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SYDNEY: Pakistan team director and head coach Mohammad Hafeez rued missed opportunities as the reason behind the side’s 3-0 Test whitewash at the hands of hosts Australia on Saturday.
The whitewash was completed when the visitors were handed an eight-wicket beating in the third and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground before Hafeez — serving his first assignment in the role — spoke in the post-match press conference.
Despite showing glimpses of brilliance and threatening to dominate on several occasions over the course of the series, Hafeez observed, Pakistan faltered when it mattered the most, especially in the field.
“We couldn’t win the crucial moments of the game, which is why the series’ result is 3-0,” said Hafeez. “There were certain moments where we were presented opportunities and we should have grabbed them and it would have made a huge difference.”
One of the more glaring of the missed opportunities in question was that of dismissing the in-form Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh when the side was struggling at 16-4 in the second innings of the second Test in Melbourne.
The right-hander was dropped by Abdullah Shafique in the slips and went on to score 90 odd runs to lift Australia out of danger and in a strong position as they eventually won the match by 79 runs.
In the third Test too, debutant opener Saim Ayub dropped a catch each in both Australian innings, giving the World Test champions an exit route out of pressure as the Pakistan bowlers kept things tight.
“When it was 16-4, we did not capitalise,” Hafeez noted, before adding the Sydney Test woes. “Even here we dropped some of the catches, and I’d say the negative side of the team is our fielding.”
Hafeez put light on some of the positives as well and for him those were the emergence of a number of players that were picked on the series on the basis of their performances in the domestic first-class circuit.
While pacers Khurram Shehzad — who got injured after the first Test in Perth — and Mir Hamza, who played the second and third games, impressed, all-rounder Aamer Jamal stood out.
The right-arm medium-fast bowler finished with 18 wickets in what was his debut Test series and hit a crucial 82 in the first innings of the third Test to help Pakistan post 313.
All three have polished their trade through years of hard work in domestic red-ball cricket and Hafeez said that was the only way to improve for international players.
“We would like to grow as a Test team and that would translate to better performances in all formats,” said the former skipper. “Red-ball cricket is our priority.”
While the new picks shined for Pakistan, the team’s pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi was dropped from the third Test as a workload management measure. The team management was criticised for the move but Hafeez owned the decision.
“We took the decision to rest Shaheen and manage his workload because we didn’t want his body to be adversely affected,” he explained. “In the last one year since his return from injury, he has worked hard, and the workload on him has been massive.
“I don’t know what’s happened previously, but at this time, I wanted to make sure that no bowler’s career is spoiled due to their workload not being managed.”
Hafeez shrugged off the notion that Shaheen was rested because the team was prioritising his availability in the upcoming Twenty20 International series against New Zealand, which will be the pacer’s first assignment as Pakistan’s captain in the format.
The team director also revealed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s correspondence with its Australian counterpart over exchange programs to help players from both teams improve their skillset by visiting each other’s countries.
“We had a meeting with Cricket Australia chairman and CEO,” said Hafeez. “They agreed on our exchange program because we wanted more visiting teams from Pakistan, Pakistan U-19, Pakistan A, and Pakistan Women to visit Australia on a regular basis and similar we can offer the same program to these teams in Pakistan. That will help all the players in future and the agreement will be signed soon.”
Hafeez also urged the International Cricket Council to make Test cricket more incentivised through a uniform salary bracket for players across the international circuit.
“I’ll suggest ICC that the way the way they are promoting T20 leagues all over the world, approving NOCs, similarly to save Test cricket they should introduce standard match fee for all the boards, so that all players of Test cricket nations can have the same match fee.”
SYDNEY: Australian opener David Warner drew the curtain Saturday on his 112-Test career with a swashbuckling 57 against Pakistan, leaving his home Sydney Cricket Ground to a standing ovation.
The polarising 37-year-old was dismissed lbw by spinner Sajid Khan in the third Test, slamming seven boundaries in a 75-ball stay.
Warner’s typically pugnacious knock helped the hosts to an eight-wicket victory and series clean sweep.
“It’s pretty much a dream come true to win 3-0 and cap off what has been a great 18 months to two years for the Australian team,” said Warner, who made his debut in 2011.
“I’m just proud to be with a bunch of great cricketers. These guys — they work their backsides off.
“To come here in front of my home crowd and the support they have shown me and the team over the last decade of my career, I can’t thank them enough,” he added to broadcaster Fox Sports, where he will now work as a commentator.
A larger-than-life character, Warner also collected 91 catches as one of the most consistent slip fielders in cricket.
Australian coach Andrew McDonald described Warner before the Test started as “probably our greatest-ever three-format player” and skipper Pat Cummins said he will be a huge loss.
“It’s going to be hard to replace Davey, he has basically played every game for the last dozen years,” said Cummins.
“He’s a huge personality, he really sets the game up with the way he plays every time he walks out, so he is going to be huge to replace.” Warner last week also announced his retirement from ODI cricket, but is expected to continue in the T20 format.
Childhood friend and long-time opening partner Usman Khawaja said it had been an emotional day.
“It’s been a long journey and it’s bizarre. Everything comes to an end, but you never think it will,” he said.
