On the eve of third One-day International at the WACA, Pakistan stand-in skipper and all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has denied the speculations that he is trying to earn full-time captaincy spot in One-day Internationals after beating Australia by six wickets in second match at the MCG in the five-match Victoria-Bitter series.
“I think talking about captaincy here is irrelevant. Our captain is Azhar [Ali], and we want him back in the team as soon as possible,” Hafeez was quoted by Express Tribune when he was asked by the reporter about the captaincy.
The 36-year-old batsman Hafeez was named the skipper for the ongoing series after permanent captain Azhar Ali suffered from hamstring injury during the series opener at the Gabba and was eventually ruled out for the second and third ODI game.
The Sargodha-born has stated the team wants Azhar back in the side as early as possible.
“I always believe that every player in the team has to back whoever the captain is, as it is about the Pakistan team, and not any individual. Azhar’s captaincy is improving day by day, which he showed in the West Indies series as well,” Hafeez said.
While making a comeback for Pakistan, Hafeez also bowled with his revamped action. His action was declared illegal after Sri Lanka series in 2015 by cricket governing body ICC last year.
“Our confidence is high after the win,” said Hafeez. “We are playing very good cricket and the team is focused on the job in hand. We know we have to perform in all departments,” Hafeez remarked.
Hafeez is hopeful of turning the tables after making a comeback to the side with injury-marred left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan also returning after a lengthy lay-off.
“We were looking forward for his [Junaid] performance, and he delivered. We knew that he is capable of performing in any conditions. Hopefully, he will continue to perform well, and we will continue to support him,” Hafeez said on Junaid.
Backing on the numbers, Pakistan have somehow claimed their first win at the MCG against Australia since 1985. Hafeez also suggested that Pakistan might go with the same combination after a good performance at the MCG.
“We are happy with the team’s combination,” Hafeez concluded.