Australian batsman Michael Hussey has termed the absence of Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf a blessing for Australia and predicted it will be difficult for Pakistan to post big scores as a result.
Hussey, Pakistan’s destroyer-in-chief in their World Twenty20 title-defence, praised Pakistan’s bowling attack but said the opposition will be heavily tested in the first Test at Lord’s that starts tomorrow.
“I think whatever happened in Australia at the start of the year is history as both teams will start afresh come the first Test,” said Hussey following Australia’s training session at Lord’s yesterday. “They’re playing with confidence now but will be heavily tested especially given they’re without Younus and Yousuf, two outstanding and classy players.
“It’s a big loss and it’ll be very, very hard for Pakistan to find those runs that they scored, especially in Test cricket.”
Australia, following their loss in the final of the 2010 World Twenty20 to England, have not had the best of times since arriving in England. The World Champions lost the One-Day International series against the hosts 3-2 before being whitewashed in the two-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan. Hussey, however, remained confident of an improved performance in the longer format of the game.
“Traditionally, we’re slow starters in England. We’ve been a bit scratchy but now we’ve been here for a month and should be accustomed to the conditions.”
Wary of a transformed Pakistan side, Hussey labelled their bowling attack as the key to success in the series together with the confidence attained from winning the Twenty20s.
“They have the confidence and really outplayed us and seem to have that winning belief.”
© Faras Ghani 2010
Published in The Express Tribune July 12, 2010
Showing posts with label Younis Khan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Younis Khan. Show all posts
Monday, July 12, 2010
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
'Young players need time'
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has refused to make tall claims for the upcoming Test series against Australia despite his team’s encouraging start to the tour of England that has seen his team win two warm-up Twenty20s and end their 12-match losing streak against Australia on Monday.Pakistan won the first of the back-to-back Twenty20s by 23 runs after a series of losses against the same opposition with the latest being the three-wicket loss in the 2010 World Twenty20 semi-final at St Lucia.
However, with Pakistan missing several senior figures including Mohammad Yousuf, Younus Khan and out-of-form Misbahul Haq, Afridi urged the supporters not to expect miracles from the young side.
“Experience counts in these conditions and I knew I’d need Yousuf and Younus here in England but they couldn’t be part of the team for various reasons,” Afridi told The Express Tribune. “Since we don’t have them, we now need to work with the youngsters we’ve been given and I hope they put up a good show.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have enough talent when it comes to choosing players for Test matches. We have players for Twenty20s and One-Day Internationals (ODIs), they have the talent for the shorter formats but not for Test matches. However, they’ve performed on the domestic level and for the ‘A’ teams so now it’s up to them to show the team management and the selectors what they have and if we can count on them for the future.”
The squad will be joined by Zulqarnain Haider, Tanvir Ahmed, Azhar Ali, Yasir Hameed, Mohammad Asif, Imran Farhat and Danish Kaneria for the Test matches with the captain adamant that separate teams for the Test matches is the way forward for Pakistan.
“We have planned for the future keeping the schedule and the World Cup in mind. I don’t want the same teams for all formats of the game as we should have at least three to four different members for the Tests from the team that played the Twenty20s.”
With Pakistan playing six back-to-back Test matches against Australia and hosts England, there was a sense of relief in the Pakistan camp following the 23-run win in the first Twenty20.
Often, according to Afridi, the team would arrive at a winning position only to lose the grip on the match and end up second best.
“We’ve been close to beating Australia on quite a few occasions. However, it’s a huge relief and a confidence boost to finally cross that hurdle and start the tour with a win. The team wanted the win and people had been acting surprised that we lose the way this often against Australia.
“It’s a great achievement to beat one of the top teams in any competition and I think it sets the tone well for the rest of the tour.”
Pakistan will now take on English county side Leicestershire in a two-day match at Leicester before returning to London for the first Test match that starts from July 13.
© Faras Ghani 2010
Published in The Express Tribune July 7, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Pakistan cricket in familiar territory
Inadequate and rocky preparation for a major tournament, a cliché when it comes to the Pakistan cricket team and its ‘tried and tested’ method of going into yet another global event with the run-in marred by injuries, controversies and surprise inclusions. Prior to the 2009 World Twenty20, Pakistan were termed mere participant, courtesy humiliation against an under-strength Australia, a new captain and an unwilling chief selector.
