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Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Cricket: Taunts not bothering paceman says coach

Anendra Singh
By Anendra Singh
Sports editor·Hawkes Bay Today·
27 Jan, 2016 04:20 PM4 mins to read

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Bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed.

Bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed.

Convicted Pakistan bowler Mohammad Amir is "perfectly fine" and focusing on serving his country as an international cricketer, according to spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed.

"We didn't even discuss the issue, to be very frankly speaking," Ahmed told a press conference in Napier yesterday before today's second ODI against the Black Caps from 2pm, weather permitting.

Grilled about reports that New Zealand Cricket are conducting an inquiry into whether a ground announcer played music or sound effects to poke fun at convicted spot-fixer Amir last week, Ahmed said the left-arm seamer was "very happy" with the Basin Reserve crowd.

"One thing with New Zealand is that they [have] very good people," the 45-year-old said after the second T20 and opening ODI in Wellington.

"If you don't care about those things, it's up to the people how they are going to watch the game ... "

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In the Pakistan dressing room, he said the players were focusing on the game and were satisfied they had the ability to build a rapport with fans.

"We're here to play cricket for Pakistan and win games for Pakistan so the rest of the things coming from the crowd comes from the anti-corruption and ICC people and obviously they are doing their job very well."

The former Pakistan international said they intended to perform their tasks clinically today "to make them [fans] happy".

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He countered media reports the incidents had left Amir "disturbed" despite his efforts to "take it on the chin".

"Amir's been very focused.

"All he has to do is deliver his skills very well - that is at the death where he bowled brilliantly.

"We'd like to move on," Ahmed said, emphasising that fans taunting Amir with dollar bills or cash register till sounds filtering through the sound system were mutually exclusive when juxtaposed with playing cricket.

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He felt such fractious issues were "the manager's domain" rather than those of the playing stable. Besides, with the team travelling on Tuesday the opportunity to discuss matters pertaining to the incident didn't arise.

Personally, he advised players such as Amir to build a cocoon around themselves to deal with boisterous fans.

The 23-year-old, who was banned from cricket for five years and served jail time, didn't leave the field on Monday due to taunting but because of cramps.

Ahmed recalled how when he was playing in England the Australian crowd would "abuse Broady [Stuart Broad]".

"So you see Broady's having fun.

"You don't take those kinds of things seriously.

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"But it's up to the people how you're going to describe those sorts of things, how they are going to watch those things and how they are going to go against the laws of anti-corruption."

Ahmed said coach Waqar Younis and the team manager had stressed to players that if they were concentrating on the game then the taunting shouldn't ruffle the feathers of their "pick of the bowlers".

He felt the bowlers were "brilliant" in the first 37 overs in the opening ODI in Wellington.

"I think in the last 10 or 12 overs we didn't actually deliver a plan to the tail enders especially."

It was unacceptable, he said, to haemorrhage runs when a team had an opposition that was seven wickets down and sitting on 160-odd runs.

"You don't let the team breathe. You've got to finish the game."

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He credited Henry Nicholl and Mitchell McClengahan for boosting the hosts' score in the Kiwis' victory at the Basin Reserve.

"They played well but from a professional point of view, when they are seven down and the best batsmen are already in the dressing room, so as a bowling unit you have to finish your job very well."

Ahmed didn't think the likes of lanky Mohammad Irfan had overdone bouncers but did impress the need for their bowling unit to "be smart".

"We need to go out there and just play fearless cricket and just express yourselves.

"Modern cricket states that you have to play positive cricket now."

While playing ODIs here, Pakistan were working on the balance and combinations of teams as they prepare for the T20 World Cup in India in March.

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