Kamran Akmal advises Pakistan players to play aggressively in South Africa
Kamran was overlooked for the Tests in South Africa but is in line to be picked for the limited-over games.
Senior wicketkeeper-batsman, Kamran Akmal believes the only way for Pakistan to make a comeback in three-Test series against South Africa is to play aggressively and positively against their fearsome pace attack.
"Given the nature of the pitches in South Africa which have pace and bounce you have to keep playing your shots because it is not possible to survive without being positive. The pitches will always have something for the bowlers at any given time," said Kamran, the veteran of 53 Tests, 143 ODIs and 49 T20 matches.
Kamran was overlooked for the Tests in South Africa but is in line to be picked for the limited over games.
Pakistan was drubbed by 211 runs in the first Test at the Centurion and there are fears of another repeat in the second Test beginning on February 14 at Capetown which has been notorious for low scores in the last two years.
New Zealand was bowled out for 45 recently and Australia also fell for 42 in 2011 after they had bowled out South Africa for 92 runs.
The experienced Kamran said that Nasir Jamshed and Asad Shafiq had done the right thing in the second innings by playing their shots and they got runs.
"Pakistan is a very good side and capable of bouncing back anytime. But we must be mentally prepared for another bouncy and seaming track in Capetown," he said. Kamran has been busy in Pakistan's domestic season which has been one of the most competitive in recent times due to the participation of top players first for their departments in the President's Trophy and now for their regional sides in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
On Saturday at the LCCA ground in Lahore where the two home sides clashed with each other in the tournament it was a star-studded presence of players with Kamran, Umar, Wahab Riaz, Aizaz Cheema, Ahmed Shahzad, all making their presence felt in the match specially so the left arm pacer, Riaz who took 9 for 59 in the first innings of the match and ended with match figures of 12 for 120.
"I had taken nine wickets but Aizaz picked up the tenth. I was disappointed to not make it a tener," Riaz said.
The Akmal brothers, the two pacers, Wahab and Aizaz and Shahzad are all in line to be selected for the one-day series in South Africa and from Monday will be busy representing the Pakistan A side against Afghanistan in a one-day series in Lahore.