Summary
- Reflecting on the Lord’s Test, Ali said Pakistan’s bowling attack had performed considerably better in both innings.
- “We bowled well in both innings, but dropped catches at important moments gave England the opportunity to score heavily,” he said.
- “If those catches had been held, perhaps we would have been ahead of England,” Ali said.
LONDON: Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Ali has refused to comment on the omission of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah from the England tour, saying the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should explain the selection decision.
Speaking at a press conference after the third day of the Lord’s Test, the 33-year-old right-arm pacer was asked why the two prominent fast bowlers were not included in Pakistan’s squad.
“That is not my job to answer. Please ask the board why they are not in the team,” Mohammad Ali said.
The fast bowler also acknowledged Pakistan’s disappointing bowling display in the opening Test at Leeds, saying cold weather had contributed to the team’s struggles.
“We accept that our bowling in Leeds was poor,” he said, adding that Pakistan had recently played in warmer conditions in the West Indies.
However, Ali stressed that professional cricketers must learn to perform regardless of the conditions.
“As cricketers, we should be able to play in every kind of weather, but we did not perform well,” he admitted.
Reflecting on the Lord’s Test, Ali said Pakistan’s bowling attack had performed considerably better in both innings. However, he pointed to missed catches at crucial moments as a major factor in allowing England to build competitive totals.
“We bowled well in both innings, but dropped catches at important moments gave England the opportunity to score heavily,” he said.
Ali avoided placing the blame on individual teammates, describing dropped catches as an unavoidable part of cricket.
“I don’t want to put the responsibility on anyone. Catches are taken and catches are dropped,” he said.
The pacer added that he would not offer excuses for Pakistan’s performance. However, he believed the match could have looked very different had those opportunities been taken.
“If those catches had been held, perhaps we would have been ahead of England,” Ali said.
His comments come as Pakistan look to respond strongly in the ongoing Test series and address the mistakes that have put them under pressure against England.
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