Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain, has been approached by South Africa’s Nashua Dolphins for the Pro20 series scheduled to take place in February.
While the franchise administration refused to confirm the signing, sources said that the contract has been signed and Afridi will join the Dolphins after Pakistan’s tour of Australia that finishes with a one-off Twenty20 on Feb 3, 2010.
“I can confirm that we have shown interest in availing the services of Afridi who we believe will be available from February,” Jesse Chellan, CEO of KwaZulu-Natal franchise that owns the Dolphins, told Dawn. “Nothing has been signed yet and the negotiations are on-going. We hope to confirm things by the end of the week after discussions with the board and stakeholders but the arrival of Afridi is sure to be a big attraction.”
Afridi, who was declared Man of the Match in the semi-final and final of the World Twenty20 held in England earlier this year, will join the likes of Loot Bosman, Hashim Amla and Yusuf Abdulla in the Dolphins squad, all of whom have represented South Africa. Having scored 421 runs in 24 Twenty20 Internationals, Afridi has also taken 34 wickets that places him second on the all-time highest wicket-takers’ list — three behind compatriot Umar Gul.
Dolphins, who lost out to Cape Cobras in a Super Over in the third leg of the Pro20 semi-finals last season, kick-off the new series with a home match against the Warriors on Feb 7, 2010.
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper, Oct 7, 2009.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Yawar predicts bright future for team despite semi-final loss
Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed rued his batsmen’s lack of planning during the semi-final against New Zealand which saw his team’s shock ouster from the ICC Champions Trophy but still predicted a bright future for the team in presence of some talented players in the ranks.
Speaking exclusively to Dawn following the five-wicket loss at The Wanderers that sealed Pakistan’s exit, Yawar, who confirmed it was his last tour with the team, was also shocked by some of the on-field decisions but refused to comment owing to strict ICC regulations.
“I shouldn’t be saying this but we should’ve planned this match slightly better,” Saeed said. “It’s not my job, it’s the coach’s but batting first, we should’ve made at least 260 or 270. We got bogged down in the middle and were lucky with the tail-enders who got us to the score that we managed. In this sort of game, you need to plan your scoring rate every ten overs. We failed and we went down.
“There are a few other things that also affected the match but I’m not allowed to comment on those. Everybody saw how things went along. Overall, it was very disappointing for me and the team as we didn’t make it to the final, something that we should’ve.”
Yawar, who has been involved in the team’s managerial role on-and-off for the last 26 years, predicted a bright future for the team, having witnessed the younger members outshine their senior team-mates.
Reserving special praise for Umar Akmal, who top-scored for Pakistan in the semi-final with a 62-ball 55, and Mohammad Aamir, with six wickets in three Champions Trophy matches, Yawar also lauded the team spirit and confidence, especially as Pakistan came into the tournament having lost the Test and ODI series against Sri Lanka.
“The Sri Lanka tour was poor for us since we lost matches we should’ve won. However, we made a strong start in South Africa and after we beat India, coupled with the elimination of South Africa and Sri Lanka, we thought we had a very good chance.
“Apart from the low score, we dropped a few catches and that’s the beauty of the game, you take an eye off it and you lose. It was satisfying in the sense that Pakistan doesn’t feature in semi-finals of ICC tournaments frequently so to do that in back-to-back tournaments is praiseworthy.
“We also had wonderful performances from the youngsters, especially Umar and Aamir. We currently have an under-19 team playing in Zimbabwe and I know that there are three to four players in that squad who can walk into the national side during the next six months.
“This is good for Pakistan cricket as well as our squad as it provides competition to both seniors and younger members. And it was because of the healthy competition that when we sat down to select playing elevens, for the first time ever we thought about who to drop and not who to play.
“With the World Cup under two years away, I hope the selectors take note of the youngsters and give them enough run in the senior squad for them to be able to perform in the tournament when it arrives.”
Yawar also confirmed he was leaving the manager’s post in the team with Shafqat Rana, the Associate Manager, widely tipped to take over for the series against New Zealand.
