Captains eager to make Boxing Day Test memorable
by Cricbuzz Staff •
Last updated on Sun, 25 Dec, 2016, 10:38 AM
"People will come in huge numbers, and a lot of Pakistani fans, especially after the last performance, are keen to come and support the team" - Misbah. © Getty
Both Australia and Pakistan come into the Boxing Day Test after producing a thrilling contest at the Gabba, which the hosts won by 39 runs, a margin that might not reveal the complete story. Ahead of the momentous Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), both captains spoke about the mood in the camp and what it means to them to be taking part in the match which starts on the historic date.
Steven Smith, the Australia skipper, looked relaxed at the press conference on Sunday (December 25) and was happy to spend Christmas with his team and family. "You know it's great to be able to spend Christmas together with the cricket family, and all other families that come down and spend it with us," he said. "You know it is fantastic and great to see the kids here this morning."
Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan skipper, was at peace with his side's performance in the opening Test and believes that his boys can put it across Australia this time. He was quick to identify the significance of the Test and sounded confident to make it a memorable one for the team and the fans. "Boxing Day is an important Test match and people follow that Test match with a lot of interest, public interest specially here in Australia," he said. "People will come in huge numbers, and a lot of Pakistani fans, especially after the last performance, are keen to come and support the team. So looking forward for a good Test match, and an important one, specially you could say in Melbourne, is always a special venue.
"You can see everybody is spending a lot of time in the nets, working on the basics and don't want to leave anything behind before we head into the second Test match. That's a good sign, we are confident, but at the same time, we are focused and determined. So, overall, I think I am comfortable with the position we are in at the moment, as individuals and as a team."
Smith, under whose leadership Australia lost a home series to South Africa, came in for a lot of criticism but the captain was happy that his side was back to winning ways. "People around are open to criticise me or what they like, in the end we won the test match, so you know, we are happy with that," said the 27-year-old. "You can always learn from different things, and look back and reflect and see if you could have done anything different, and those kind of things. So you know I am really happy that we won the Test match, five wins in a row for Australia, so we are heading in the right direction."
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