Misbah-ul-Haq happy with his team’s performance in the first ODI – Cricket news
Pakistan’s captain, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 at Guyana but feels that it was the most difficult pitch he has ever played on.
Having won the toss, the home team asked the Green Shirts to bat first. The decision turned out to be the right one for the islanders as Pakistan lost their top five batsmen for merely 47 runs on the board. Thanks to much-needed half-centuries by Shahid
Afridi and Misbah, Pakistan were able to post a competitive total of 224 runs on the board for the loss of nine wickets in their allotted 50 overs.
Afridi shined with the ball as well and picked up seven wickets after giving away just 12 runs in nine overs, which happens to be the best-ever bowling figures by a Pakistani bowler. As a result, the home team were dismissed for just 98 runs in 41 overs.
While expressing his views in the post-match presentation ceremony, the Pakistan captain was all praise for Boom Boom and revealed that the pitch was extremely difficult to bat on.
“It was a much-needed performance,” said Misbah. “Especially the way http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 played. It is one of the more difficult pitches I have played on. It was seaming, it was stopping, it was really difficult to middle the ball. I thought if we could reach
200, we could fight. And Shahid helped me. On a pitch that it was difficult to middle the balls http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-c89347 was hitting fours and sixes.”
The middle-order batsman praised the showing of Jason Holder, who picked up four wickets in his first spell and troubled http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s top-order batsman. Misbah is also delighted with the bowling and fielding performance of his side.
“Jason Holder bowled well. The fielding was wonderful. Everybody was charged up. Every bowler bowled well,” the Pakistan captain added.
Having taken the lead in the series, the Green Shirts would love to carry on with the same momentum in the second encounter, which is going to be played at the same venue tomorrow.
Tags: