Hardworking Rana Naved unperturbed by omission talk

As the Pakistan team management ponder over the inclusion of Mohammad Asif for the match against arch-rivals India, Rana Naved seems the likeliest omission despite a sound performance at The Wanderers.

A wicket in his second over and movement throughout the innings, Naved remained a threat to the under-strength West Indies line-up before Umar Gul and the spinners brought about a speedy end to the innings.

Naved, who made his comeback to the national side after quitting the ICL, was faced with a similar situation at the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. A shock loss at the hands of the hosts in the tournament opener left Pakistan facing an uphill task to make it past the first round.

Naved returned with unimpressive figures of 0 for 49 in nine overs and was then overlooked for the rest of the tournament that Pakistan exited early following shock defeat at the hands of Ireland.

Giving a confident look despite the axe looming, Naved, having taken 101 wickets in 66 ODIs, termed it part and parcel of the game and remained unperturbed by the return of Mohammad Asif who looks likely to take over his place in the starting line-up.

“I’m actually happy for Asif and his comeback following the ban,” Naved told Dawn. “It’s a good thing for Pakistan cricket and will help the team immensely. I’m not worried about him being included in the side at my expense as he is not only my club-mate but is also from the same city as me and I can only wish him well. I’m a strong believer in the team consisting of performers who will help achieve victory be it Asif or me.”

Asif, who underwent a surprise dope test on the first day back with the squad, shrugged aside apprehensions of match fitness and physical health. “Although I haven’t played international cricket for a long time now, I have been involved in training at the NCA as well as with club teams in Pakistan. I’ve never felt I’ve been away from the game itself and my fitness levels can be judged by my performance in the nets and the fact that the selectors chose me in the squad.”

Younis, fully aware of the stakes which a Pakistan-India match offers, and considering how a bad performance can jeopardise Pakistan’s stay in the tournament, remained adamant that Asif’s inclusion in the playing eleven was a risk worth taking. Refraining from naming the final eleven until the toss on Saturday afternoon, Younis, after viewing Asif’s performance during training on Thursday, hinted while taking to Dawn that the lanky pacer may make his return to international cricket sooner rather than later.

Whatever the playing eleven today, Rana Naved was content with his own performance after making his comeback to international cricket. Terming the ICL a good learning curve and event that helped Indian cricket immensely, he did emphasis on the difference in the level of cricket in the league to what an international opposition offers. However, part of the Lahore Badhshahs squad that won the final 50-over tournament, it was not only his bowling but his batting — and sledging at times — that helped his team lift the trophy.

“ICL was a wonderful experience as we had ex-Pakistan players in the Badshahs squad. We all had good seasons and that helped a lot of us make successful returns to the Pakistan squad as well. It also helped the Indian youngsters who got a chance to play with the experienced internationals and learn a lot by just sharing the playing field with them.”

Following a successful county stint with Yorkshire, Naved could only manage one wicket in the first two matches of his comeback. However, Naved’s 4 for 44 in his third matches silenced the critics and assured the selectors into handing him a place in the 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy.

“It was difficult making a comeback for Pakistan after being out for so long. The first match was specially difficult as is always the case when you come back after an injury or omission. However, my fitness levels remained high throughout and so was the morale so thankfully I didn’t have a reason to be worried and it showed in my performance in the following matches.”

However, with the team management desperate for Asif to get into form prior to the Test series in New Zealand and Australia, Naved, with an impressive 31 wickets in 15 matches against India, may well carry drinks against India. For Pakistan’s sake, the change, if it happens, must pay immediate dividends for the risk not to pay off may have severe consequences on Pakistan’s future in the tournament.

© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN, Sep 26, 2009