“I’m really proud, particularly the way Davey went out and batted today, entertaining right to the very end.”
While a great with the bat, Warner’s exploits will forever be overshadowed by the role he played in the notorious “Sandpapergate” ball-tampering scandal of 2018.
He was seen as the chief plotter when Cameron Bancroft used sandpaper to scuff the ball before a crude attempt to conceal the evidence down his trousers during the third Test in Cape Town.
Along with skipper Steve Smith, Warner was suspended for a year by Cricket Australia, stripped of the vice-captaincy and banned from ever leading the team.
Despite the controversies Warner was welcomed back into the Australia fold when his ban ended and made his comeback during the Ashes series against England in 2019.
He has been a fixture ever since with selectors now facing the difficult decision of who replaces him, with a two-Test home series against the West Indies starting on Jan 17 in Adelaide.
Recognised openers Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw are seen as the contenders to fill the role.
However, Smith added a twist to the plot this week when he put his hand up to move up from number four and do the job.
That would open the door for the return of young all-rounder Cameron Green in the middle of the order, having been overlooked in recent Tests in favour of a resurgent Mitchell Marsh.
David Warner went out the way he began with a rumbustious innings to guide Australia to an eight-wicket victory and seal a 3-0 Test series sweep over Pakistan in Sydney on Saturday.
Playing in his 112th and final Test, Warner was dismissed for 57 — just 11 runs from finishing off the job — and left the Sydney Cricket Ground arena before an adoring home crowd.
Marnus Labuschagne with his 19th Test half-century on 62 and Steve Smith on four were there at the end as the Australians reached the 130-run target for the loss of just two wickets.
“We are in the entertainment business, happy to come out here and showcase what I try to do all the time,” said the 37-year-old opener Warner, who made his Test debut in 2011.
“I started with Twenty20, tried to come here and emulate that, tried to play my shots and managed to get a win on the board.” Asked how he wished to be remembered, Warner added: “Exciting, entertaining and, I hope, I put a smile on everyone’s face the way I played.”
It was something of an anti-climax when Warner, known as “The Bull”, was out after losing a review for lbw to spinner Sajid Khan.
Warner was congratulated by the Pakistan players, who had given him a guard of honour as he came out for his final innings, before he waved his bat acknowledging the cheering crowd as he left the SCG for the last time.
It was a typically aggressive innings from Warner coming off 75 balls with seven fours, replete with crashing drives and audacious reverse sweeps.
It was Australia’s 17th consecutive Test win against Pakistan after securing the current series in Melbourne over Christmas.
“I love the way the boys performed. It has been a great start to the (southern) summer for us,” said skipper Pat Cummins, who was named man of the series for his 19 wickets at an average of 12.
“The boys found a way to get us back into the contest whenever we were on the back foot.”
Australia had an early setback when Warner’s childhood friend and fellow opener Usman Khawaja was out in the second over, lbw to Sajid for a duck.
But it set centre stage for Warner as he sought to put pressure on the bowlers and fielders with his intimidating gung-ho approach. His 37th Test half-century came off just 56 balls.
Warner retires as one of Australia’s greatest opening batsmen, scoring 8,786 Test runs since his debut at an average of 44.59, with 26 centuries.
But he will also be remembered for his central role in the “Sandpapergate” ball-tampering scandal of 2018.
Impressive Jamal
Pakistan go home on the end of yet another defeat in Australia, but there were some positives.
Aamer Jamal was announced as player of the match for his all-round performance of 82 in the first innings and 6-69 in Australia’s first innings.
“It’s been so long to get here (his Test debut),” Jamal said.
“I was over the moon, performing in front of this great (Australian) side wasn’t easy, but I stuck to my discipline and I loved every moment.”
Mohammad Rizwan and Jamal had defied the Australian attack for almost the first hour of the fourth day, adding 41 runs to the overnight score before Nathan Lyon struck.
Lyon switched to bowling around the wicket and Rizwan played across the line, edging a catch to Warner — who else — at leg slip for 28.
Jamal followed three balls later in Cummins’ next over, top-edging a pull shot straight to Travis Head at deep backward square leg for 18.
The end of the innings came three overs later when Lyon bowled Hasan Ali for five. Lyon finished with three for 36 and has 509 Test wickets.
CAPE TOWN: There should be a review of how pitches are rated with India receiving undue criticism according to Test captain Rohit Sharma in the wake of his side’s seven-wicket win over hosts South Africa on a seaming surface with variable bounce at Newlands.
With variable bounce and sideways movement through the four and a half sessions, Rohit described the conditions in Cape Town as dangerous, but added he had no problem playing on such surfaces as long as it was accepted that Indian pitches will turn from day one.
“I don’t mind being on pitches like this as long as everyone keeps their mouth shut in India and no one is talking about the pitches there,” Rohit told reporters.
“Yes it is dangerous, but you come here [South Africa] to challenge yourself and you must face up to it.”
Rohit believes there is inconsistency in the way match referees rate pitches in different countries.
“In India, when it turns on day one, people say Oh, there is a puff of dust. We need to stay neutral, especially match referees. I would love to see how the pitches are rated.
