'Our plan against Smith worked' - Amin
- October 9, 2013, 6:13 pm
- Sports News
- 94 Views
SHARJAH Oct 9 (Online): Umar Amin, the Pakistan A captain, has something useful to share with the Pakistan senior side ahead of the Tests against South Africa: how to get Graeme Smith out. It took Pakistan A just 15 deliveries to remove the opposition captain, who has been out of the game for five months and will have only one more innings before the series begins. Smith was also the only South African batsmen not to profit from time in the middle on the opening day of the three-day tour match in Sharjah.
He was dropped at first slip off Ehsan Adil in the fifth over before being trapped lbw in the seventh by the same bowler. "We planned something against him and that worked out pretty well today," Amin said. But he would not go any further. "We just wanted to set him up with a plan and I cannot really give you the plan right here."
Amin was more than willing to divulge the secret to Misbah-ul-Haq and Co. "Of course, why not? I'm a part of the senior team as well so I'll definitely give it to them," Amin said.
Because Smith's strength is on the leg side, many bowlers attack him just outside the off stump or try to square him up and he may have wanted more time in the middle to remind himself of that. Although Smith spent little more than 30 minutes at the crease, he held a long net session with coach Russell Domingo in the afternoon. Hashim Amla, who scored a fluent fifty before retiring, said with an attitude such as Smith's, there is no reason to be concerned about the South Africa captain's readiness come the first Test next Monday.
"Graeme will be fine. He is the type of guy," Amla said, before clarifying he meant that as a tongue-in-cheek comment. "He is an amazing opening batsmen and takes his practice very seriously. And there is still a second innings too."