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper, Oct 7, 2009
Speaking exclusively to Dawn following the five-wicket loss at The Wanderers that sealed Pakistan’s exit, Yawar, who confirmed it was his last tour with the team, was also shocked by some of the on-field decisions but refused to comment owing to strict ICC regulations.
“I shouldn’t be saying this but we should’ve planned this match slightly better,” Saeed said. “It’s not my job, it’s the coach’s but batting first, we should’ve made at least 260 or 270. We got bogged down in the middle and were lucky with the tail-enders who got us to the score that we managed. In this sort of game, you need to plan your scoring rate every ten overs. We failed and we went down.
“There are a few other things that also affected the match but I’m not allowed to comment on those. Everybody saw how things went along. Overall, it was very disappointing for me and the team as we didn’t make it to the final, something that we should’ve.”
Yawar, who has been involved in the team’s managerial role on-and-off for the last 26 years, predicted a bright future for the team, having witnessed the younger members outshine their senior team-mates.
Reserving special praise for Umar Akmal, who top-scored for Pakistan in the semi-final with a 62-ball 55, and Mohammad Aamir, with six wickets in three Champions Trophy matches, Yawar also lauded the team spirit and confidence, especially as Pakistan came into the tournament having lost the Test and ODI series against Sri Lanka.
“The Sri Lanka tour was poor for us since we lost matches we should’ve won. However, we made a strong start in South Africa and after we beat India, coupled with the elimination of South Africa and Sri Lanka, we thought we had a very good chance.
“Apart from the low score, we dropped a few catches and that’s the beauty of the game, you take an eye off it and you lose. It was satisfying in the sense that Pakistan doesn’t feature in semi-finals of ICC tournaments frequently so to do that in back-to-back tournaments is praiseworthy.
“We also had wonderful performances from the youngsters, especially Umar and Aamir. We currently have an under-19 team playing in Zimbabwe and I know that there are three to four players in that squad who can walk into the national side during the next six months.
“This is good for Pakistan cricket as well as our squad as it provides competition to both seniors and younger members. And it was because of the healthy competition that when we sat down to select playing elevens, for the first time ever we thought about who to drop and not who to play.
“With the World Cup under two years away, I hope the selectors take note of the youngsters and give them enough run in the senior squad for them to be able to perform in the tournament when it arrives.”
Yawar also confirmed he was leaving the manager’s post in the team with Shafqat Rana, the Associate Manager, widely tipped to take over for the series against New Zealand.
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper, Oct 7, 2009
Monday, October 05, 2009
Luck deserted us against New Zealand: Younis
Unlucky was the word that Pakistan captain Younis Khan used to describe his side’s status following the defeat to New Zealand in the second semi-final at The Wanderers — the five-wicket loss dumping his side out of the Champions Trophy on Saturday night.
The disappointing end, after an equally poor start, aptly complemented Pakistan’s display in all three departments of the game with a dropped catch that would initiate many conversations for weeks to follow.
“Once you reach the semi-final or final, you need a bit of luck to progress,” Younis said. “Although we batted poorly at the start and our bowling was below par, we were unlucky and if we had been lucky with some umpiring decisions, or inflicted some run-outs or even taken our catches cleanly, the result might have been different.”
Refusing to comment on the dubious umpiring decisions – especially that of Umar Akmal who was adjudged lbw as the ball hit his pad off the face the bat – Younis also rued his dropped catch, blaming his fractured right-hand finger for the spill.
“I dropped a simple catch that I will remember for a long time. However, there was a time in the tournament when I ran out Gautam Gambhir with the same hand and took a difficult catch in the next match. While people will blame me for the dropped catch and playing with the injury, they should also remember the earlier incidents and how that helped the team.
“This is life. It’s a matter of playing for the nation with a broken finger and that same finger, unfortunately, dropped the catch. Other than the drop, we also made a few other mistakes that contributed to the loss and things like these happen in game. I’m not worried about my mistake.”
