MANCHESTER: Mushtaq Ahmed, spin bowling coach for the Pakistani men’s national cricket team, looked back on his team’s triumph against West Indies in the first ODI and stressed the importance of a strong middle order.
Mushtaq, in an exclusive interview with this reporter here, highlighted the problem of an unstable middle order and stated that we often misunderstand the role of middle order hitters, stating that it is the position to hit sixes.
“It’s important for us to have solid hitters in the middle order. I think we have misunderstood the concept of middle order numerous times, which is actually the position to roll sixes,” Mushtaq said.
“The batting order of the fourth, fifth and sixth numbers is very important to a team. The starters laid the groundwork for the match and the middle order hitters finished the game. I think the team needs to focus on this technically and the hitters drafted in the middle order need to be solid,” he maintained.
The former cricketer also applauded the heroic hitting of left-handed batsman Khushdil Shah and called him the match winner, whose undefeated 41 hit led the Greenshirts to victory after skipper Babar Azam laid the foundation with a century. magnificent.
“The way Khushdil played was just exceptional. He is a match winner. The energy level of the players is not the same in such a hot climate. But the credit goes to Babar, his team and the management for this incredible win,” Mushtaq said.
The legendary spinner further highlighted the importance of consistent opportunities by stating that it motivates the player to perform at their best.
“The biggest thing to focus on is continuity and I think the board is already working on that,” Mushtaq said.
“This continuity helps build confidence in the players and they feel motivated to perform well in any situation,” he concluded.
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