Karachi, May 18 (PTI) Pakistan’s bowling coach Umar Gul expressed confidence in his side’s ability to chase down a massive 437-run target in the second Test to level the two-matches series 1-1 against Bangladesh.
Speaking to the media after the third day’s play in Sylhet, the former Pakistan fast bowler conceded that lack of proper red ball matches has hit the performance of the bowlers.
“The pitch to me has been very good for batting on the second and third days as the ball is coming on nicely to the bat. On the first day there was a bit of moisture and movement but it has got easier to bat on. So anything is possible in the Test, as we can chase this down,” said Gul.
Gul said Pakistan fast bowlers’ pace dropped in the Test series against Bangladesh.
“Bowling long spells in Test cricket takes a lot out of a bowler as white ball is very different. That is why it is true that the pace of our bowlers drops in red ball cricket.” The former pacer said unfortunately Pakistan were also not playing too many Test matches like other nations.
“I think we need to schedule things properly now whenever we play a Test series because you have to be prepared for long hauls.” Gul defended the performance of his bowlers in the on-going series against Bangladesh, insisting they tried their best despite the hot and humid conditions.
The Pakistan bowling coach also dismissed speculations about senior bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi misbehaving with him on the first day of the second Test.
“Yes I have seen this video clip on social media which gives the impression that Shaheen is not listening to me.
“But the fact is this video is when Hasan Ali got injured and I thought since it is a head injury we might need a concussion replacement so I was just telling Shaheen to go and start preparing if we need to send a replacement,” he said. PTI Corr UNG
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.