The skipper went on to add: “We batted poorly, especially in the powerplays. Our batsmen did manage a few decent starts but they couldn’t capitalise on them and looked under pressure. At one stage it looked we’ll be dismissed for 160 but the partnership between Umar Akmal and Mohammad Yousuf helped us recover. But even the duo, after being set, failed to go on and play a long innings and had they stayed on till the final Powerplay, we might’ve scored 260 or 270.”
Pakistan’s failure in the five-over gap was on stark contrast to New Zealand who, requiring over seven runs an over prior to the powerplay, blasted 55 runs off theirs. Vettori, who promoted himself above Neil Broom and James Franklin, shared a 104-run partnership and capped off a remarkable day for himself, having taken three for 43 earlier.
“It was a very satisfying win as we lost critical players prior to the match,” Vettori, who was labelled the difference between the two teams by Younis, said. “Even Elliot, who scored a wonderful 75 and showed a lot of character, was in doubt but he managed to play such an impressive innings with a broken thumb. We bowled well early on, put a lot of pressure on them and whenever we needed a bit of impetus in our batting, our players provided that.”
With a few days to recover before heading to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for an ODI and Twenty20 series against the same opponents, Younis, despite Pakistan’s mediocre performance in the tournament, remained impressed with his side’s show in the tournament and how reaching the semi-finals would silence the critics.
“We were labelled as a Twenty20 team and written off before the tournament started. Despite the loss, it has been a fantastic tournament for us and reaching the last four has been an impressive job. I’ve always wanted Pakistan to finish in the top four of a tournament – obviously reaching the final would have been extra special – and it was great teamwork that led us this far.”
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper, Oct 5, 2009
The disappointing end, after an equally poor start, aptly complemented Pakistan’s display in all three departments of the game with a dropped catch that would initiate many conversations for weeks to follow.
“Once you reach the semi-final or final, you need a bit of luck to progress,” Younis said. “Although we batted poorly at the start and our bowling was below par, we were unlucky and if we had been lucky with some umpiring decisions, or inflicted some run-outs or even taken our catches cleanly, the result might have been different.”
Refusing to comment on the dubious umpiring decisions – especially that of Umar Akmal who was adjudged lbw as the ball hit his pad off the face the bat – Younis also rued his dropped catch, blaming his fractured right-hand finger for the spill.
“I dropped a simple catch that I will remember for a long time. However, there was a time in the tournament when I ran out Gautam Gambhir with the same hand and took a difficult catch in the next match. While people will blame me for the dropped catch and playing with the injury, they should also remember the earlier incidents and how that helped the team.
“This is life. It’s a matter of playing for the nation with a broken finger and that same finger, unfortunately, dropped the catch. Other than the drop, we also made a few other mistakes that contributed to the loss and things like these happen in game. I’m not worried about my mistake.”
The skipper went on to add: “We batted poorly, especially in the powerplays. Our batsmen did manage a few decent starts but they couldn’t capitalise on them and looked under pressure. At one stage it looked we’ll be dismissed for 160 but the partnership between Umar Akmal and Mohammad Yousuf helped us recover. But even the duo, after being set, failed to go on and play a long innings and had they stayed on till the final Powerplay, we might’ve scored 260 or 270.”
Pakistan’s failure in the five-over gap was on stark contrast to New Zealand who, requiring over seven runs an over prior to the powerplay, blasted 55 runs off theirs. Vettori, who promoted himself above Neil Broom and James Franklin, shared a 104-run partnership and capped off a remarkable day for himself, having taken three for 43 earlier.
“It was a very satisfying win as we lost critical players prior to the match,” Vettori, who was labelled the difference between the two teams by Younis, said. “Even Elliot, who scored a wonderful 75 and showed a lot of character, was in doubt but he managed to play such an impressive innings with a broken thumb. We bowled well early on, put a lot of pressure on them and whenever we needed a bit of impetus in our batting, our players provided that.”
With a few days to recover before heading to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for an ODI and Twenty20 series against the same opponents, Younis, despite Pakistan’s mediocre performance in the tournament, remained impressed with his side’s show in the tournament and how reaching the semi-finals would silence the critics.