New faces were included for the gruelling trip and as the warm-ups were conceded without even a whimper, it all seemed dusted in still air. What followed, however, was a case of captivating resurgence and all was forgotten amid the hurrah.
Despite the promises and the omnipresent assurances, the boat rocks again for Pakistan cricket, weeks before their title defence. Eyebrows were raised when the newly-appointed selector gave his verdict early.
Salman Butt, awful with the bat and even worse in the field last year, keeps his place. Misbahul Haq, out of form and out of favour lately should have been out of reckoning.
Changes are likely only days prior to the team’s departure. Injuries have rocked Pakistan’s training camp as Umar Gul and Yasir Arafat look set to miss out. And if that was not enough to shake the camp, off-field worries have played a vital role in diverting undue attention from the preparations.
Shoaib Malik has been utilising his ‘time off’ aptly by claiming headlines while Mohammad Asif’s self inflicted headache, and a legal case against him, has given the team management an unwanted dilemma as the training camp gathers momentum.
Seven players from the squad that toured Australia were recently fined and banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The board, in a move that defies logic, also put an appeal process in place and as a consequence, the players – who alongwith their captain are currently involved in preparation for the World Twenty20 – are now also engulfed in an off-the-field battle with their own board.
Punishments, weddings, appeals, injuries and legal cases – Pakistan cricket sits in familiar territory.
There have been calls of using a psychologist to prepare the players mentally – a successful ploy introduced by former captain Younus Khan prior to the team’s departure last year.
The focus and the level of concentration needed for a global event is surely missing. And with the path the individuals have been taking lately, it seems that the dismal performance the team will take into the tournament in April is what they will be coming out with in May.
© Faras Ghani 2010
Published in The Express Tribune, Apr 14, 2010
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
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
We have a great chance of beating Aussies: Younis
Pakistan go into today’s round match against Australia placed in unfamiliar territory: A place in the last-four already sealed and the added luxury of testing bench strength.
Back-to-back, convincing wins over West Indies and India — preceded by wins against Sri Lanka and the Warriors in the warm-up matches — have produced the healthy bout of momentum and confidence that Younis Khan, Pakistan’s captain, will hope to carry forward into the semi-finals.
However, with Australia’s simplest route to the semi-finals resting in Pakistan’s loss, the onus is on Younis’ team to carry on the winning form, perform to their potential to ensure a hundred per cent record going into the knock-out round.
“Even with our last-four place confirmed, I’d still like to tell my players to play good cricket to our potential because we’re a top side when we do that and ensure the winning momentum is not lost,” Younis said in his pre-match press conference.
“We have improved considerably over the last few months and Australia is a very strong side, fresh from their recent win in England, so I would not label any favourites for the game. We have a great chance of winning and are very lucky to be in the situation where we only need two more wins to lift the trophy and we’ll be looking to do just that.”
While Younis is still nursing the fractured finger on the right hand — a direct throw from the same hand effected Gautam Gambhir’s runout on Saturday — Imran Nazir, with stitches on his right hand due to injury suffered early in the Indian innings, looks certain to miss out. Out of form Misbah-ul-Haq will replace him.
The forced absence of Imran, the only specialist opener in the squad, will mean promotion for either Shoaib Malik or Fawad Alam who looks set to feature for the first time in the tournament.
Mohammad Asif also looks certain to cash in on the situation and will most likely replace Mohammad Aamir with Umar Gul hoping to recover from a horror show against India.
The loss of Imran Nazir has left Younis unperturbed as he emphasised the importance of flexibility in the batting order and doing away with the need for specialist openers in the side.
“Imran is a useful batsman for us and I know there is an innings left in him for us in the tournament. His stitches aren’t serious and we might play him against Australia or may decide to rest him. Even if he’s omitted, it won’t be a problem for us since we have experienced players who have played in that position before. Also, in Twenty20 and ODIs, you don’t need specialist openers anymore as we’re able to adapt to situations.”
“In today’s cricket, your performance on the day matters the most and not past results. We won against a top nation [India] recently and are pitted against another now. There are no guarantees on who will take wickets or score runs but both teams go into the match equal.”
Pakistani spinning duo of Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi caused problems for the Australians in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. With decent performances under their belt on the tour already, both Afridi and Ajmal are hoping for a repeat show. Ponting, though, shrugged aside any concerns and lauded his batsmen’s show against the Indian spinners.
