Pakistan team don’t lack aggression and passion: Malik

Nov 27:   We were 100 runs short in the given target; the things could have been different if we got those runs on the board

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik is not ready to acknowledge that Pakistan team lack aggression and passion in the second innings when they came out to defend the paltry total of 202 against India.

Malik clearly stated on Monday at the post match conference, “I think we were the same in the second innings. The Pakistani players have the same aggression and passion.”

However Malik admitted, “We were just 100 runs short and the things could have been different if we got those runs on the board.”

Malik didn’t blame any individual on the defeat, as it is a collective responsibility of each member of the team.

Replying on the need of second spinner Malik said, “I have said it before that we didn’t lose because we lack the services of an extra spinner. We lost because we didn’t get those extra 100 runs in the second innings.”

When asked why he didn’t bowl in the match? “Whenever I was about to bowl, my bowlers provided me with a crucial breakthrough and I sustained with the same attack,” said Shoaib Malik.

On the issue of under bowling Danish Kaneria, Malik replied, “Spinners need big scores on the board to defend and to bowl longer spells; we didn’t provide him enough runs.”

The Delhi weather had also played the major role in Pakistan team’s loss, as there wasn’t a trace of apposite sunlight on the wicket in all the five days. Skipper Malik also claimed, “If we get proper sunlight on the wicket, the pitch would play better but it didn’t go that way.”

On the middle order collapse specially Yousuf and Younis, Malik clarified, “They both are great batsmen. They have nothing to prove. It’s just that they didn’t click but I am confident that they will do well in the next two Tests. Overall, we didn’t bat well in this match.”

The Pakistani side will surely come back hard in the next Test match starting in Kolkata on Friday and it’s now the turn of India to save their fort since they have got the fear of losing as Pakistan side has nothing to lose.

Pakistan team will try their heart out to keep their record clean of not losing any Test series in India for almost three decades.