“We were labelled as a Twenty20 team and written off before the tournament started. Despite the loss, it has been a fantastic tournament for us and reaching the last four has been an impressive job. I’ve always wanted Pakistan to finish in the top four of a tournament – obviously reaching the final would have been extra special – and it was great teamwork that led us this far.”
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper, Oct 5, 2009
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Pakistan wary of unpredictable Kiwis in semi-final
Rewriting history books is Pakistan’s aim and need today as they take on New Zealand in the second semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy at The Wanderers. A win will place them in the final of tournament, an unprecedented act for the team, and will also be a first for Younis Khan’s men against the Kiwis in the tournament since its inception — having lost twice before.
Pakistan lost their final group match in a final-ball thriller against Australia thus blemishing their perfect record on the tour so far. The two-wicket loss, however, has failed to disturb Pakistan’s momentum, according to Younis, who was already hoping to meet England in the final on Monday.
“New Zealand is a very good team, especially when it comes to fielding,” Younis said before Pakistan’s training session at The Wanderers. “It will be really good to play against them as they have very good options in bowling and have capable all-rounders. Their captain, too, has become a very good bowler and is now batting well as well.
“We don’t want anything special. It’s a matter of playing our natural game to stop them and hopefully we have a tough game, because that’s what we need, and meet England in the final.”
Selecting the playing eleven for the day-night match will prove to be a headache for the team management, especially given Asif’s effective international comeback after spending almost 16 months. His two for 34 against Australia, and an apt display of movement off the pitch, may force Younis into a lot of thinking.
However, it looks almost certain that the playing eleven that beat India earlier in the tournament will take the field today thus omitting Misbah-ul-Haq, who came in for the injured Imran Nazir, and Asif, in for the rested Mohammad Aamer.
“Luckily we have a fit 15-man squad to choose from but we will wait before the toss to name our playing eleven. It all depends on what conditions we’re faced with [scattered showers are expected during the semi-final] and having in-form batsmen and bowlers on the bench is a good sign for us.”
With Pakistan spinners creating a stranglehold over the opposition batsmen in the middle overs, Daniel Vettori, New Zealand’s captain, labelled Pakistan’s inconsistency as something his team could capitalise on. Having come off back-to-back wins over South Africa and England, Vettori remained confident of making it three in a row. “The momentum is definitely with us, going into a semi-final with two big wins,” he said.
“Qualifying top of the group also made a welcome changes from the past where we have scraped through. They have a very impressive spin attack coupled with a very good seam attack and no obvious weakness in their batting line-up. But we are hoping to catch them on an off day as they are a bit consistent like us.”
Vettori was a bit critical of the pitches used in the tournament so far but admitted there were a lot of runs in the offering, providing the senior players step up and accept the challenge from the Pakistani bowlers. “There’s no secret to playing well here. The pitches have been a bit different to what we expected — a bit like Sri Lankan pitches — but we have the ability to adapt to conditions. I also want to do well for personal reasons as leading my team into the final could be the most satisfying thing I have achieved in my career.”
With the Pakistani bowlers having a great opening spell in the tournament at The Wanderers against the West Indies — restricting them to 47-7 before a late-order fightback allowed them to post 133. Hoping for a repeat performance by his bowlers, Younis looked forward to adding another important win the year that would aid Pakistan’s upward movement in world cricket.
“We have been unable to reach the final of this tournament and as Pakistan’s captain, I hope we wipe that off our record books. We need two more good matches and wins in both should be nice for me and the nation. It may look silly but we really need big wins against big countries in order to not only improve our cricket but also help the country.
“Cricket is the only game that unites the whole nation and I sincerely hope we make it tot he final and then win it to give Pakistan another gift this year.”
Attending a local mosque on Islamabad Drive in Johannesburg for the Friday prayers, the team were met with hundreds of well-wishers. While the followers prayed for Pakistan’s success against New Zealand, Younis, who accompanied the team to the mosque, assured them that the squad had what it takes to come up to their expectations.
