Waqar: Test series will show improvements

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis is not allowing his players’ heads to drop after their ODI series defeat to Australia, and is sure they will put in the required effort in the two-match Test series.

The first Test starts in Sharjah on 22 October, and while Pakistan are without banned spinner Saeed Ajmal, a big blow, Waqar feels they have enough talent to win. That being said, they have not had much luck in Tests against the Baggy Green.

Waqar told AFP: “I am hoping for something good to happen in the Tests. It’s a different ball game and we have experience back in the side with Younis Khan and Azhar Ali, so I am hoping that we start delivering now.

“Look, you have got to think that they are the number one team, their system is just so good that they produce good cricketers, (but) we would love to win the series with a positive frame of mind.

“It’s going to be hard and its going to take a little time. It’s a big hole when Ajmal is not there when you are playing on slow and dry pitches here. It’s going to take time but I am sure the youngsters will come good.”

The coach went on to say that they were trying to put the ODI whitewash behind them, and were looking to take positives ahead into the run up to the World Cup, especially given how many key players they’d missed.

He said: “In a way I am disappointed, we could have won a couple of games out of those but unfortunately we couldn’t finish. We clearly showed that we have some inexperience — we could have done much much better in certain areas.

“But I am honestly pretty happy with the youngsters. I think we are building into a very fine side, the talent is there and it’s a matter of time.

“Before the one-day series we lost a couple of players, like (Mohammad) Hafeez, Wahab Riaz and then Junaid (Khan) through injuries, but I am pretty hopeful and very confident that before going into the New Zealand series and the World Cup in 2015 we will be able to put up a very fine side.”