"It will benefit our team" - Mir Hamza calls for frequent Test matches for Pakistan

Pakistan’s Test bowling specialist Mir Hamza has called for an extended number of Test matches throughout the calendar year in order to not just save the longest format from extinction but also to help the players stay in regular touch with 4 and 5-day matches.

Mir Hamza’s comments have come in light of Pakistan’s recent 3-0 Test whitewash to the hands of Australia during the Benaud-Qadir Trophy last month. The Green Army arrived at the Land down under following an embarrassing exit from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 from the group stages itself.

Pakistan registered only 4 victories out of their 9 league matches and were bowed out of the tournament with just 8 points to their name. Their World Cup elimination also led Babar Azam to step down from captaincy with the Pakistan Cricket Board appointing Shan Masood as the Test captain and Shaheen Afridi as the T20 captain.

When Pakistan reached Australia for the Test series, it was Shan Masood’s first major assignment as skipper and it didn’t start off that well. The sub-continent giants lost the 1st Test by 360 runs at Perth before enduring a 79-run and 8-wicket loss in the 2nd and 3rd Test in Melbourne and Sydney respectively.

It mainly happened due to a poor performance by Pakistani batters who were not looking like as if they were in Australia to win the series, something that team director Mohammad Hafeez had claimed before the series began. Left-arm pacer Mir Hamza who was taking part in his first tour to the land down under, missed the 1st Test but came back with a decent bang from the 2nd Test onwards.

He registered 6 wickets across innings in Melbourne where Pakistan had lost by 79 runs. In the 3rd Test, Hamza could scalp only 1 wicket throughout the match and he has come up with a solid reason for his and his team’s shallow performance.

Mir Hamza claimed that the scarcity of Test matches throughout the year has a lot to do with their underwhelming performances and asked the office bearers to organize Test matches.

“In my opinion, we should have more Test cricket. The Test series we played against Australia in December-January. The next Test series we have is probably in August, so there is a long gap.” – Hamza spoke to the Cricket Pakistan outlet.”

“Four-day or five-day cricket is such that when you play after a long time, it’s difficult to regain momentum quickly. I believe we should play Test cricket throughout the year. It will benefit our team more if both batsmen and bowlers maintain their momentum consistently.” – Mir Hamza added. 

“My Aim Is To Excel In Both Red-Ball And White-Ball Cricket”, Mir Hamza Affirms

Mir Hamza went on to claim that his main aim is to become equally successful in all the formats that he is very determined to prove his worth that he is not just a one format player.

“I accept every challenge, and if I am given a responsibility in red-ball cricket by the Pakistan team, my endeavor is to perform well. Regarding white-ball cricket, I am also playing domestically and participating in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where I have performed well. My aim is to excel in both red-ball and white-ball cricket.” – Mir Hamza concluded.