With New Zealand picking up the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award on Thursday evening, Vettori hopes to add the Champions Trophy to the excess baggage his team takes home. Judging by the ability to spring up surprises — and their run in the current tournament — Pakistan may well have their hands full this afternoon.
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper, Oct 3, 2009
Pakistan lost their final group match in a final-ball thriller against Australia thus blemishing their perfect record on the tour so far. The two-wicket loss, however, has failed to disturb Pakistan’s momentum, according to Younis, who was already hoping to meet England in the final on Monday.
“New Zealand is a very good team, especially when it comes to fielding,” Younis said before Pakistan’s training session at The Wanderers. “It will be really good to play against them as they have very good options in bowling and have capable all-rounders. Their captain, too, has become a very good bowler and is now batting well as well.
“We don’t want anything special. It’s a matter of playing our natural game to stop them and hopefully we have a tough game, because that’s what we need, and meet England in the final.”
Selecting the playing eleven for the day-night match will prove to be a headache for the team management, especially given Asif’s effective international comeback after spending almost 16 months. His two for 34 against Australia, and an apt display of movement off the pitch, may force Younis into a lot of thinking.
However, it looks almost certain that the playing eleven that beat India earlier in the tournament will take the field today thus omitting Misbah-ul-Haq, who came in for the injured Imran Nazir, and Asif, in for the rested Mohammad Aamer.
“Luckily we have a fit 15-man squad to choose from but we will wait before the toss to name our playing eleven. It all depends on what conditions we’re faced with [scattered showers are expected during the semi-final] and having in-form batsmen and bowlers on the bench is a good sign for us.”
With Pakistan spinners creating a stranglehold over the opposition batsmen in the middle overs, Daniel Vettori, New Zealand’s captain, labelled Pakistan’s inconsistency as something his team could capitalise on. Having come off back-to-back wins over South Africa and England, Vettori remained confident of making it three in a row. “The momentum is definitely with us, going into a semi-final with two big wins,” he said.
“Qualifying top of the group also made a welcome changes from the past where we have scraped through. They have a very impressive spin attack coupled with a very good seam attack and no obvious weakness in their batting line-up. But we are hoping to catch them on an off day as they are a bit consistent like us.”
Vettori was a bit critical of the pitches used in the tournament so far but admitted there were a lot of runs in the offering, providing the senior players step up and accept the challenge from the Pakistani bowlers. “There’s no secret to playing well here. The pitches have been a bit different to what we expected — a bit like Sri Lankan pitches — but we have the ability to adapt to conditions. I also want to do well for personal reasons as leading my team into the final could be the most satisfying thing I have achieved in my career.”
With the Pakistani bowlers having a great opening spell in the tournament at The Wanderers against the West Indies — restricting them to 47-7 before a late-order fightback allowed them to post 133. Hoping for a repeat performance by his bowlers, Younis looked forward to adding another important win the year that would aid Pakistan’s upward movement in world cricket.
“We have been unable to reach the final of this tournament and as Pakistan’s captain, I hope we wipe that off our record books. We need two more good matches and wins in both should be nice for me and the nation. It may look silly but we really need big wins against big countries in order to not only improve our cricket but also help the country.
“Cricket is the only game that unites the whole nation and I sincerely hope we make it tot he final and then win it to give Pakistan another gift this year.”
Attending a local mosque on Islamabad Drive in Johannesburg for the Friday prayers, the team were met with hundreds of well-wishers. While the followers prayed for Pakistan’s success against New Zealand, Younis, who accompanied the team to the mosque, assured them that the squad had what it takes to come up to their expectations.
With New Zealand picking up the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award on Thursday evening, Vettori hopes to add the Champions Trophy to the excess baggage his team takes home. Judging by the ability to spring up surprises — and their run in the current tournament — Pakistan may well have their hands full this afternoon.
