Our win is not an answer to critics: Sarfaraz

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Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has said that winning is not an answer to the critics, after the Men in Green’s victory against South Africa during the 2019 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup.

“Our win is not an answer to the critics. We are here to play cricket and, like any other side, believe we can win the World Cup. We always do our best effort on Wednesday and all the remaining matches,” Sarfaraz said according to a press release issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

He also spoke about Pakistan’s morale-boosting win against the Proteas.

“The win over South Africa was a result of a complete team effort. We badly needed a positive following a difficult last week when our below-par performance against India was followed by severe criticism, some justified and some unjustified. We had made mistakes in Manchester, so all criticism from a cricket perspective was justified, taken positively and in our stride,” he said.

 Speaking about the match-winning half-century from middle-order batsman Haris Sohail, Sarfaraz said: “No praise would be enough for the innings Haris played as he made the difference. In a tight situation and in only his second match of the tournament, Haris played a gem of an innings. He batted like Jos Buttler of England. He looked hungry and his body language was very positive right from start of his innings.”

The wicketkeeper-batsman also spoke about the reason Sohail was dropped from the previous games.

“It was because we wanted to play with a particular combination. He has a very wise head on his shoulders that helps him to construct his innings and accelerate at the right time with clean and precise hitting. It is just unfortunate that his career has been marred by injuries. I hope this innings will now give his career the deserving lift and more importantly, the recognition,” he said.

Pakistan dropped six catches in the field on Sunday and this aspect of the game is one of the team’s top concerns heading into upcoming matches, according to Sarfaraz.

“Fielding has been a worry. We have to lift it tremendously. We dropped too many catches against South Africa, some straightforward and some half-chances. So, over the next few days, we are going to intensify our extra drills and try to improve our ground and aerial fielding,” he said.

Talking about Pakistan’s next game, the skipper said: “Our next opponent is New Zealand. We know they are a dangerous side, so we have to improve our Lord’s performance, set a platform in batting, take early wickets in bowling and hold catches. That will set the tone.”