Pakistan panic while chasing targets: Hafeez

E-Paper | April 28, 2026

Hafeez warned that Pakistan still needs to find an extra gear when needed. -Photo by AFP

DUBAI: Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez Tuesday urged his team to improve while chasing ahead of next week's World Twenty20, saying it was a concern despite winning the series against Australia.

Pakistan clinched the three-match Twenty20 series 2-1 but were humiliated by 94 runs in the third and final match here on Monday, shot out for their lowest Twenty20 score of 74.

Pakistan's previous lowest total was 89 against England at Cardiff in 2010.

Hafeez said Pakistan panicked while chasing a target of 169.

“There is a concern in chasing a target but I am confident that we will improve and do well in the World Twenty20,” said Hafeez of the 12-team competition which begins in Sri Lanka from September 18.

Hafeez warned that Pakistan still needs to find an extra gear when needed.

“We must lift our energy levels while we chase,” said Hafeez. “Despite losing the third game I can confidently say that there is a happy feeling within the camp and we are gearing up for the mega event.”

Pakistan is placed in Group D of the World Twenty20 along with New Zealand and Bangladesh.

“Our momentum is good and we want to carry over that winning momentum,” said Hafeez.

“Twenty20 cricket is all about doing right things at the right time and I am sure the boys will do that.”

Hafeez backed the returning opener Imran Nazir who managed scores of 22, nought and one in the three matches against Australia.

“Nazir is a Twenty20 specialist and I am confident of his talent. He will surely be disappointed with his efforts so far but hopefully he will do well in the World Twenty20,” said Hafeez.

Hafeez's counterpart, George Bailey said he was satisfied with his team.

“We have worked really hard, so to get the reward of a victory and see that the things we are working on are actually coming to fruition, I think that's really important for us,” said Bailey.

Australia, losing finalists in the last World Twenty20 in 2010 held in the West Indies, slid to tenth in Twenty20 rankings after the series defeat.

“I think Pakistan are an unbelievable side, and at their best they can play some great cricket and at our best we can play some great cricket.”

Both teams flew to Sri Lanka early Tuesday.

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S. Imam

Sep 11, 2012 03:54pm

The rot starts from you, the opener. Identifying the problem is half of the job. The other half is what will you do to overcome this challenge. I did not hear any thing in this respect.

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aziz79

Sep 13, 2012 12:00am

A captain needs to lead from the front. This captain is full of excuses and quick to blame others.

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Khurram

Sep 11, 2012 10:55am

That's the worst team they could pick. 5 players who can't hold the bat straight. Leaving out Umar Akmal and Abdul Razzaq? not even close to being a Genius dude

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Mohammad Merchant

Sep 11, 2012 12:14pm

I was not surprised with this defeat.There is lack of planning.Our coach seems to me as passenger he does not have any clue how to control the influencial group of cricketers in team.Hafiz is also under pressure from this group.You look at the statastics of Afridi,Umer Akmal,Razzak,imran Nazir and Shoaib Malik.Their contribution in team is not at all upto mark.Our team need players like Asad Shafique and younus in the team.We have plenty of sloggers in the side.Every team have work on these slogers.If we are lucky to reach semifinal with these team.Game is won by planning not trying to hit each ball for 4 or 6.Good player can take single on every ball and hit boundary on loose ball.To be sucessful in tournament Asad Shafique is must in team.My team for tournament is M. Hafiz,Nasir Jamshed,Kamran Akmal,Asad Shafique,Shoaib Malik,Afridi,Yasser Arfat,Umer Gul, Raza Hassan,M.sami/Shohail Tanveer.Saeed Ajmal. Umer Akmal should be panish for his carless batting and given chance as a twelthman due to his fielding.

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Genius

Sep 11, 2012 10:34am

Hafeez should learn from mistakes in this series and implement remedy on World Twenty20 Cup. Abdul Razzaq should be drop from playing eleven due his poor form and fitness in the field & bat. further Asad shafiq should be prefered over Umer Akmal. Umer Akmal hasnot learned from his mistakes and continously making same mistakes regularly and so, should be dropped from playing eleven T20 worldcup. T20 worldcup Playing Eleven should conisist of following Players. 1. Imran Nazir, 2. Nasir Jamshaid, 3. Mohammad Hafeez, 4. Asad Shafiq, 5 Shahid Afridi. , 6 Kamran Akmal. , 7. Sohail Tanveer. , 8. Muhammad Sami/ Yasir Arafat ., 9.Umer Gul , 10 Raza Hassan/ Abdur Rehman. , 11Saeed Ajmal.

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Doosra

Sep 11, 2012 12:14pm

Yesterday seemed like Pakistani management had a death wish. No one in their right mind plays with a successful formula or a successful team. We win two matches and start exploring how we can lose. But no point challenging them. We won the toss and decided to chase, knowing very well we are not good chasers. What were we trying to achieve. We changed batting orders, we put our best batsmen under pressure by trying to defend mistakes. It is clear to even a cricketing novice like myself that Imran Nazir cannot play a moving fast ball and shoaib is history. Hafeez looked as if he walked in without a strategy. Shots he played were half hearted. For once our batting side looked solid and we spoiled the momentum by fiddling with the selection and getting under pressure. Quite sad really for the fans. It is also very obvious that the only four baller's of any worth are Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul, Saeed, Ajmal and Hafeez . Abdur Rahman and Razzak are good fillers and make up for the rest. We should be working on improving the weaknesses in how some of our experienced players struggle with line and length providing. For heavens sake someone tell me whats Shoaib doing in the side. Politics and favors should only go so far. Let the best side play and don't mess with what worked for you. This is no time to experiment.

