England vs Pakistan 2016: Inzamam feels there is no need to panic

Pakistani players celebrating after a dismissal of an English batsman

England thumped Pakistan to a 330 run defeat at Manchester a few days ago as they came back well to level the series after the Pakistanis took the win in the first test at Lord’s. But Pakistan’s chief selector expects his team to come back strong in the second test just as the England team did in the second.

“The win at Lord's has shown everyone that this team is more than capable of winning against tough opposition and in foreign conditions,” Inzamam told pakpassion.net in an interview. Inzamam feels England are a tough nut to crack but there is no need to panic as the Pakistani players have the right amount of experience of the conditions to turn the tides.

Inzamam quoted “The Old Trafford Test obviously did not go that well, but then we have to give credit to England for making a comeback in this series and shows that they are a very tough team to beat. Regardless of the result in the second Test, I am convinced that as the players get more experience in these conditions, their performance will improve and Pakistan will get better results and bounce back."

The legendary Pakistani cricketer admits that his team needs to better their performances to get back into the series. He has also pointed out the difficulties faced by his batsmen to adapt to the unfamiliar conditions in England but is confident that these important matches which will help the youngsters in the future.

“We may have struggled in Manchester, but it is my firm belief that our batsmen will have picked up important experience by the end of this tour which will benefit them in the future.”

"It is usual for a team with many players who have never played in such conditions before, to struggle a little, similar to when non-Asian teams find it tough to play spin bowling in the sub-continent. Back home or in the UAE, we try and play every ball that we face, but in English conditions, you need to be selective about which balls to play and which ones to leave.”

Inzamam feels Pakistani cricketers are not technically sound but they are not the one who are responsible for the heavy defeat. Patience is the key to win according to the selector.

“Our batsmen need to improve themselves technically. However, I do not believe that there is any blame to be laid at their feet for the defeat. We need to have patience.”

England’s current best Joe Root was heavily praised by former Pakistani Captain. Inzamam told the reporters “Root has really impressed me. I've watched his career closely, he is a fantastic player and seems to be improving with every innings that he plays. I see a great future for him if he continues to bat in the way he is batting at the moment.”

Like Inzamam, the Pakistani players would also be hopeful for a lead again in the third test.