Pakistan not struggling due to over-confidence: Flower

Image
Press Trust of India Karachi
Last Updated : Jul 25 2016 | 6:57 PM IST
Pakistan's batting coach, Grant Flower does not believe that the national team is struggling to avoid defeat in the second Test against England at Old Trafford because of any over-confidence after winning the first test at Lord's.
"No there is no element of over-confidence in our performance. The head coach told the players after we won the first test that there was no need to relax since the entire series was still at stake," Flower told reporters in Manchester.
He said everyone knew that Pakistan team had a problem of producing consistent performances or relaxing after a win.
"But this time the players were told not to take it easy at all as this was a tough series," the former Zimbabwean batsman said.
Flower felt that Pakistani batsmen struggled in the second Test because they were fatigued after staying on the field.
"More importantly the shot selection was just not right especially from the senior players. Muhammad Hafeez threw his wicket after looking good and Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq also self destructed," he said.
Flower, whose two-year contract has been extended by the Pakistan cricket board for the ongoing series in England, also defended the performance of senior batsman, Younis Khan.
"Yes he has changed his technique a bit and is hooping around a bit playing in the middle. But he has proven his class time and again and I think the pitch at Old Trafford is still good for batting and our batsmen have a very good chance to make amends for their first innings failure," he said.
Flower said Pakistan had good players for test matches but overall the shot selection of most players was very weak which was getting them into trouble.
"Our first innings batting performance in the second test was a disaster and I think the batsmen need to show more aptitude and resilience and try to stay at the wicket in the second innings," he said.
He noted that playing late and proper shot selection were the key to scoring runs in English conditions.
"The way Joe Root played in this test I think that is the way test match cricket should be played," he added.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jul 25 2016 | 6:57 PM IST

Next Story