“I still can’t believe the World Cup final pitch [in Ahmedabad] was rated below standard. A player [Australia’s Travis Head] got a hundred there. They must rate pitches based on what they see, not based on countries.”
Rohit added there should be no difference in the rating of a pitch based on spin or seam on day one.
“We know pitches in India will spin but people don’t like it because it turns from ball one.
“But if it seams from ball one, that is OK? That is not fair.”
Pakistan made a disastrous start to the third Test in Sydney on Wednesday, losing four wickets in the opening session with Australia well on top in their hunt for a series clean sweep.
At lunch, the tourists were 75 for four with skipper Shan Masood on 32 and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan 12. Pat Cummins had taken 2-16 from five overs.
It was a rousing morning session for the Australians, who are looking to send out 37-year-old opening batsman David Warner as a winner in his 112th and final Test match in his home city.
Pakistan won the toss but lost both openers Abdullah Shafique and debutant Saim Ayub inside the first two overs.
The out-of-form Shafique fell on the second ball of Mitchell Starc’s opening over, needlessly playing a loose drive and nicking a catch to Steve Smith at second slip for a duck.
Ayub, brought in for Imam-ul-Haq to make his Test debut, only lasted two balls before he fell to a Josh Hazlewood outswinger in the next over, snapped up behind by Alex Carey.
Pakistan lurched to four for two and for a time looked to be consolidating with Babar Azam playing three glorious cover drives to the ropes before he was out on first-hour drinks for 26.
Cummins appealed vociferously for lbw but was turned down by the umpire, only to seek a review and get the verdict he sought, leaving the tourists tottering at 39 for three.
Saud Shakeel copped a nasty blow on the collarbone from a Cummins lifter and in the Australian skipper’s next over he prodded a catch behind to Carey for five, leaving his side further in the mire at 47 for four.
Australia clinched the three-match series with a tense 79-run win in the second Test in Melbourne over Christmas.
Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith led an Australian fightback after the hosts slumped to 16-4 against a fired-up Pakistan on Thursday to build their lead to 161 at tea on day three of the second Test.
At the break, they were 107-4 with Marsh on 57 and Smith not out 26 in a crucial 91-run partnership after a horror start on a pitch still offering plenty for the bowlers.
After dismissing Pakistan for 264 in reply to their first innings 318, with Pat Cummins taking 5-48 and Nathan Lyon 4-73, Australia needed to negotiate a tricky 15 minutes of the morning session.
But anchorman Usman Khawaja was out for a duck second ball, caught behind by Mohammad Rizwan off bowling spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi.
The same combination struck again when Marnus Labuschagne edged down the legside to be out for five, leaving them on 6-2 at lunch.
When they returned, David Warner let rip with a drive to the boundary off Afridi, but he didn’t last, dragging a Mir Hamza ball onto his stumps on six.
He received a standing ovation as he walked off for the last time as a batsman at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the third Test in Sydney set to be the last of his long career.
Things only got worse for the hosts when Travis Head was bowled by Hamza the next delivery with an inswinging yorker to leave Australia in disarray at 16-4.
But Marsh successfully saw off the hat-trick ball and along with Smith dug in to take the sting out of the attack.
When Aamer Jamal came on, Marsh slammed three boundaries in four balls to further relieve the pressure.
He had a massive let off on 20 when dropped in the slips by Abdullah Shafique, but quickly got back in his stride, collecting eight boundaries in a seventh Test half-century.
Pakistan resumed on 194-6 after an electric spell from Cummins in the final session on Wednesday saw a collapse from 124-1, with the Australian skipper in the thick of the action again Thursday.
Rizwan, picked ahead of Sarfaraz Ahmed for his batting prowess, made a confident start, adding 13 to his overnight 29.
But he was no match for a canny Cummins, who tempted him into a drive that flew straight to Warner who had just been moved to cover from slip.
It snapped a 45-run partnership with Jamal, who started to play shots with new partner Afridi as they chipped away at the lead.
An enterprising Afridi crunched four boundaries before he was undone by Lyon’s spin, trapped lbw for 21.
Jamal was in good touch, finding the ropes three times in six balls at one point in his 33 not out.
Cummins grabbed his fifth wicket by bowling Hasan Ali for two before Lyon had Hamza stumped for the same score.
LAHORE: At last, Yasir Arafat will get the chance to be part of Pakistan’s coaching panel.
The former all-rounder is set to be Pakistan’s coach for the upcoming five-match T20I series in New Zealand, Dawn has learnt, less than a year after he was in the fray to become the team’s bowling coach.
Former Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur had wanted Yasir to train the team’s pacers but eventually South African pacer Morne Morkel was appointed for the job.
The incumbent team director Mohammad Hafeez, however, has decided to give Yasir, an England and Wales Cricket Board Level-4 coach, the reins of the team for the series against New Zealand with Umar Gul to continue as the bowling coach.
It is learnt that Yasir may also be hired for next month’s ICC U-19 World Cup. Reports suggest that Rehan Riaz, the bowling coach of the U-19 team, may not be able to travel to South Africa, opening the door for Yasir.