Love the ‘unpredictable’ tag: Hafeez

There was a danger that Pakistan would no longer be considered unpredictable after its embarrassing loss to India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. There were suggestions that Pakistan were just ordinary, not unpredictable.

But within three days of such talk, Pakistan proved that the ‘unpredictable’ tag was going nowhere. Out of the blue, Pakistan put defeat at the hands of India behind it and stunned South Africa. The No. 8 side felled the No. 1, reclaiming the tag that some of the players themselves are fans of.

“To be honest, I'm always a fan of that tag,” said Mohammad Hafeez. “We’re considered by many as an unpredictable team, so I'm very happy with that. That's what you can see. As a team, we're always very aggressive.

“Yes, we had some days which were not nice, and I think the first game was one of those where we all tried our level best but things didn't work for us. And the next game, it was like a totally different team effort, and that's what I believe. As a team, we are always like that, and I love that tag always.”

Hafeez explained that he loved the tag because it meant no team could afford to take Pakistan lightly, whether it was out of form or languished way down the rankings.

“It's my personal opinion,” he said. “I believe the first time it was given to the Pakistan team was when we won the 1992 World Cup. If you see the history of Pakistan cricket from there till now, we're always unpredictable. We have the talent, but still you never know when it comes (out). That's something oppositions always think about. They never take us lightly. They never think like ‘we can take them on’.”

The all-rounder, however, recognised the need for Pakistan to be consistent, and not just unpredictable.

“At the same time, yes, being consistent is something we always work on,” he said. “We want to be consistent enough to get in the right frame of mind always as a team. It's a new team, but I still think we as a team are ready to take on all the challenges ahead of us.”

The first step towards that would be a berth in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 semi-final, which it will be guaranteed if it gets past Sri Lanka. Hafeez said it would be an ‘achievement’ for a young side if it managed that, and was confident of its chances.

“To be honest, I think it will be an achievement,” he said. “Everyone wanted to go there, wanted to do well in this competition. But still I believe, and we believe as a team, that we are moving in the right direction. We know the rules. We know, as a team, we are gelling together. We're doing what the job on our hands is.

“It would be great to achieve that and go forward in this tournament. We are ready and crystal clear when it comes to preparation when it comes to the roles. And the situation is very clear in front of us - we have to win the game because the rest of the things are just irrelevant. Once you are clear, then all other things will fall in place. This is a game we all want to win and want to go through to the semis.”