Azhar promises tough fight in Bangladesh series

LAHORE: Newly appointed Pakistan one-day captain Azhar Ali said on Saturday his team will not take Bangladesh lightly after their strong World Cup performance, promising a tough fight from his young players next week.
The three-match One-day International series starts on Friday.
He replaced Misbah-ul-Haq, who retired from one-day cricket after Pakistan slumped out of this year’s World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, in the quarter-finals.
Ali, 30, said his team is ready for Bangladesh, who shocked England to reach the World Cup quarter-finals, where they lost to India.
“Bangladesh’s performance in the World Cup was good and they looked a much-improved side. They are also tough in their condition, so we are no way going to take them lightly,” Ali told reporters on the last day of the training camp.
“There will be two teams fighting and I believe my young boys will perform well,” he said about the tour where Pakistan will also play a Twenty20 International followed by two Tests.
Azhar said his young team, including uncapped opener Sami Aslam, will progress with time. “I understand cricket has changed a lot and obviously we do have to take our cricket forward in a positive way. But if you expect a sudden change that is not going to happen as rather breaking in the race we should gradually bring on a change,” he said.
Azhar said he was inspired by former captain Misbah, who is still leading Pakistan’s Test side. “I have a big example of Misbah who led Pakistan in tough times and positively. Being a team member I saw a lot of good things in him, how he handled the situations so this is going to help me.
“There are a lot of great captains around the world, but for me Misbah is the best captain I have played with.”
Ali hoped his under-performing batsmen will show improvement.
“Bowlers definitely did well in the World Cup so we are going to rely on them, but it’s important that batsmen should also feel the sense of responsibility.
“Cricket is changing and we as a team have to play with a positive frame of mind. I am seeing how excited the players are. They want to do something good for Pakistan and I am sure... it will be a different side,” he said.
Azhar has played only 14 ODIs, the last of them in January 2013. Although his strike rate has been a talking point, his promotion was seen as a continuation of stability akin to that provided by Misbah.
Along with the coach Waqar Younis, Azhar led the six-day conditioning camp in Lahore and signed off with satisfaction and asserted that his team was ready.
“My approach varies accordingly but the team is like a family and has to create a friendly atmosphere,” Azhar said. “So if you manage well you can apply any sort of approach rather than only being aggressive. But they are responding exactly the way I wanted them to be,” he said.