“I’m obviously disappointed with the result against India as we were in a really good position,” Ponting said. “However, the positive out of that abandoned game was our batting, especially the show against spinners since we expect more of the same from Pakistan as well.
“It will be very disappointing if we lose to Pakistan and fail to progress,’ Ponting added. ‘However, it all depends on how we play knowing how dangerous Pakistan can be, especially with the kind of cricket they’ve been playing recently. We had a good result in the UAE and we’re hoping the lessons learnt there are utlised here as well.”
Younis was also wary of the fact that progress for India depended on Pakistan’s win at the Centurion today. With MS Dhoni, India’s captain, making it clear who he will be supporting — “We want Pakistan to win” were the words in his pre-match press conference — Younis has downplayed speculations that fielding a weakened team will undermine India’s effort.
“We wanted to be in a situation where we don’t need to depend on other teams for our progress. We have been lucky to be in this situation. Everyone knows the number of followers India has in Pakistan and vice versa. It’s cricket and life shouldn’t depend on winning or losing and we will give it our best to carry forward the winning momentum for our sake.”
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper, Sep 30, 2009.
Back-to-back, convincing wins over West Indies and India — preceded by wins against Sri Lanka and the Warriors in the warm-up matches — have produced the healthy bout of momentum and confidence that Younis Khan, Pakistan’s captain, will hope to carry forward into the semi-finals.
However, with Australia’s simplest route to the semi-finals resting in Pakistan’s loss, the onus is on Younis’ team to carry on the winning form, perform to their potential to ensure a hundred per cent record going into the knock-out round.
“Even with our last-four place confirmed, I’d still like to tell my players to play good cricket to our potential because we’re a top side when we do that and ensure the winning momentum is not lost,” Younis said in his pre-match press conference.
“We have improved considerably over the last few months and Australia is a very strong side, fresh from their recent win in England, so I would not label any favourites for the game. We have a great chance of winning and are very lucky to be in the situation where we only need two more wins to lift the trophy and we’ll be looking to do just that.”
While Younis is still nursing the fractured finger on the right hand — a direct throw from the same hand effected Gautam Gambhir’s runout on Saturday — Imran Nazir, with stitches on his right hand due to injury suffered early in the Indian innings, looks certain to miss out. Out of form Misbah-ul-Haq will replace him.
The forced absence of Imran, the only specialist opener in the squad, will mean promotion for either Shoaib Malik or Fawad Alam who looks set to feature for the first time in the tournament.
Mohammad Asif also looks certain to cash in on the situation and will most likely replace Mohammad Aamir with Umar Gul hoping to recover from a horror show against India.
The loss of Imran Nazir has left Younis unperturbed as he emphasised the importance of flexibility in the batting order and doing away with the need for specialist openers in the side.
“Imran is a useful batsman for us and I know there is an innings left in him for us in the tournament. His stitches aren’t serious and we might play him against Australia or may decide to rest him. Even if he’s omitted, it won’t be a problem for us since we have experienced players who have played in that position before. Also, in Twenty20 and ODIs, you don’t need specialist openers anymore as we’re able to adapt to situations.”
“In today’s cricket, your performance on the day matters the most and not past results. We won against a top nation [India] recently and are pitted against another now. There are no guarantees on who will take wickets or score runs but both teams go into the match equal.”
Pakistani spinning duo of Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi caused problems for the Australians in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. With decent performances under their belt on the tour already, both Afridi and Ajmal are hoping for a repeat show. Ponting, though, shrugged aside any concerns and lauded his batsmen’s show against the Indian spinners.
“I’m obviously disappointed with the result against India as we were in a really good position,” Ponting said. “However, the positive out of that abandoned game was our batting, especially the show against spinners since we expect more of the same from Pakistan as well.
“It will be very disappointing if we lose to Pakistan and fail to progress,’ Ponting added. ‘However, it all depends on how we play knowing how dangerous Pakistan can be, especially with the kind of cricket they’ve been playing recently. We had a good result in the UAE and we’re hoping the lessons learnt there are utlised here as well.”
