Mir Hamza reveals tactical genius behind Travis Head's dismissal

Pakistan's Test fast bowler, Mir Hamza, has delved into the strategic masterclass that led to the dismissal of Australian batsman Travis Head in the recently concluded Test series. 

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Hamza revealed that he had a clear game plan in mind when facing Head, emphasizing his focus on swinging the ball to outsmart the talented Aussie.

"I always try to swing the ball. When Travis Head came, my aim was to either beat him or hit his pads or stumps. So, for him my plan was to swing the ball in, beat him, and get him bowled," Mir Hamza said.

Hamza revealed receiving valuable advice from cricket legend Wasim Akram, who urged him to stick to basics and avoid overexertion on the challenging Australian pitches.

"Wasim Akram advised me to stick to my basics and not try too hard on bouncy Australian pitches. After bowling well, he praised my precision and experience from playing 100 first-class matches, wishing me the best for the future," he said.

Reflecting on his performance and addressing concerns about a potential decrease in pace, the left-arm pacer emphasized the importance of relying on his existing skills and avoiding unnecessary efforts on other aspects.

"I've realized that if my skill is seam swing, then I should rely on it. You need pace for both red and white balls, but it should be effective enough to disturb the batsman. To some extent, you need pace on which I'm working," Hamza said.

The 31-year-old also shared his experience of bowling alongside Shaheen Afridi for the first time in his career. Commending Shaheen's quick understanding of the match situation, Hamza highlighted Afridi's emphasis on building partnerships.

"It's the first time in my career that I've bowled with Shaheen. Shaheen's quality is that he reads the match situation very quickly. He believes more in partnerships. He doesn't think about what the rest of the team is doing if he is taking wickets himself. Shaheen thinks more about his other bowlers," he concluded.