Talking to the reporters ahead of their first Test at the Gabba from November 21, Misbah-u-Haq has called for the batsman’s ‘blind spot’ to be hit on a consistent basis. According to the former Pakistan captain, a delivery hitting the top of off-stump can trouble any batsmen on any kind of surface. He explained:
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Smith’s sublime form this year, post his return from the ban, has made him the centre of attraction for all opposition bowlers and getting him out early is what the Pakistan camp will be hoping for. However, the Pakistan head coach showed no nerves while tackling questions on how the young Pakistan bowling line-up will fare against the grit of Smith. He stated that maintaining discipline as a bowler and hitting the right areas will take this young side a long way in the series. He said:
Speaking about the form of his premier batsman Babar Azam, Misbah-ul-Haq said that the prolific run-scorer has come a long way since the difficult South Africa series where he had started showing signs of maturity and improvement. Azam’s form will probably determine the fate of this Pakistani squad and this is where the weight of expectations will have to be managed.
A good knock of 157 runs against Australia A by Babar Azam can be seen as good signs for Pakistan cricket, but Misbah-ul-Haq knows well that a good balance of sensible and attacking cricket was the need of the hour for his side. He said:
In the last tour of Australia in 2016/17, Babar Azam scored only 68 runs in three matches at an average of 11.33.
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