Mohammad Hafeez Laughs Off Aussie Pacers’ Threat At WACA
Jan 18, 2017 at 5:01 PM
Buoyed by the victory in the last One-Day international in Melbourne, Pakistan’s stand-in skipper Mohammad Hafeez has laughed off suggestions that his team might face difficulty in coping with the WACA’s pace and bouncing in the third ODI against Australia on Thursday (January 19).
The win at the MCG on Sunday (January 15) Brisbane ended Pakistan’s 12-year run without a victory Down Under. Not only that, the visitors thoroughly dominated Steve Smith’s men throughout the match and will back themselves to continue the momentum in Perth too. However, the pacy and bouncy pitch might test the Pakistani batsmen who have struggled to play against the short ball on the tour and in-form Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood has already issued a warning to the Pakistan camp by saying: “We know their batters don’t like that extra bounce and pace”.
Well, Hafeez, who had scored 72 runs in the last encounter is not worried about the pace threat and insisted that his team is ready to face the Australian pacers.
“I can only laugh about it,” Hafeez said.
“We are very much ready for that. That pace and bounce won’t make any difference.”
Hafeez also praised his bowlers for the way they made light work of Australia’s top-order in the last two matches. In the series opener at the Gabba, the hosts were reeling at 5-78 before being rescued by Matthew Wade’s century. And in Sunday’s six-wicket loss, Australia were 4-86 before being bowled out for 220.
“In the last two games, our bowlers did a great job for us,” Hafeez said.
“They took wickets at the right time. They put the opposition under tremendous pressure.
“We believe if we can take three or four wickets early on, that gives you more of a chance to attack the opposition, and that’s what our bowlers have done.”