Azhar hopeful of better show in important Sri Lanka series

Test skipper Azhar Ali Friday said that now their all the focus will be on the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.

Talking to media on his return from Australia after dismal performance in the Test series, Azhar Ali said the boys will take time to recuperate and get back in form. "This will be the first Test in Pakistan for many of the players and hopefully they will deliver," he said.

It may be noted that Australia beat Pakistan by an innings and 48 runs in the second Test at Adelaide Oval to sweep their two-Test series 2-0. Australia won the first Test in Brisbane by an innings and five runs.

Test cricket is set to return to Pakistan after a gap of 10 years when Sri Lanka tour the country for a two-match series at Rawalpindi and Karachi on Dec 11 and Dec 19, respectively.

Azhar Ali said, "It is important for us to play well in this series. We have a fresh batting line up." When things start to go awry on the pitch, even an aggressive captain has to take a step back, he said.

Commenting on criticism regarding his decision as captain, Azhar Ali said: "One needs to make changes when the opposing side is continuing to score; you have to use your backups-you cannot keep depending on Shaheen Shah and Yasir Shah."

When asked whether his knee injury has had an impact on his performance, Azhar Ali said that there were at least two to three players on each cricket team with a knee injury. "You cannot say that I am unable to score because of my injuries. If there is an issue with my fitness, it will be picked up by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)," Azhar said.

Azhar Ali maintained that the team Pakistan had initially formulated a clear plan to counter Australia's David Warner. However, we were unable to execute the plan which caused us to suffer, he said, adding: "Even when you are struggling in a match, a small give in the opposing side can quickly turn the tables. But we were not able to get back on track."

He further said that pitches in Australia are relatively simpler. Despite this, we were not able to score, he lamented. "We have to figure out how to win Tests in Pakistan," he said.