RAWALPINDI: Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel has said the team made a good start but had to work hard later as the pitch became difficult to play on during the match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Speaking at a post-match press conference, Saud said the team could not have reached a good total if it had lost more wickets early in the innings.
He praised Arafat Minhas for his late contribution, saying the young batter played well and scored a valuable half-century to help the team finish strongly.
Saud said he had no special plan to play fast and was dismissed when a delivery came a little quicker than expected, leaving him late in his shot.
He also admitted that the team was aware of the shortage of overs in the match and the limited number of days available.
Talking about young players, Saud said all the youngsters had the ability to become good cricketers.
He also praised Tayyab Arif, saying he rated him highly.
Saud added that no batter wants to get out after scoring a half-century, but sometimes a good delivery can end a player’s innings.
He felt that most batters received good deliveries after reaching their fifties.
Talking about the pitch, he said it had good grass and the ground was looking greener.
He felt that spin bowling could also play a role as the match continued, while reverse swing might not be seen much.
