Mohammad Hafeez: Pakistan's struggling opener looks ahead to The Oval
'Hopefully at The Oval I will show people what I am capable of'
Thursday 11 August 2016 17:16, UK
Sajid Sadiq speaks to struggling Pakistan opener, Mohammad Hafeez, ahead of the fourth Investec Test against England at The Oval...
After winning the opening Test at Lord's, Pakistan have fallen to consecutive defeats at Old Trafford and Edgbaston to see them trail 2-1 going into the final Test.
Saj Sadiq: Are you disappointed that you have failed to provide the team with good starts in England so far?
Mohammad Hafeez: You are absolutely correct. Every batsman wants to score big every time he goes out to bat for his country. I may have missed a couple of chances to play a big innings, but I am not disappointed, as I know this is how it goes sometimes in cricket. I am confident that I am playing well and God willing, I will be able to contribute some big scores in the near future. All cricketers go through lean patches but hopefully, if selected, at The Oval I will show people what I am capable of as a batsman.
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SS: Is it difficult for Asian batsmen who are used to low bounce wickets to come to places like England, Australia or South Africa?
MH: To be honest, this is the same issue for all players because if you learn and play your cricket in one set of conditions and then are asked to play in another country, you will find it tough. It's not just Asian batsmen, but English players and some of the top Australian stars also find it tough when they go to Asia. However, I will say that if you have a good technique and can adapt to different conditions well, and work hard, then you will always score runs.
SS: As a senior batsman in the team, what advice are you giving to the less experienced players like Shan Masood and Sami Aslam?
MH: The two names you mentioned are highly-talented players who are trying to make a mark at the highest levels of the game. It is a difficult task and sometimes players are very lucky that they start performing from day one but for most, it takes time and involves a lot of hard work. In the case of Shan and Sami, the team management is doing a great job by giving them time and all the support that they need. I do wish them the best for their future and one must remember not to judge them based on one or two series, as they have plenty to offer to Pakistan in the future.
Now it's up to these players to repay the confidence and support that they have received from the team management by putting in some good performances. As a senior player, I am always ready to offer my assistance to any player who needs my help, as this is not about me, but about Pakistan. It's not about your personal achievements but the legacy you leave for the country to take benefit from. Sami was superb at Edgbaston, he batted beautifully, and I hope he can continue batting like that in the future.
SS: Do you think your recent struggles with the bat are due to the fact that you are now only in the team as a batsman?
MH: It's always been my belief that my primary role is that of a batsman. Though it is true that being a bowler was adding extra value towards my career and also helped in composing the right balance for the Pakistan team, and this arrangement worked really well for the past five or six years. I do miss this dual role for the Pakistan team, and I hope to eventually reclaim the number one all-rounder tag, which would be a great honour.
SS: How are the preparations coming along for the re-test on your bowling action?
MH: To be honest, I haven't been thinking too much about it. This is because for the past three-and-a-half-months, no serious remedial work has been possible on my action, which is necessary for successfully clearing the test. Obviously in that period, it was more important for me to concentrate on ensuring that I regained my fitness after injury to allow me to play as a batsman for the Pakistan team.
I did start to bowl again in the nets once my fitness had been restored and during this time, I met up with Carl Crowe, who has helped West Indies spinner Sunil Narine in the past. With God's grace, many things are better now with my action after his advice, but due to our busy schedule, there is no decision yet on the date of my re-test.
SS: You have been bowling with the same action for many years. Did the issue with your bowling action catch you by surprise?
MH: Firstly, this specific question should be asked to the ICC. Maybe they will be in a better position to answer why such things are happening now and why these standards are not being applied universally on all bowlers? The fact is that if they applied these criteria on all the bowlers around the world, then a few who have done wonders at the highest level would struggle to meet these standards.
SS: You objected against the inclusion of Mohammad Amir in the Pakistan team earlier this year. How would you describe your relationship with him now, on the current tour of England?
MH: I believe that there was some confusion about the whole issue. What I expressed then was a principled stance, not one taken against the individual, but rather against his actions. If anyone indulges in such activity, I will be the first one to raise my hand up and question their inclusion.
Once everyone accepted Amir back in the fold, then I had no objections. He is like a brother to me as is every other person who plays for Pakistan and he will have my support for that reason. All of that is now history, but my principled stance on this issue remains the same, and will never change.
SS: Having played against Virat Kohli and Joe Root, who do you rate as the better player?
MH: Both are outstanding players for their countries, as is Kane Williamson of New Zealand. Virat Kohli is doing a tremendous job for India and Joe Root, as we have seen, has stepped up for his country as well. They are definitely the role models for the next generation of cricketers, but there is no way to compare and rate the talents of these batsmen. It's a pleasure to watch them play well and I wish them all the best of luck and hope they continue doing well for the sake of the game of cricket.
SS: How do you compare Mickey Arthur as a coach compared to previous coach, Waqar Younis?
MH: It's very difficult to compare the two coaches. Mickey has very clear ideas of how he wishes to manage his players and a very clear mindset as well. From what we have seen so far, he is a hard-working professional, but at the same time, he is easy going as well. One hopes that things will continue in this positive manner as it is always good to have someone with so much experience, especially when that experience includes games against us as well, when he was the coach of South Africa and Australia. So far things are working out well and I hope it continues that way in the future.
SS: How confident are you about performing well in the final Test of this series?
MH: The way we started the series at Lord's was very uplifting for us. All team members stepped up and performed well, but then we must also give credit to England for responding to the pressure of losing the first Test and winning the second and third matches.
As a team though, we are still very confident for the remaining Test match. As a team we have been playing together for the last few years, and the bond between us is very strong and the confidence level very high. We are looking forward to our next challenges and I do believe that we have all the skills needed to win the final Test and rest assured, we will try our level best to make this happen.
Watch the fourth Test between England and Pakistan live on Sky Sports 2 from 10am on Thursday.
