The Pakistan team are still in the race to reach the final of the ongoing Asia Cup’s season and much thanks to none other than Hussain Talat who played match winning innings against the side’s clash versus Sri Lanka.
Pakistan were scampering through the 134-run chase with ease before Maheesh Theekshana triggered a collapse and Pakistan lost 4 wickets for just 13 runs. It was a crucial partnership between him and Muhammad Nawaz that stabilised the sinking ship of the Pakistan side as they forged the winning partnership.
It is eminent to mention that Talat was adjudged player of the match as he took two wickets with the ball and scored an unbeaten knock of 30 with the bat.
Talking to the press after the match Talat said it is not an easy job to play in the middle-order in T20 cricket and he also opined that there are just a few players who can play this role to the fullest.
“We keep saying that if we need a middle order player they need to know how to be both aggressive and have the ability to anchor,” Talat said at the press conference after the game. “But the chances of failure with that kind of cricket are high. Unfortunately, if you don’t perform a few games or series, the media and fans immediately go after you and you’re out of the team suddenly.
“I think the middle order is the hardest place to play in T20 cricket because you’re required to play all kinds of cricket. And because it’s difficult, I think you should have more chances in that position. And players who can play in the middle order are very rare in Pakistan, perhaps four or five. And even they don’t want to play there.”
On Sunday, Talat played a forgettable innings against India, where he ended up with just 10 runs in 11 balls, shifting the momentum in India’s favour. Nevertheless, on Tuesday, it was a different story and result for the player.
He found his team struggling rather than thriving in a match situation that was more suited to his skills, and he anchored the chase to make sure they didn’t lose.
“We’d lost so no one was feeling good,: Talat said. “The people wanted us to win, and we did what we could against India, too. But there was no extra pressure before today’s game. There was plenty of criticism which we were trying to avoid and which isn’t good for the team. But it was crucial to win today.”
“The pitch was a bit sticky, but improved in the second innings,” Talat said. “We lost a few wickets quickly and that put us under a lot of pressure. And then we were running out of batting pairs which required us to take the game deep.”
When Nawaz joined Talat on the crease, their plan was simple. Nawaz to attack and Talat to anchor and such partnerships on the pitches like AbuDhabi mostly thrive.
“In the group, when we talk about batting, it’s always about playing aggressive. But when I went in, a couple of wickets fell. My gut feeling was the only way to win after that was to take the game deep. When Nawaz hit Hasaranga for two fours, he said he’d go for his shots and for me to anchor. And that worked nicely for both of us.”
Last but not the least, Talat was hopeful for the same result versus Bangladesh and said the team is just two-win away from winning the Trophy.
“We’re hopeful. We’ve been playing T20 cricket for four months or so now, since Bangladesh came to Pakistan in May. Players are being backed in this group; in the past, players used to play a couple of matches and then be omitted. Now they’re getting an extended run like we see elsewhere in international cricket.
“We’re two games away from the trophy, and we believe we can win it.”
