BIG BOOTS TO FILL

Interesting times ahead as Grant Flower plans to fill Younis-Misbah vacuum

by Rex Clementine • Last updated on

Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq form the core of Pakistan's new generation as they look to fill the void left by Misbah and Younis. © Getty

Last week, Grant Flower signed a two-year extension as the batting coach of Pakistan that will take him through to the 2019 World Cup. The former Zimbabwean opener has been with Pakistan since May 2014 and following the high profile retirements of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, Flower is now faced with the opportunity of rebuilding the team's batting unit.

There's no dearth of natural flare in Pakistan and quite a few young batsmen have raised their hands in a bid to fill the big boots of the two stalwarts. The young Babar Azam has made a big impact already and lot is expected of him. There's the untested Usman Salahuddin, about who locals have been raving a lot. Although the likes of Umar Akmal and Fawad Alam have fallen behind, they still retain the possibility of bouncing back. The core of Pakistan's batting though is the experienced duo of Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq. In an interview with Cricbuzz, the 46-year-old discussed various batting options that Pakistan have at their disposal.

"These are very exciting times for Pakistan cricket. We have had a good run since June but we must not get ahead of ourselves. We have beaten Sri Lanka well and our game is heading in the right direction," Flower told. "Our batting department wasn't at its best during the Tests. We have quite a bit of cricket coming up, unfortunately not Test cricket. But things are on the up," he noted.

Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq, who have been around since 2010 and have 110 Test appearances between them, will be expected to take more responsibility going forward in a team that is rebuilding.

"Azhar has had a really good career so far. He knows his game well. What to practice and when. Hopefully his knee problem will be sorted and he will be there for a long time because Pakistan cricket needs Azhar Ali. As for Asad Shafiq, he has got lot of centuries for us, but I still think that he has got quite more to offer."

Babar Azam is only 23 and having already scored eight hundreds in ODIs at the age of 23, people expect big things from him, and so does batting coach Flower. "Great talent and great work ethic he has got. He has super wrists and picks lengths very early. A very good eye obviously like most good players. He is humble with it. He is always learning by speaking to other people. He has got a very good future. Struggled a bit in Tests but in white ball cricket he has been brilliant. "

Apart from the two torchbearers, there are other prospects too who Pakistan would like to groom and get the best out of in the times to come. With a style similar to Mohammad Yousuf, middle-order batsman Usman Salahuddin was one of the brightest prospects to come through the Pakistan Under-19 side and with nearly 100 first class matches at an average of 47, he will be expected to prove his mettle at the top level. "He needs to be given a chance and bit of a run. There are few spots up for grabs. If you take the opening slots, no one has cemented a place there. It's quite exciting for players playing in the domestic league to put their hands up and show their performances and they might get a crack to playing for the country."

During the Test series against Sri Lanka, the one who impressed the most was Harris Sohail. The left-handed bat playing in his debut series looked comfortable against the spin duo of Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera - who took plenty of wickets in Sri Lanka's 2-0 series win.

"Harris will be the first to tell you that he is not the fittest person in the world and he is not a gym loving person," Flower said bluntly. "He is set to make a few sacrifices. He had an operation and he probably didn't need it at that time by all accounts. Things were going against him and then the rehab programme didn't work out well. He has missed a couple of years of cricket. But he is a batsman who picks length early, has lot of time and a graceful left-hander. If he stays fit, gets fitter and just increases his work ethic, he could be a good player for Pakistan."

Among others is Fawad Alam who smashed 168 against Sri Lanka on debut but since that series in 2009, he has never got a look in in the longer version of the game. At the age of 32, time is running out fast for him. "He is getting lot of runs. Very fit and has got a great attitude. He could easily be playing right now. It was just decided to give someone else a go. Probably been unlucky not to be tried a bit more. It goes with some of the selections in the past that had been inconsistent. Hopefully we have got a more consistent selection panel now."

The incorrigible Umar Akmal makes for an interesting case. Having gotten into trouble constantly throughout his career, is there a way back for him? "Not really my stuff to say. It has got more to do with PCB and Mickey Arthur, the Head Coach. Hell of a talent. Very good player. But he has let himself down with fitness side and made a few other poor decisions. Hopefully there is a way back for him," Flower hoped.

"Lot of prominent sportsmen and coaches say that you create your own luck. You have to make sacrifices in your life. How you are leading your life with discipline, fitness and diet. All these lead to mental toughness for professional sportsmen. There is bit of luck, but most of it you create yourself."

Flower was all praise for his skipper and feared if Sarfraz would burn out owing to his intensity and workload across all three forms of the game. However, the batting coach concedes that if the right balance is found, the skipper has a lot to offer in pulling up Pakistan cricket to where it originally belongs. "You can't get someone more passionate than Sarfraz. He lives and eats cricket. You can see that when he is off the field and you can see that when he on the field. I just hope he doesn't burn himself out - especially captaining the three formats and batting at a prominent position. He has got to find that balance."

© Cricbuzz

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