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper, Oct 3, 2009
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Aussies spoiled our bid to stay unbeaten: Younis
Pakistan’s hopes of finishing top of Group A and reaching the semi-finals of the Champion’s Trophy unbeaten were ended by a resolute ninth-wicket partnership that led Australia to a final-ball victory at the Centurion. However, despite the loss, Younis Khan, Pakistan’s captain, chose to laud his team’s remarkable comeback after being restricted for only 206.
At 140 for 2, and with Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey having added 81, the reigning champions looked on-course for an easy win. However, with Shoaib Malik and Saeed Ajmal, followed by the fast bowlers, getting quick wickets, the unimaginable last-ball finish was then witnessed.
“Sometimes you stay unbeaten throughout the tournament and then suddenly lose an important game,” Younis said in his post-match press conference. “However, with my players showing the fighting spirit, the loss does not matter much as we’re already through to the last-four having learnt so much from the defeat by Australia. It was a close game and either side had a chance to win it and it became really tough out in the middle.
“Australia showed why they are world champions by holding their nerves and scraping through at the end when another team would’ve played rash strokes and thrown it away.”
Younis, on the eve of the match, had said the two spinners Shahid Afridi and Ajmal held the key to Pakistan’s success against Australia. With Afridi dismissing Tim Paine early on and the duo of Ajmal and Malik causing problems while chipping in with three wickets impressed both captains.
“We knew we had a chance with two spinners,” Younis added. “All they needed was two or three quick wickets and that’s exactly what they delivered and made a huge difference in the match.”
Ponting, too, lauded the spinner’s effort in giving Australia a huge scare following a reasonable start. “It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on and Pakistan’s spinners made things worse for us,” he said. “We knew their spinners would play a huge role in the match and being the dangerous side that Pakistan is, we’re happy to get through to the last four and that’s the stage we want to be at.”
Making his return after almost 16 months out due to a drugs ban, Mohammad Asif looked largely ineffective at the start but returned to take two vital wickets in an over. Finishing with two for 34 from his eight overs, Asif’s comeback has given the team management a healthy dilemma while selecting the team for the semi-final.
“I’ve always said Asif is a match-winner and he should be playing for us. However, he was unlucky to have missed out in the last two games due to our combination but he got his chance today and it gave him a lot of confidence to be performing this well after being out for so long. With all our fast bowlers having had terrific display under their belts, we will have a difficult time selecting who plays against New Zealand.”
With India exiting the tournament courtesy Australia’s win, Younis now hopes of a Pakistan-Australia final next Monday. He said his side needed wins against top teams in international cricket in order to improve and show the world how good they are. With a win against India earlier in the tournament and coming this close to beating Australia, Younis reckoned the omens looked good.
“If you win against top sides and world champions, it helps the players and the team. With India out of the tournament, I now hope we meet Australia again in the final and beat them. Reaching the semi-final even has been a tremendous performance by us given that Pakistan had never achieved this feat in the past. And it doesn’t really matter who you play in the semi-final or where you play since the pressure will be on both teams given the occasion.”
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper, Oct 1, 2009
At 140 for 2, and with Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey having added 81, the reigning champions looked on-course for an easy win. However, with Shoaib Malik and Saeed Ajmal, followed by the fast bowlers, getting quick wickets, the unimaginable last-ball finish was then witnessed.
“Sometimes you stay unbeaten throughout the tournament and then suddenly lose an important game,” Younis said in his post-match press conference. “However, with my players showing the fighting spirit, the loss does not matter much as we’re already through to the last-four having learnt so much from the defeat by Australia. It was a close game and either side had a chance to win it and it became really tough out in the middle.
“Australia showed why they are world champions by holding their nerves and scraping through at the end when another team would’ve played rash strokes and thrown it away.”
Younis, on the eve of the match, had said the two spinners Shahid Afridi and Ajmal held the key to Pakistan’s success against Australia. With Afridi dismissing Tim Paine early on and the duo of Ajmal and Malik causing problems while chipping in with three wickets impressed both captains.
“We knew we had a chance with two spinners,” Younis added. “All they needed was two or three quick wickets and that’s exactly what they delivered and made a huge difference in the match.”
