KOLKATA, March 14: Abdul Razzaq, who co-starred with Kamran Akmal in Pakistan’s epic escape in the first Test last week, is angered by criticism back home that he was a spent force.

“I think some of the former cricketers who have been criticizing me should instead try and motivate the players on a tour as tough as this,” he said after training at the Eden Gardens where the second Test of the three-game series gets under way on Wednesday.

“It hurts when you have people gunning at you; I have always tried to deliver and do my best for my country but I think it is always easy for critics to point fingers at somebody.”

Razzaq scored an important 71 runs and shared a seventh wicket stand of 184 runs with Akmal to stun India who had thought the victory was theirs with Pakistan on 257 for six on the fourth day.

But the two batted brilliantly on the fifth day to earn a creditable draw for their side.

“Our morale is now quite high and we will now be going into the Kolkata Test with a new spirit and I am confident that we will put up another good fight,” said the Lahore-born all-rounder.

“We only had a bleak chance of saving the first Test and our strategy was to bat the entire first session and I kept advising Kamran just to stick to his crease and not to play any rash strokes; I was so glad that he did and we were able to make it.

Kamran got his maiden century in the match with a knock of 109 and was adjudged the Man of the Match.