Headingley, July 24: Pakistan captain Salman Butt admitted he thought his side might blow their chance to claim a first Test win over Australia in 15 years before they eventually fell over the line by three wickets at Headingley on Saturday.
Asked if he thought his side might lose during a dramatic morning, Salman, who was skippering his country for the first time after Shahid Afridi’s shock resignation last week, admitted: “Knowing the history yes.
“Honestly, it was a bit nerve-wracking. It became that way once a few wickets fell, but that’s the way that cricket goes.
“When you have this added responsibility you tend to think a bit more, especially when you are new and only in you first game. Thank God it went positively and we won.”
Pakistan’s win was made all the more laudable after Afridi’s potentially destabilising departure immediately after the 150-run defeat in the first Test at Lord’s last week.
Salman was hastily installed as the new skipper in just his 29th Test, to lead a young team that was hardly even expected to test Australia in Leeds.
But the young players proved the cornerstone of the win with 18-year-old seamer Muhammad Aamer claiming seven wickets in the match, while Azhar Ali, in just his second game, combined in a match-winning stand of 110 with Imran Farhat last night.
“This win means alot. It’s a new beginning for Pakistan cricket and the young side,” said Salman.
“Beating the world’s best is an achievement which I owe to this young team.
“We owe it also definitely to the people back in Pakistan, we would have loved to have won this match in front of our home crowd but unfortunately that is not possible at the moment.
“But still we need to tell these people that we still remember them and we will be back soon hopefully.”
Australia skipper Ponting admitted his side had been chasing the game after they had been bowled out for 88 - their lowest total in 26 years - and took responsibility for his decision to bat after winning the toss.
“The buck stops with me in all those things,” he said.
“Looking back now, I was a bit surprised how much it seamed on that first day
“We were definitely playing catch-up from stumps on day one.
“But I’m sure some of you guys yesterday morning probably felt that momentum starting to go back in our favour.
“I felt there was a really good opportunity for us to give ourselves a good chance of winning the Test match.
“We did that to a certain degree - 180 is a tricky sort of total to have to chase, as we found as the innings went on.
“But at the end of the day we have been chasing our tails since the end of the first day.”
A drawn series meant that Ponting was unable to secure an elusive Test series win in England as captain, after losing the past two Ashes campaigns on these shores.
He admitted his side had not been at their best in the two matches and while they have just a two-Test series in India before this winter’s Ashes Down Under, Ponting is unconcerned by his side’s patchy form.
“I don’t think it will do too much to dent our confidence,” he said.
“We haven’t been at our best in this game, there’s no doubt about that.
“It’s not just the batting, I think the bowling has been a little bit off at different times through this Test match. It just goes to highlight that we’ve got some work to do.
“We’re not shying away from that fact, were not shying away from the fact that we haven’t played our absolute best cricket in these last two Test matches.
“But the way we stuck at it late last night and this morning showed some character.”
He added: “Late November (the start of the Ashes) is a long way away yet.
“We’re not even focusing on the Ashes just yet.
“A loss quite often just highlights some of the things you’re not doing well. That’s all this week will do for us.”

Lastupdate on : Sat, 24 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST