Tailenders Must Perform With The Bat For Us To Beat England, Says Pakistan Batting Coach Younis Khan
Published - 29 Jul 2020, 09:10 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:32 AM
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As Pakistan gear up to take on England in the much-anticipated three-match Test series, their batting coach Younis Khan has said the visitors need “a fighting tail” to win the series. The onus must be on Pakistan’s top-order to deliver with the bat but Younis Khan made it clear that the team will need good batting contributions from the lower-order batsmen too to win the series.
Pakistan and England will play a three-match Test series, starting on next Monday (August 5). The series will mark the resumption of international cricket for Pakistan after the coronavirus pandemic halted action around the world in March. International cricket returned earlier this month with the just-concluded three-match series between England and West Indies.
Younis Khan, meanwhile, is presently busy preparing the batsmen for the challenging outings. The legendary batsman, who scored a double-century in England when Pakistan drew the series 2-2 in 2016, said that Pakistan are in England to win the series and they need their tail to deliver with the bat for that.
“We’re here to win the series,” Younis Khan, who is the only Pakistan Test batsman in the 10,000-run club, said. “For that, we need a fighting tail, which is the hallmark of all top teams.
“It’s not just the top six-seven batsmen. The tailenders must also perform with the bat,” he added citing the contribution of England’s lower order in their 2-1 series victory against West Indies.
The former Pakistan captain has been working with the pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Mohammad Abbas, who have single-digit batting averages.
“I think Abbas has a nice balance. I’m trying to make him their leader, someone who can guide the tailenders,” Younis Khan said. “They may not score a lot, but they need to put up a fight with the bat.
“We’ve been working really hard on their batting – feeding them bouncers and yorkers in the nets.”
Younis Khan on Babar Azam:
The onus to lead the batting department will be on Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali and his deputy Babar Azam. The pressure will be more on Babar who has become the batting mainstay of the team across formats. Speaking about him, Younis Khan acknowledged the pressure on Babar and said he has been trying to help the 25-year-old focus on his game.
“He’s been a fantastic player for Pakistan with a strong performance in the last couple of years. I’m here to help take his game to the next level. I want him to bat longer, converting his 100 into 150 and 150 into 200,” he said.