Ponting, too, lauded the spinner’s effort in giving Australia a huge scare following a reasonable start. “It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on and Pakistan’s spinners made things worse for us,” he said. “We knew their spinners would play a huge role in the match and being the dangerous side that Pakistan is, we’re happy to get through to the last four and that’s the stage we want to be at.”
Making his return after almost 16 months out due to a drugs ban, Mohammad Asif looked largely ineffective at the start but returned to take two vital wickets in an over. Finishing with two for 34 from his eight overs, Asif’s comeback has given the team management a healthy dilemma while selecting the team for the semi-final.
“I’ve always said Asif is a match-winner and he should be playing for us. However, he was unlucky to have missed out in the last two games due to our combination but he got his chance today and it gave him a lot of confidence to be performing this well after being out for so long. With all our fast bowlers having had terrific display under their belts, we will have a difficult time selecting who plays against New Zealand.”
With India exiting the tournament courtesy Australia’s win, Younis now hopes of a Pakistan-Australia final next Monday. He said his side needed wins against top teams in international cricket in order to improve and show the world how good they are. With a win against India earlier in the tournament and coming this close to beating Australia, Younis reckoned the omens looked good.
“If you win against top sides and world champions, it helps the players and the team. With India out of the tournament, I now hope we meet Australia again in the final and beat them. Reaching the semi-final even has been a tremendous performance by us given that Pakistan had never achieved this feat in the past. And it doesn’t really matter who you play in the semi-final or where you play since the pressure will be on both teams given the occasion.”
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper, Oct 1, 2009
ICC Hall of Fame induction thrills Wasim Akram
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram was one of the five new inductees into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame when the additional list of players to the original 55 was released here on Tuesday. Representing Pakistan in 104 Tests and 356 ODIs for Pakistan after making his debut in 1984, Wasim was delighted by the induction into the list that includes the likes of Don Bradman, Imran Khan, Ian Chappell, Javed Miandad and Hanif Mohammad.‘It’s a dream come true to be honest and I never thought I’d reach this far,’ Wasim, who has 414 Test wickets and became the first bowler to reach the 500-wicket mark in ODIs, told Dawn. ‘It’s also a great honour for me, means a lot to be part of such an elite list and shows I have done something worthwhile in my life and worked hard to achieve what I did.’
Wasim, Man of the Match in the 1992 World Cup final that Pakistan won by beating England, also captained Pakistan in 25 Tests and 109 ODIs, including the 1999 World Cup final that Australia won by eight wickets. Recalling the defeat at Lord’s, Wasim labelled it one of the lowest moments in his 19-year career but was quick to point out the highlights that allowed him to enter the Cricket Hall of Fame.
‘My whole career was a rollercoaster. Though the loss in the 1999 final was the lowest point in my career, I’m a person who believes in positives and forgetting the negatives. Thankfully, I’ve had more positives than negatives including the 1992 World Cup final, winning in India in 1987, the Test-series win against England in 1992 and the West Indies whitewash in 1997.
‘I will also cherish the ten-wicket haul against Australia in 1989 and my first century that made me realise I can bat and that I should work hard on my batting though I never did.’
Not forgetting his mammoth nine-hour stay at the crease while scoring 257 against Zimbabwe in Sheikhupura, Wasim labelled it ‘something out of the ordinary’ and reckoned that innings showed he had the potential to become a better batsman than his figures showed. ‘That innings was no fluke because you can only score a century as a fluke, not a 250-plus score. I batted for nine hours and realised that in order to score runs, you need to stay at the crease and at that time the cricket ball seemed as a big as a football and if Saqlain [Mushtaq] hadn’t been dismissed, I may have even scored 300.’
‘While the award is more of a personal satisfaction, a gesture that says I’ve done well in the field of cricket, it should also motivate our team and youngsters who are either involved with cricket right now or will play in the future. It tells them that if you do well consistently, you will be rewarded one day.’
The four other new inductees include Herbert Sutcliffe (England) and the Australian trio of Clarrie Grimmett, Victor Trumper and Steve Waugh.
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper, Oct 1, 2009.
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