Younis was also wary of the fact that progress for India depended on Pakistan’s win at the Centurion today. With MS Dhoni, India’s captain, making it clear who he will be supporting — “We want Pakistan to win” were the words in his pre-match press conference — Younis has downplayed speculations that fielding a weakened team will undermine India’s effort.
“We wanted to be in a situation where we don’t need to depend on other teams for our progress. We have been lucky to be in this situation. Everyone knows the number of followers India has in Pakistan and vice versa. It’s cricket and life shouldn’t depend on winning or losing and we will give it our best to carry forward the winning momentum for our sake.”
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper, Sep 30, 2009.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
I want to emulate Sachin’s 2003 feat in today’s clash: Younis
If wins could be traded for enthusiasm and courage, Younis Khan should collect the winner’s cheque following Pakistan’s crunch encounter against arch-rivals India at the Centurion today.
Younis confirmed his participation in today’s match after missing his side’s opening win against the West Indies due to a fractured finger. Advised four weeks’ rest, Younis remains adamant to play through the pain and hopes to emulate Sachin Tendulkar’s innings against Pakistan at the World Cup 2003 while leading his side to victory.
Pakistan come into the match following three consecutive wins on the tour, a feat alien to the team on tours. India, who claimed number one ranking in the ODI table following South Africa’s defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, were handed a 103-run loss by New Zealand in their only warm-up match. Younis, labelling the opposition the best team in the tournament, remains wary of the fightback India is capable of and opted to make himself available for the encounter despite the injury.
“If the opposition wasn’t India, I might have rested the fractured finger slightly longer,” Younis said in his pre-match conference after Pakistan’s training session. “It’s easy for me to run away from this and avoid the crunch match but I prefer to look at the bigger picture. I want to play, score a century, get the man-of-the-match award or just have a hand in leading Pakistan to victory. Not playing is not an option for me. I want to perform like Sachin did in 2003 against us so that people remember my innings just like they do his, especially given my fractured finger.”
Younis’ return is likely to mark the exit for Imran Nazir, the solitary specialist opener in the 15-man squad with Shoaib Malik likely to be promoted to open the innings with Kamran Akmal.
With Younis forming a formidable middle-order with Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq, with the in-form duo of Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s vice-captain, to follow. The return from the 12-month ban of Mohammad Asif also poses a tricky dilemma for the team management, with the captain keen on drafting the lanky pacer into the side to face India. While shying away from naming the playing eleven, Younis, in an exclusive interview with Dawn, realised that playing Asif would be a huge risk given the stakes but a risk he was willing to take.
“Asif’s return is a welcome sign for us. He looked in good form during the training sessions and, despite his inclusion being a total gamble, it is a risk I’m willing to take. He may turn out to be our trump card and help us beat India or it may backfire badly. But in life, you need to take risks and I’d rather face the consequences in the worst-case scenario than regret not having gambled on him.”
The likely omission, if Pakistan were to include Asif in the squad, will be Rana Naved who had figures of 1 for 26 in the opening match.
Whatever the team combination, Younis has emphasised the need for his players to perform and enable Pakistan to come out on top — a win that, according to Younis, the nation badly Centurion: Pakistan captain Younis Khan (R) and fast bowler Mohammad Asif wait for their turn during a training session at SuperSport Park on Friday. Both will be key
needs. “We all know it’s a crunch match but there is no need to take any pressure. I have told my players the same thing to help motivate them and not take any unnecessary pressure which sometimes directly contributes to a side’s collapse.”
Younis reserved special praise for the younger Akmal, terming his calculated innings against West Indies (and unbeaten 41 off 51 balls) a great sign for the future. “He is a very energetic player and uses his brain well despite being very new to first-class cricket. He adapted well to conditions at the Wanderers, took his time settling in and then launched into his natural game.”
While India will be missing Virendar Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh, much emphasis will be on Sachin Tendulkar who took Pakistan apart with a 75-ball 98 in 2003 and if he will be able to repeat his performance from six years ago at this ground.
The Pakistan captain, in awe of that innings and cherishing the chance to see Tendulkar in action once again, remained confident that it was the Indian batsman and not the Pakistan side that will be under pressure.
“As we know India will be without their key players and because of that, the onus will be on Sachin to perform and deliver. There’s nothing scary about him as he’s not a ghost and I’m actually happy when he scores
against us. It gives me pleasure to watch him bat and score and there’s a lot you can learn by watching him do just that. However, we’re playing against eleven men and not an individual so we need to look out for the whole team and not just a single batsman.”
While much will depend on the toss, with the lack of sunshine coming into the match likely to keep the pitch soft and difficult for batting, bowlers are still expected to be the underdogs with both teams fielding strong batting line-ups.
For India, it will be a case of carrying on from their Twenty20 win against Pakistan at The Oval in June. Pakistan, however, will be hoping for a lesson learnt, restricting the run-flow and hoping the wall crumbles against an unnerving and energetic bowling attack and an individual hoping to make amends for his actions just over twelve months ago.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper, Sep 26, 2009
Younis confirmed his participation in today’s match after missing his side’s opening win against the West Indies due to a fractured finger. Advised four weeks’ rest, Younis remains adamant to play through the pain and hopes to emulate Sachin Tendulkar’s innings against Pakistan at the World Cup 2003 while leading his side to victory.
Pakistan come into the match following three consecutive wins on the tour, a feat alien to the team on tours. India, who claimed number one ranking in the ODI table following South Africa’s defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, were handed a 103-run loss by New Zealand in their only warm-up match. Younis, labelling the opposition the best team in the tournament, remains wary of the fightback India is capable of and opted to make himself available for the encounter despite the injury.
“If the opposition wasn’t India, I might have rested the fractured finger slightly longer,” Younis said in his pre-match conference after Pakistan’s training session. “It’s easy for me to run away from this and avoid the crunch match but I prefer to look at the bigger picture. I want to play, score a century, get the man-of-the-match award or just have a hand in leading Pakistan to victory. Not playing is not an option for me. I want to perform like Sachin did in 2003 against us so that people remember my innings just like they do his, especially given my fractured finger.”
Younis’ return is likely to mark the exit for Imran Nazir, the solitary specialist opener in the 15-man squad with Shoaib Malik likely to be promoted to open the innings with Kamran Akmal.
With Younis forming a formidable middle-order with Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq, with the in-form duo of Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s vice-captain, to follow. The return from the 12-month ban of Mohammad Asif also poses a tricky dilemma for the team management, with the captain keen on drafting the lanky pacer into the side to face India. While shying away from naming the playing eleven, Younis, in an exclusive interview with Dawn, realised that playing Asif would be a huge risk given the stakes but a risk he was willing to take.
“Asif’s return is a welcome sign for us. He looked in good form during the training sessions and, despite his inclusion being a total gamble, it is a risk I’m willing to take. He may turn out to be our trump card and help us beat India or it may backfire badly. But in life, you need to take risks and I’d rather face the consequences in the worst-case scenario than regret not having gambled on him.”
The likely omission, if Pakistan were to include Asif in the squad, will be Rana Naved who had figures of 1 for 26 in the opening match.
Whatever the team combination, Younis has emphasised the need for his players to perform and enable Pakistan to come out on top — a win that, according to Younis, the nation badly Centurion: Pakistan captain Younis Khan (R) and fast bowler Mohammad Asif wait for their turn during a training session at SuperSport Park on Friday. Both will be key
needs. “We all know it’s a crunch match but there is no need to take any pressure. I have told my players the same thing to help motivate them and not take any unnecessary pressure which sometimes directly contributes to a side’s collapse.”
Younis reserved special praise for the younger Akmal, terming his calculated innings against West Indies (and unbeaten 41 off 51 balls) a great sign for the future. “He is a very energetic player and uses his brain well despite being very new to first-class cricket. He adapted well to conditions at the Wanderers, took his time settling in and then launched into his natural game.”
While India will be missing Virendar Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh, much emphasis will be on Sachin Tendulkar who took Pakistan apart with a 75-ball 98 in 2003 and if he will be able to repeat his performance from six years ago at this ground.
The Pakistan captain, in awe of that innings and cherishing the chance to see Tendulkar in action once again, remained confident that it was the Indian batsman and not the Pakistan side that will be under pressure.
“As we know India will be without their key players and because of that, the onus will be on Sachin to perform and deliver. There’s nothing scary about him as he’s not a ghost and I’m actually happy when he scores
against us. It gives me pleasure to watch him bat and score and there’s a lot you can learn by watching him do just that. However, we’re playing against eleven men and not an individual so we need to look out for the whole team and not just a single batsman.”
