SHARJAH: Skipper Misbah-ul Haq on Wednesday regretted his team’s long term problems in batting and said he hoped his players learned quickly to avoid another series defeat.

Pakistan lost the first limited overs internationals against Australia by four wickets here on Tuesday after another batting collapse saw them bowled out for 198 in 45.1 overs, their last six wickets going for 38 runs.

In contrast, Australia fought hard through skipper Michael Clarke’s resolute 96-ball 66 and George Bailey’s responsible unbeaten 57 off 88 deliveries, winning in 48.2 overs after Pakistan spinners threatened to spoil the chase.

Misbah showed disappointment over not scoring big despite including seven regular batsmen in the side.

“I think the strategy (to include seven batsmen) was obvious from the collapse, we are struggling in batting since the England series and then in Sri Lanka so that is why we kept seven batsmen,” said Misbah.

Pakistan are now 1-0 down in the three-match series. They have lost their last two one-day series 4-1 against England here and 3-1 in Sri Lanka.

Misbah said Pakistan were 30 runs short.

“At one point we thought we can make 230 and considering our spin bowling it’s a good total but a lot of players are new and, maybe, because some senior players are not there so we couldn’t reach that point,” said Misbah.

Pakistan left out experienced batsman Younis Khan from the series after he managed just ten runs in four one-day innings in Sri Lanka in June.

Misbah singled out lower order batting as the main cause of concern.

“We are not able to read the match situation well. Our lower order is not contributing which is essential. We needed 30-40 from the lower order and that is why we kept Kamran Akmal and Shahid Afridi in lower order,” said Misbah.

Pakistan were cruising along nicely at 159-4 with Asad Shafiq (56) and Umar Akmal (52) at the crease but lost three wickets in the five batting power-play overs, scoring just 16.

Lanky left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc returned career best figures of 5-42 to derail Pakistan batting.

Pakistan hit back through off-spinner Saeed Ajmal who took 3-30 and when Mohammad Hafeez (2-29) dismissed Clarke with Australia still needing 78, they were in with a chance.

But Bailey and Glenn Maxwell (38) added an invaluable 63 for the sixth wicket which helped Australia achieve the target.

“When we got Clarke we tried everything, kept attacking fielding but credit must be given to them. The way Bailey and Maxwell batted, it showed maturity even though they were playing their third fourth matches,” said Misbah.

The second match will be played in Abu Dhabi on Friday followed by the third in Sharjah on Monday.

Both teams will also play three Twenty20 internationals – all in Dubai – on September 5, 7 and 10.

Misbah rues Pakistan’s batting woes | DAWN.COM

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Shit happens, and then you die!!!

misbah should be asked why neither razzaq or hammad are in the team? we need a batting all-rounder of that caliber in the lower order. our whole lower order is filled with hit-or-miss type players which, lets be honest, have been missing a lot more than hitting recently.

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Afridi is can say is hit or miss.
Kamran Akmal is hit not or miss, did you see the way he got out?

What about our top order? What about the middle order?
No one really steeped up other than Asad and Umar Akmal

our tail is old school and can't really score much.

Poor Management, poor captaincy & poor selection led to Pakistan loose against Australia & the same were the cause of loose in the past matches. The problem in the team is Hafeez opening the innings, who can’t bat any more because he like Afridi is concentrating more on his bowling, he needs to be pushed way down the order & Azhar needs to open the innings with Jamshed other problem is Aizaz & Tnavir who are only crap bowlers & yet they make their way in the team specially Aizaz Cheema this guy has got good contacts somehow some way he always makes his way in the team.
It is really sad to see that Pakistan is now depending on spin bowlers which in my opinion is not a good option at all. If the same continues Pak team will continue to lose matches & they will lose even badly in Australia, South Africa, & England where only pace works more than spin. I am surprised that PCB is not able to find any pace bowler so far it’s really sad & it is really boring whenever I see Pak matches with no pace attack. If you all are thinking that Mohammed Akram will do a good job then you all really must be dreaming, he came with reference made his way in PCB with good contacts & friendship. I don’t expect him to do any good.
Pakistan needs to play Anwar Ali & Junaid Khan in the next match both Aizaz & Tanvir need to be dropped plus Pakistan should take this seriously & they must find new fast bowlers fast.

Batting line up r totally wrong.. Hafeez needs to play after afridi and kamran akmal should open, because hé is a good player in the pp overs.

Fast bowlers r big concern. Tanvir and gul Will destroy it in the world t20.

kamran should be kicked out of the team... khatmal sala! hes sucking all the blood in the team.

Tuk Tuk Sarkar....

Can someone show him a mirror before he blabbers out at others for ordinary performance? Can't believe this comes from the captain who has the HIGHEST responsibility to perform.

Did Misbah see how the opposition captain, 'Michael Clarke" played and tried to compare his own performance in same game with Clarke?

Is he blind not see to how captains take ultimate steps in not only taking responsibility but also accepting their fault and calling it quits? Does Strauss ring a bell to him? This guy enjoyed the captaincy of No 1 test team only a few weeks ago but soon as the team took the losses he put his own neck under the sword. THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL A BRAVE LEADER !

This coward misbah should at least take some sorta responsibility AS A CAPTAIN for his poor performance with the bat. No point in blaming other team members when Michael Clarke's performance is like a slap at your face.

BuckFush I always belived that misbah was a very poor captain for ODI but the problem is that some of his fans on this forum get out to attack you if you say something about Misbah

I mean come on! is Pakstop their baap kee jaiydaad ? You can't even post an honest opinion anymore and the hungary dinosaurs are out to attack you

Well said. Will be happy that day whem Misbah retires from ODI. His tuk tuk method has ruined him.

We need to make some changes and replace the batting order in the second odi.

I would pick the following team:

1. Kamran Akmal(wkt)
2. Nasir Jamshed
3. Azhar Ali
4. Umar Akmal
5. Asad Shafiq
6. Misbah ul Haq(capt.)
7. Mohammed Hafeez
8. Shahid Afridi
9. Anwar Ali
10. Saeed Ajmal
11. Junaid Khan

why Umar gul is not in this 3 ODI series? he recently featured in the SLPL. And why kamaran akmal is played when he is in disastrous form? That's really a poor planning from Pakistan think tank.