When it comes to playing cricket, Australia is the best team. And defeating Australia in Australia is harder than winning against anywhere else in the world. The test series did not go the way we wanted despite some heroic batting and outlandish captaincy. But we still have got a chance to show better performance in ODIs.
Here are a few things we need to take care of moving forward.
Give Our Team Confidence
We need to give our team confidence by showing that we appreciate this effort. Confidence is not something that just needs to come from the fans. The cricket governing body, in general, must also talk to players and back them up. It is easy to slip back into a defeating mindset with just win if we are not backing our players. Our team needs to enjoy their play and give their best without thinking of the consequences.
Focus On All Around Performance
We won because three of our bowlers’ performance exceptionally well. Similarly, we saw some decent performances from our batsmen. The team needs to draw confidence and inspiration from its last performance to make sure that it keeps a winning streak. Guys, remember Australia has a deep batting lineup. You cannot rest on your laurels with the top 2 or 3 or 4 batsmen out. You need to keep applying pressure to win against a resilient and competitive team like Australia.
Delivered Best Performance as a Team
Everyone needs to deliver as per expectations. We can no longer afford lousy performances. Politics must take a back seat. Every player needs to focus on what they are contributing to the team before asking for a better position in the team. Cricket greats of Pakistan like Waseem, Waqar, Shoaib Akhtar, Inzamam, Javed and Imran Khan (and so much more) always worked hard to carve out a place for themselves instead of begging for one.
No Sloppy Fielding
When you are Australia, you need to master the art of diving, jumping, and even flying at times to stop some of the most crucial runs. A few odd runs can make all the difference in the end. The outfield is fast, which is why just running after the bowl won’t help. We need to define fielding positions as per our bowling strategy and each batsman’s strength. It is not easy to stop runs when Australian batsmen start becoming comfortable at the crease. Therefore, as a team, we need to try and get early breakthroughs.
More Batters Need To Contribute
No matter how many times we need to say but it is a fact that batting has never been a strength of Pakistan’s cricket team. It is not just talent alone which can do wonders. The batsmen need to come prepared and improve their temperament. Remember, we need to qualify for the ICC’s ODI world cup. And currently, if we do not improve on our game, we may not directly be able to be eligible for the 50 overs upcoming world cup. Therefore, let us bank on our previous win and try to sustain that position.
