Scoring 400 runs necessary against Australia: Jalal

KARACHI: Former Test cricketer Jalaluddin has termed the three-Test Australian tour as Pakistan’s hardest assignment due to their weak bowling attack as well as the psychological pressure of their pathetic record in the Aussies’ backyard.

While talking to The News, Jalal highlighted that Pakistani batters will have to score totals above 400 runs to give the bowlers something to bowl at. “Our current bowling attack doesn’t look capable of taking 20 wickets in a Test.

“To beat a top team like Australia, it’s important to take 20 wickets. Our bowlers are not capable of doing that. On the previous Australian tours, our bowling was capable, but we still lost in a humiliating fashion. Twice we managed to draw Test series in Australia, and it was possible due to our bowling,” stated the PCB Level-3 and ECB Level-4 coach.

“The T20 style of bowling will not work. Our bowling doesn’t have the depth, as only Shaheen Shah Afridi is our strike bowler, but he looks half-fit. The Australian tour will be a test of fitness of our bowlers, as short spells are not enough to survive in Test cricket,” Jalal added.

“Only a miracle spell can help us to bring Australia’s batting under pressure. We should try to give our best, and exploit the weaknesses of their batters, and keep an eye on the condition of the wicket and weather,” he highlighted.

“Even in the presence of great bowlers like Imran Khan, Sarfaraz Nawaz, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Abdul Qadir, and Iqbal Qasim, Pakistan could not win any Test series on Australian soil. This time batting should take responsibility as even a total around 250 to 300 wouldn’t be enough,” Jalal said. In Jalal’s opinion, Sarfaraz should be preferred over Rizwan, as he has played some great innings recently and also did well in the first-class season.