, if you go to Australia, you’ll never get the wicket of your choice,” He mentioned this in a virtual press conference before the second Test, which begins on March 12 in Karachi.

“We have kept in view what benefits our players and how can we dominate the teams. There a total of 15 sessions, we dominated in 12 of those. We have to play according to our strengths.

“In the past, our players have done well overseas. InshAllah we will give these players confidence, keep on having a word with them and discussions, they will do well overseas. Every time, we have seen such wickets in Pakistan. We have to look at our strengths as aside.

“If you see Australia when they toured India in recent times, they have been thrashed. Obviously, when you are playing away from home, you have to play at a different surface. Some people can do that but most teams struggle. But we will try to keep the confidence levels of our boys and try to do things that if they go into another country, they can perform well.”

The manner his men performed with the bat in the first Test impressed Mohammad Yousuf. In his third Test, Abdullah Shafique recorded his first Test century, while Imam-ul-Haq, returning to the Test squad after a one-and-a-half-year absence, struck hundreds in both innings.

“I think the way our batsmen performed, I am very satisfied. It was Abdullah Shafique’s third Test match and Imam-ul-Haq was making a comeback. Both of them were outstanding and they created history by giving such partnerships at the top. Overall, it was a great performance.”

Mohammad Yousuf also praised Azhar Ali’s tenacity and drive after the Aussie trio of quicks pelted him with bouncers before he scored 185 runs.

“The way Azhar Ali showed his experience, the management expects such performances from a player like him,” he said. “Australia bowled a lot of bouncers at him but the way he showed his mettle and stuck around in the middle. He kept on leaving the ball, this shows the experience that he has played a lot of Test cricket, which also gave team the benefit too.”

The batting coach also disclosed that he spoke with Abdullah Shafique, who scored a century in the second innings after falling to Nathan Lyon in the first innings with a risky shot.

“I think the way Abdullah has taken start to his career, he is doing very well and is a very talented guy. I pray to Allah that his career span is long. I think it’s his own hard work. He played very well in the first innings. But sometimes, there is certain patch that the other team doesn’t bowl at your strengths and comfort zone.

“So maybe he lost his patience a bit. He was very disappointed at the shot he played, obviously, we can’t say anything as it is our job to give players confidence during the match. The more we become better listeners, the better those players will perform.”

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