Pakistan batsman Asif Ali: “The transition from No. 4 to No. 6 is not easy”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan powerhouse Asif Ali admitted that being demoted from number four to number six is “not easy”.
Asif feels he is a better player at number four and wants to stay there as it gives him time to build his innings and launch a structured counterattack.
When coming in lower down at number six, the situation can be a lot more demanding and he generally has less time to get comfortable at the crease.
Asif used to be one of Pakistan’s go-to big-hitters, but his failure to score runs regularly eventually resulted in him losing his spot in the side.
“The transition from No. 4 to No. 6 is not easy,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan. “Training specifically for your position is crucial in international cricket. When you’re accustomed to playing higher up the order domestically, the shift to a lower spot at the international level can be demanding.”
The 33-year-old was recently in action in the Champions One-Day Cup, which was a domestic 50-over competition that took place in Faisalabad.
In the four games he played for the Dolphins, he scored 88 runs, which included a top score of 50, at an average of 22.
Currently, the Faisalabad native is representing Pakistan TV in the President’s Cup Grade-I (1-Day) tournament and has made 69 runs in four matches at an average of 23.
Asif was not picked for Pakistan’s two-Test series against Bangladesh, which they lost 2-0.
The men in green are now facing England in a three-match Test series and find themselves 1-0 down after losing the first Test in Multan by an innings and 47 runs.
The second Test will begin on October 15 in Multan.
Pakistan Squad for 2nd and 3rd Tests against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Zahid Mahmood.
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