Sarfraz, Arthur ‘satisfied’ with Pak performance in 2018

KARACHI: Just days after ending 2018 on a sorry note with a crushing defeat against South Africa, Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed and coach Mickey Arthur have tried to put a positive spin on the performance of their under-achieving team.Both Arthur and Sarfraz were ‘satisfied’ with the performance of the team in 2018 despite poor results like the Asia Cup disaster and a home series defeat against New Zealand in the UAE.“It has been a long year in which there have been some exceptional and some ordinary performances. Overall, I think we have done well, but I accept we could have had better results had we shown a little more consistency,” said Sarfraz.Arthur said: “The Lord’s victory over England, a 1-0 series win over Australia and world record 17 T20I victories were obviously the highlights of the year. But we could have also won the series against New Zealand and the Centurion Test, and it hurts to end up on the losing side.“This is a side in transition and has shown considerable improvement in the past 12 months. I am convinced that the best from this outstanding young group of players is yet to come.”In 2018, Pakistan played nine Tests, winning four and losing four, while they won eight of the 18 ODIs, with the series decider against New Zealand being washed-out after they had set the Kiwis a 280-run victory target. In the shortest format, Pakistan won 17 out of 19 matches, including victories in the Zimbabwe tri-series and series wins over Australia and the New Zealand both at the Black Caps home and the UAE.In the ICC rankings, Pakistan remained in seventh position in the Test table but gained four points to rise to 92 points, while they moved up one place to fifth in the ODI rankings. In the T20I table, Pakistan seized the top spot from New Zealand and finished in number one position on 138 points after collecting 14 points during the year.“This was the first calendar year in which Pakistan was playing without stalwarts like Younus Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq in the Test match format,” said Sarfraz.Arthur, who is under fire for his team’s below-par shawing in recent times, praised the efforts of the entire team, saying: “I say with a lot of satisfaction that the boys have worked extremely hard. It has been a backbreaking year of cricket for the boys, but they have tried to make optimum use of the opportunities and given their best every time they stepped onto the field.“The area which has pleased me the most has been the side’s fielding, which has also been noticed and appreciated by the pundits and experts. We have taken some excellent catches and inflicted stunning run-outs, apart from saving many runs. This is a testament of the players’ commitment and hard work, as fielding is very much an individual thing and one has to push oneself to excel in this department.“Of course, mistakes have been made and those have cost us badly, but that doesn’t take away the fact that the boys have tried their best and worked hard. They have shown the world that they have the talent and grit, and now it’s time they start translating that flair into positive results.“There have been good days and not so good days, but we have stayed together as a group and have aimed to continue to work harder and better. I am confident that good results are waiting for us down the road.”Sarfraz said the year has seen the emergence of some outstanding talent, which the world has recognised and acknowledged.“Mohammad Abbas is one such player. Abbas caught everyone by surprise with the way he bowled in the UAE. The world has already billed him as the future No.1 bowler and we are so fortunate to have someone like him in the side, someone we can always rely on any surface and in any match situation.“Yasir Shah is another talented player and probably the best wrist-spinner in the world today. In 2018, he only got better and better, and I am confident he has plenty of more match-winning performances in him. And how can one forget Babar Azam, one of the most elegant and graceful batsmen in the world, one who is blossoming into an international star?“Among others to have established their credentials in 2018 include Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf and Shan Masood, who showed his potential and played a good knock in the second innings at Centurion.”

from The News International - Sports http://bit.ly/2EXtb2V