Misbah-ul-Haq says “Easier to adjust in South African condition with white ball”

Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has said that it is easier to adjust to conditions in South Africa when one is playing white-ball cricket as compared to the longest format of the game. Pakistan is slated to square off against South Africa in three ODIs and three T20Is. The first ODI will be played on Friday at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.

“I think especially with white-ball cricket, the pitches are very good, they’re true pitches, with good bounce and pace and for batters. In white-ball cricket, it is easier to adjust to these conditions and you get good value for shots. Obviously, Pakistan has also always had the luxury of good fast bowlers. That is the reason Pakistan has done well here,” said Misbah. Further Misbah says “In 2013-14, when we were here, we had Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, then we had youngsters like Bilawal Bhatti and a couple of others. That is the reason why Pakistan likes playing here. No doubt South Africa are very good, they know their conditions well. But I think these conditions help Pakistan as a whole, the batsmen especially. And obviously, there’s something psychological as well, when a team has done well here before, it helps moving forward as well to perform,”.

Talking about the batting of Pakistan, Misbah said, “As a batsman you enjoy that, you get full value for your shots. Previously, in this team, some of the players have played here and performed — Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman was here. These players love that pace and bounce, now Mohammad Rizwan is in form, a very good backfoot player. Those previous series and experiences definitely count, they play a role in your confidence as a player and team. When I was playing, suddenly, you just went to a ground where you’ve performed and your confidence level was always different.”