Pakistan's former Test cricketer Zaheer Abbas said that all players should take responsibility and must not depend on few individual performances when they face host South Africa in the fourth ODI at Durban on Thursday. "Only Shahid Afridi managed to give some proper resistance to the South Africa's big total on board in the third ODI. Other than Afridi the team failed in bowling, fielding and also in batting, considering the big total on board. Top-order batsmen should have played responsibly and put big scores," Zaheer Abbas told PPI.
South Africa leads the five-match ODI series 2-1 after winning the third ODI by 34 runs where over 650 runs were scored. Shahid Afridi scored whirl-wind 88 off 48 balls but failed to win the match for the team. Zaheer said that senior players should lift their scoring models and score bigger. "It is difficult to score initial thirty to forty runs because the batsmen have to get accustomed with the conditions and the pitch. But after getting accustomed, it is easier to score. However, our players feels after scoring 30 to forty runs that they have secured their place for next two or three matches and then throw their wickets," he explained.
"The senior players should start to take responsibility and make models for the junior players by scoring big scores," he added. Meanwhile, he also criticised bowlers for not performing well in the third ODI. "If the bowlers were giving over three hundred runs then they have certainly failed to perform. If the bowling line manages to restrict South Africa to a low or modest total, then only our batsmen could manage to reach the target. Otherwise, we don't have a strong batting-line, who could chase big totals," he said.
However, he added that if Pakistan manages to equalise the series 2-2, then it will be a big achievement because South Africans are tough opponent especially at their home-grounds. "Hopefully Pakistan will be able to win the fourth ODI and equalise the series, which I think would be an achievement. I wish them good-luck for the match," he said.