Dean Jones not too excited with Pakistan’s number one rank
Aug 26, 2016 at 1:32 PM
Former Australian batsman and commentator Dean Jones has apparently stated that he isn’t too excited with Pakistan ascending to the number one spot in the ICC test rankings. Jones, who is in India currently for a commentary stint in the inaugural Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), stated that for a team to be number one, it was imperative to defeat all nations in their own backyard. Jones spoke on a variety of issues in an interview with Cricbuzz, and below are some of the excerpts.
On Pakistan’s rise to number one in tests:
With all respect to Pakistan or Australia, you aren’t a number one team until you have beaten everyone in the world. I would like to see World Cups in Tests. Australia were the No. 1 Test side earlier, but they don’t play Bangladesh and Zimbabwe enough. On the other hand, Pakistan haven’t played a Test against India for long. So how can you say they are the no.1 side? Until you have a proper World Cup in Tests, and till you give the format what it deserves, it’s not going anywhere.
On Australia’s dismal test record in Asia:
You need mental courage to play against good spinners on turning tracks. Up against the fast bowlers, you have to shuffle from the top to waist up. But, against a quality spinner you have to shuffle from the waist down. You have to learn how to set a bowler up for the lines and lengths you would like to play. You need the courage to go down the pitch, play a few sweeps to release the pressure created by the bat-pad fielder. I think a lot of guys haven’t worked that out.
Views about TNPL:
It’s a stepping stone for some of these kids or the young guys who are part of the competition. I know that after the success of Pakistan Super League there were a few players who got picked for the Pakistan team within a month. I am sure there will be at least 3-4 players who would pop up from TNPL and could go on to play other leagues as well.