Summary Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has said that hot and humid conditions in UAE suit Pakistan.
ABU DHABI (AP) - Pakistan has been forced to play cricket outside Pakistan for more than four years but you won t hear them complaining about their home away from home, the United Arab Emirates.
The crushing seven-wicket test victory over top-ranked South Africa inside four days on Thursday underlined how much a fortress Pakistan has made of the Emirates.
Pakistan has yet to lose a test, let alone a series, in the Emirates since they began playing their home series in the Gulf nation when rivals didn t want to travel to Pakistan following a terror attack on the Sri Lanka team convoy in 2009 in Lahore.
"Our players believe we can do it here against any opposition after playing in the UAE for the last 3-4 years," captain Misbah-ul-Haq said.
They drew 0-0 with South Africa in 2010, beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in 2011, whitewashed then-No. 1-ranked England 3-0 last year, and just handed South Africa its first loss in 16 tests. The second and final test starts on Wednesday.
Misbah said the hot and humid conditions suit Pakistan, and the made-to-order spin-friendly pitches.
"Conditions do play an important role," Misbah said. "When we went to South Africa we were (beaten) 3-0 ... but here England also did struggle, and I think conditions have a big role in the results of test matches."
Pakistan s batsmen struggled on the fast and bouncy pitches in South Africa in February, but they were at ease facing the same two top-ranked pacemen, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander, who ran through them in their own backyard.
The new opening pair of Khurram Manzoor (146) and debutant Shan Masood (75) launched Pakistan with a century stand.
"They (openers) took the game away from South Africa," Misbah said. "They played with a positive intent, almost four an over. ... that momentum gave us a chance to really press the South Africans and I think everybody then continued that momentum and gave us the big advantage in winning the game."
Misbah pressed home the great start with his own century, becoming at 39 the second oldest player after Graham Gooch to notch a century in a modern test after the Englishman did it against New Zealand at Nottingham in 1994.
"It is the most precious thing for a batsman to score a 100 ... especially against the No. 1 team in the world," he said. "I really enjoyed that.
"We won the game (also) and that s something special to remember."
So dominant were Pakistan s spinners that Saeed Ajmal and debutant left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar combined for 11 wickets, and only Hashim Amla (118) and AB de Villiers (90) played notable knocks in South Africa s innings.
Misbah was keen to win the second test in Dubai and achieve only a second series win over the Proteas. The first was 10 years ago, in Pakistan.
"We have given clear indications to the groundsman we want results," Misbah said. "No doubt we want to exploit our home advantage and we will do that, but we want a result.
"We just don t want to go there and spend five days for a draw because whenever you have negative thoughts in your mind it won t give you good results.
"We are positive ... no matter whatever happens, if we win or lose it doesn t matter, but we will prepare the wicket to produce a result."