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Umair Khalid

Sep 11, 2012 10:34am

good luck to both teams. I think that Australians will be more successful than Pakistan in the tournament as they have some explosive batsmen and excellent fast bowlers. They are also very good chasers. On the other hand Pakistanis are relying mainly on Ajmal to win all the matches for them . Rest of the bowlers are just mediocre. Pakistan do have some explosive batsmen but they are all inconsistent especially while chasing. So i don't Pakistan is going to do well in the tournament.

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J. Yamla

Sep 11, 2012 12:13pm

Agree.

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Capt C M Khan

Sep 11, 2012 10:42am

Hafiz i will tell you why Pakistan panic while chasing???? Middle order my dear....we need Asad, Misbah there and not all rounders and strikers. Get in Misbah, Asad, Junaid and Zia and you have a good team.

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Pakistani

Sep 12, 2012 05:47am

We have heard and seen Captains leading from front in the game and not before the press.What kind of silly statement from the most uninspiring captain ever of the Cricket Team.He has made a discovery apparently.Well he could not take right decisions in 'flap'and his batting showed the mental state of someone who should take orders only.What about the large contingent of coaches?What did they do about it? was totally Coach's home work was visible in the other team.The only person who seemed unperturbed and did his job both in bowling and batting was young Raza.Hafeez and idol Imran Nazir should learn from him.Broadly the selection of this team was identical to our recent Oympic Hockey Team.

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Malik

Sep 11, 2012 12:35pm

Australians are hard working professionals, never give up attitude, what Pak does will win on prayers, GOD said word hard, you will get the fruit. as simple as that........i seem to cant stop writing, what a ordinary performance.........

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A1-Pak

Sep 11, 2012 12:28pm

Poor Captancy was partly to be blamed for the thrashing. Hafeez should not have Shoaib Malik and Raza continue to bowl. After three sixes in Shoib's over, a regular bowler should have been introduced, instead of experimenting. Hafeeze, made us lose the game at the moment.... Even Ajmal got thrashed as the batsman got set.... Every game is important Should not have experimented with Ausies. Now we are going to World cup with a defeat.... Thanks Hafeez

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Malik

Sep 11, 2012 12:32pm

SHAME SHAME SHAME to Pak team for such an ordinary display of their performance, Hafeez & Co., have no excuse and i could not bear them celebrate series victory after such a humilating defeat, they should have straight gone to their rooms, bunch of shameless characters, they get too relax after victory and forget that every game is new one, not important what happened in last game they need to win or play to win every game.... SAmi got selected at expense of Junaid Khan what is he on free trip to Dubai? why he did not play, like they did with Anwar Ali in ODI's what a waste of talent, instead in ODI's captain Mr. Eienstien (Misbah) played with 4 spinners, i dont understand why team Pak is trying to invent the wheelbarrow here and not being sensible at all.... it is such a disgrace to be Paki when you see them play like this, coach is not having any impact, they need some doctor and psychiatrist who can do bit of grooming of these guys, very immature and confused... they cannot win every game on back of bad performance of other team or on back of good performance of one, Mr. HAfeez have to score runs or get out of top order so does Mr. Malik...they have to have attacking mind set not defensive.... for GOD SAKE, wake up team Pakistan...............

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ahmed

Sep 11, 2012 04:08pm

Mr.Ashraf they should drop shoaib malik, Afridi and Umar Akmal and Kamran should be played as opener and he should not keep bring undern 19 wicketkeeper he was good. take junaid or raiz.

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sali

Sep 11, 2012 04:17pm

Get Shoib Malik and Imran Nazir out and let Shafeeq and another proper batsman in the team. With Afridi back and Hasan Raza leaving, we have a good enough team. Its unfortunate that Junaid is not there because he would be prefered ahead of Tanvir.

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A.Bajwa

Sep 11, 2012 12:33pm

If you loose behave as if it was good for a change.

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Mazher Haroon

Sep 11, 2012 03:10pm

Well Mr. Hafeez this is not as simple as you say ask the one who have seen the match. we should look very closely to every single wicket which falls and then the case is up for debate.

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Dr.Mohd Ashraf

Sep 11, 2012 02:28pm

the mistake pakistan did is they know they won the series T20. why they didnt bat first ,this match seems to be was fixed ,i hevent seen any team they one the series on last movement they are giving chance to other team to demolish our bowling.pakistan won the tass they should bat first to give the chance their out of form bating order to do best.a T20 graph shows winning teams were 70% who bat first.

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Haroon

Sep 11, 2012 02:15pm

Junaid khan ka kia qasoor hai

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Dr.Mohd Ashraf

Sep 11, 2012 02:21pm

no my dear imran nazir ,shoab malik should be droped.they both get more than given chances to any player.rest of team is ok ,

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J. Yamla

Sep 11, 2012 12:35pm

What you have is weak betting lineup. I would replace Imran Nazir with Kamran Akmal as opener and give Umer Akmal one more chance. Nazir is failure at international level. Umer Akmal is becoming like Afridi... score 20 plus runs every 15-17 innings... never learns.

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shahazada

Sep 11, 2012 01:52pm

Drop Afrid. he has not perfomed in teh last three years and busy making commercials. Also, inplace of Sami or Arafat I will play Junaid or cheema.

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Genius

Sep 11, 2012 03:40pm

I agree that Junaid should be there but with the given 15 man squad for T20 he is not consider and so, thats a seperate discussion. Shoaib malik, Abdul Razzaq and Umer Akmal have no place in final eleven and if they included, one of them would damage Pakistan in T20. Imran Nazir has played good innings in Srilankan permeir league and known to conditions so, he can fire in any match and will get momentum. Afridi is conidering only due to his bowling and has the ability to take wickets and so will support Ajmal and hafeez in spin department.

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