Pakistan ‘perfectly balanced’ to face Afghanistan spinners: Head coach

22 March, 2023

LAHORE        -       Pakistan cricket team’s newlyappointed head coach Abdul Rehman believes that his side is perfectly balanced and has all the bases covered to face the spin challenge from Afghanistan in the upcoming T20I series between the two sides in Sharjah. In his maiden media interaction as national team head coach here on Tuesday, Rehman thanked Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management and its chair Najam Sethi for giving him the opportunity. “It’s an honour for me to be the head coach of Pakistan. It’sa great opportunity for me, I will try to give the best of my capabilities and create a difference in this series.”

Rehman, who has vast coaching experience of coaching in domestic cricket, including PSL, said he was not under any kind of pressure since he worked with almost every player of the squad on different occasions.

“We have some really good youngsters in our squad and all of these are coming after performing in the PSL so I think we have all the bases covered,” he said. “The senior players are big names, but our young players are also the best. We have good players in every department. Shadab Khan, Naseem Khan, and young players are all our trump cards. In the absence of our senior players, young cricketers will try to fill their place.

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Senior players joining the coaching staff is also very good for me. We will try to do well in this series,” he said. The head coach believed that the opposition had some really goodspinners but the wellbalanced Pakistan side would be able to counter them effectively. “We have a combination of youngsters and seniors. And all of them have faced Afghanistan players in the PSL.

“Afghanistan’s spin bowling is quite strong, although their batting is not as strong as their bowling. But we have a talented batting lineup and a well-balanced team to face their spinners,” Rehman said. Talking about his position in the interim coaching setup, where he is joined by former Pakistan stars Umar Gul and Muhammad Yousuf as bowling and batting coaches respectively, Rehman said: “No one will be dictating anyone. We have to work together and move along collectively.”

The three T20Is will be staged in Sharjah on March 24, 26 and 27. PAKISTAN SQUAD: Shadab Khan (c), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, M Haris, M Nawaz, M Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan. RESERVES: Abrar Ahmed, Haseebullah, Usama Mir.

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