Karachi: Pakistan’s national team players received some valuable tips from former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq on Saturday, who advised them to play their “natural game” and control their “nerves”, during the tour of India.
The team arrived in Bangalore on Saturday night, via New Delhi, for the first bilateral series with India since 2007.
“I have told them to forget about technical issues when it comes to batting. Just go and play your natural game and shut out the pressures that come naturally with the big crowds in India,” Inzamam said.
Inzamam, who is Pakistan’s most capped player with 120 Tests and 378 ODI appearances, worked with the players as batting consultant during a conditioning camp ahead of the tour. He paid specific attention to the problems faced by flamboyant all-rounder, Shahid Afridi, who has scored two half-centuries in the practice matches.
“Once you start feeling the pressure you start to struggle. That is the beauty of Indo-Pak cricket contests,” he said.
He recalled that when he went to India as captain in 2005 he told the players to relax and enjoy the game and the results were positive.
“I remember most of the batsmen got runs including myself, Younis (Khan) and (Mohammad) Yousuf.”
He said the pressure of playing in India can only be handled by working as a close knit unit.
“A tour to India is different from other tours. The expectations to win are very high from our own people and defeats and poor performances are not forgotten easily.”
This will be the first bilateral series between the two countries since the Mumbai attacks in 2008.
Meanwhile, Javed Miandad, who played 124 Tests, said that the team should play positively.
“The tour is significant from every angle. I have advised the players to stick together and enjoy the tour and play positively. We have a sent a good team and they should click, but people must remember that victory and defeat are part of the game,” he said. (PTI)