Wahab Riaz claims Pakistani bowlers will test England in the upcoming series
If the ongoing Test series between England and Sri Lanka is anything to go by, Pakistan certainly have their task cut out. However, pace bowler Wahab Riaz remained quietly optimistic about his team’s chances.
Speaking to PakPassion.net, Riaz expressed hope that his team-mates can exploit the loopholes in England’s batting lineup. But, the 30-year old conceded that the new-ball pairing of James Anderson and Stuart Broad was among the best in the business.
Wahab asserted, “We have a good bowling line up with variety and there is a lot of potential to make the England batsmen work hard. But, the most important thing for our bowlers is to adjust to the bowling conditions in England and to get acclimatized as soon as possible. I believe the Pakistani bowlers will test the England batsmen.”
The left-armer maintained that the 'Men in Green' were up for the challenging tour which could test their resolve. He felt, “In home conditions, England are a very tough opponent. So, it's going to be a big challenge for us. We are going to have to play our top game to compete with England.”
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The Lahore-born speedster heaped praises on rival skipper Alastair Cook’s steely determination by opining, “Cook is a tremendous batsman, he's one of the greats. He's a dedicated and committed cricketer. His wicket will be vital for us, the earlier we get him out the better for us and that will surely create pressure on the other England batsmen.”
When asked about the threat posed by his counterparts from England, Riaz affirmed, “Broad and Anderson are bowlers who are lethal in favorable conditions, especially when overhead conditions are cloudy and they know exactly how to bowl in such conditions.”
He added, “Our batsmen need to have their wits about them and concentrate fully against two such high-caliber bowlers. I think it will be a very interesting battle between Broad and Anderson and the Pakistani batsmen.”
Hailing the services of veterans Misbah ul Haq and Younis Khan, Riaz wanted the inexperienced batsmen to step up. The passionate cricketer hoped, “I think it's vital that our batsmen prepare well ahead of the series. Our batsmen have the capability to put up some good scores on the board for the bowlers to work with.”
Wahab also threw his weight behind Chief Selector Inzamam-ul Haq’s concerted efforts to help the players prepare for the rigorous trip to England which includes 4 Tests, 5 ODIs and a solitary Twenty-20 international.
He enthused, “The ideas he's putting forward such as the two-week camp in England are excellent initiatives. I think great things will come from this decision by the PCB and the Board needs to back Inzamam's ideas all the way.”