“All those who enter international cricket have trouble at the start. They learn quickly, the better it will be for them.”
New Zealand, however, has barely transpired into the prosecution. While RAUF credited the way the hosts made their striker, he also considered that the Pakistani matters were not likely not to choose some additional counters.
“All the players have made the effort. The type of field we have here, we generally get high-score matches,” he said. “It is not as if we had not talked well, we were not lucky too. There were some upper edges that went for six, some have exceeded the strings because of the wind and the small ground. We made the effort as a bowling unit, but we did not get the desired result. We had a little bad luck at the beginning.
“We tried to use the conditions to our advantage, but we were unlucky. The kind of cricket they played, they hit good shots, so we have to credit them.”
While Rauf had a decent day with the ball, by picking up 2 for 20 in its three overs, the rest of its rapid rocking counterparts was struggling. Shaheen Shah Afridi chose 31 on her three letters despite the bowling alive a young girl, while Mohammad Ali conceded 34 points on his two overs. Rauf agreed that there was a drop in Pakistani cricket, but he is convinced that they are trying to build a team that will challenge the best teams in the future.
“There is no doubt that our cricket has decreased. But we are building as a team and trying to forge a combination and play the required cricket at the highest level,” said Rauf. “We are trying different things, and when we try things, there will be failures, but we will learn. And he will come a day in the future when you will see the good cricket of the Pakistani team.”
