Biggest positive from this game was our bowling, says Misbah
Pakistan captain looks at the positives, says if batsmen can give bowlers enough runs to bowl at, Pakistan can still be a force to a reckon with.
- NDTVSports
- Updated: June 08, 2013 06:05 PM IST
Can I ask you on the catch the wicketkeeper took, were you happy that he claimed the catch?
What can I say about that? I think he should have told them what happened, but I don't know what he was thinking at that time.
We keep hearing about responsibility, Misbah. How responsible do you think the batsmen were today?
Yeah, I think it wasn't easy in the start. But I think after Nasir Jamshed got settled, that was really a good partnership. I think that shot played by Nasir that really cost us. From there, it was really a game changer, because at that stage it could have been easily 230-230. And looking at the surface of what I was just guessing it's a good total if you cross 230, something like that. But I think we need to just be responsible. Anybody gets set on these sort of conditions, we need to just carry on.
Misbah, going back to the catch, would you have been happy if your wicketkeeper was claiming the catch in those circumstances when he quite clearly didn't hold the ball?
I don't think so. I think in the spirit of the game, we should just -- if we know -- if we don't know anything, then it's fine. But if you know clearly that it's not a catch, you should not claim that because it's not in the spirit of the game.
Once again you missed a century. What are your feelings, because it's the only thing you haven't gotten in your career? What are your feelings?
It's really something special whenever you've get to one hundred, and especially when it's your first hundred. It's really something that you never forget for your life. But I think more disappointing thing for us is to just lose this game.
It wasn't an easy match for you, especially when you took over. But as a captain, what do you think three things should have happened for you to win the match?
I think the first one, it was really a big advantage to have won the toss, and bowling first would have been a big advantage. And the other one, I think I already told that partnership was really important. I think that shot for Nasir I think was really, really a match turner. And Gayle, the way he survived early on, those three things could have really made the difference.
We have seen that the idea of going in with the regular opener is not really working. So any plans for changing the batting order in the next game, like maybe bringing in Kamran Akmal or bringing in another batter like Umar Amin?
I think sometimes it doesn't work, but in the last game it worked very good. Today we got out but it happens. I think it's nothing to worry, nothing to panic. They are scoring runs, yes, in a way but I think they need to be a little bit more responsible.
What's it like for you not being able to play at home? You come here and play in front of a crowd like that? To what extent do you want to perform for a crowd that's right behind you, and to what extent do you lift your game for that?
Yeah, it is always like that whenever you're not playing at home, you feel for it. You're really going to play at your home grounds and in front of your own crowds. But I think here, again I'd say there was a big support for Pakistan. Whenever you looked in the crowd, everyone was supporting Pakistan. It looked like we were playing at home. So it's really nice to be playing here in front of your own crowd, and it was really good to see that.
What are the positives you are taking from this?
I think the biggest positive from this game was our bowling. All the seamers bowled really well. All the bowlers, you can say, they really bowled their heart out and took wickets. And one time we were really in the hunt, so it's really a big positive, and it just creates pressure on the position. They bowled really well against South Africa and even today. So I think it gives confidence to the team and also to the batsmen that if they can go and just give them a good total, bowling attack and really win the matches for us.
You came in at number 5 today and early wickets went down. Did you contemplate moving yourself to 4?
It's too early after one game. You just can't just change things here and there to just create panic in your camp. I think what we need to do as a batting unit, what our plans are, how to execute those plans. Go in there and try to play our 50 overs and that's what normally in these sort of conditions you can do. Today even losing three wickets -- at one stage the game was under control, but then we made mistakes. So it's just taking responsibility and taking the games to the end. The batsmen need to be more responsible and just carry on.
What is the lesson you're getting?
I think the lesson is very much clear especially from the batting side, that if we can hang around, and if we can give a good total and then 30, 40 more runs could have really made a difference. Even 15, 20 runs could have made the difference.
Your fans were really dejected with the performance. What message would you give to them? Will Pakistan have a reliable chance of getting to the semifinals?
I think it's almost now a good state for us to just go there and try to win every game, and it is possible. Pakistan did it many times before. So just be positive as supporters of the Pakistan team. Go there and try to play positive cricket and try to win every game.