While much will depend on the toss, with the lack of sunshine coming into the match likely to keep the pitch soft and difficult for batting, bowlers are still expected to be the underdogs with both teams fielding strong batting line-ups.
For India, it will be a case of carrying on from their Twenty20 win against Pakistan at The Oval in June. Pakistan, however, will be hoping for a lesson learnt, restricting the run-flow and hoping the wall crumbles against an unnerving and energetic bowling attack and an individual hoping to make amends for his actions just over twelve months ago.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper, Sep 26, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
I was given a free hand at the crease: Umar Akmal
A fine unbeaten, match-winning innings on Wednesday against the West Indies further cemented dashing Umar Akmal’s place in the Pakistan one day side as the young batsman once again showed maturity beyond his age in his team’s opening game at the ICC Champions Trophy.
Countering a seemingly-innocuous bowling attack that had threaded through Pakistan’s strong batting line-up chasing a small total, Umar, playing only his fifth ODI, blended caution and aggression aptly and even left his captain, Shahid Afridi, subdued and in admiration.
“I was delighted to be part of the team and playing my first match in an ICC tournament,” Umar, who already has a century and a half-century in ODIs to his name, said after his 51-ball 41. “Our bowlers did a very good job but we struggled slightly with the bat. However, I must thank the team management for all the support as even before coming into bat, I was given a free hand and told to play my natural game.”
Umar, with a career strike-rate of almost 100, did curb his natural ways initially with Pakistan reeling at 61 for 4, Gavin Tonge having taken a career-best four wickets. Easing into his stay onto the pitch gradually, lofted, drove and flicked Pakistan towards the target, hitting six boundaries and carrying on the scintillating start to his international career.
“It was a difficult pitch with uneven bounce and light grass and the batsmen couldn’t hit freely,” Intikhab Alam, Pakistan’s coach, said. “We created problems for ourselves. Most of our dismissals were due to reckless strokeplay as you had to wait for the ball to come onto you and play in the gaps. However, we bowled a good line after losing the toss and that ensured we were not chasing a mammoth total.
“I was impressed with the way Afridi captained the side too. It was a good decision by the board to appoint him captain following Younis Khan’s resignation after the World Twenty20 and that decision was part of future planning. Afridi showed a lot of maturity and responsibility and I’m sure he will get more chances in the future to show more of the same.”
Intikhab also reserved praise for Umar, who got hit on his finger by a beamer from Tino Best, while reminding the youngster of bigger tests that await — Pakistan’s next match at Centurion on Saturday which is against India. “Umar has done a great deal of work and performed well in a very short space of time. We expect great deal from him as he has a great future. However, we must not get complacent since we have a very important match coming up against India.”
While Younis looks all set to return from injury to play that crucial game — India’s opening match of the tournament — their opponents have injury concerns of their own. Already without the services of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, India also lost Yuvraj Singh to a finger injury thus tilting the balance slightly in favour of Pakistan.
“Yuvraj has done wonders for Indian cricket and his services will be severely missed by the team,” Intikhab said. “However, these things happen in cricket and for it to matter in the end, we must ensure we don’t have hiccups as this is a great chance to beat India in an ICC tournament.”
Pakistan’s Mohammad Asif trained with the squad for the first time on Wednesday following the completion of a twelve-month ban for doping offence. Asif, despite the competitive-cricket drought, is match-fit and in contention of a place in the starting line-up for Saturday, according to Intikhab.
“Asif is completely match-fit as he has been training with the academy and club sides in Pakistan. It’s good to have him back and it will provide us with a welcome dilemma whether to include him or not in the team since our bowlers performed really well against West Indies.”
While the initial jitters and poor-starters tag was put to place in a flimsy manner, three points ensure Pakistan go to Centurion on Saturday beaming with confidence. A win will ensure Pakistan make it to the last four of the Champions Trophy for only the first time. A loss, however, will not only need a win against Australia in their final group match but also incur the fans’ wrath, especially with the support both teams are expected to have in the stands on Saturday.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper, Sep 25, 2009.
Countering a seemingly-innocuous bowling attack that had threaded through Pakistan’s strong batting line-up chasing a small total, Umar, playing only his fifth ODI, blended caution and aggression aptly and even left his captain, Shahid Afridi, subdued and in admiration.
“I was delighted to be part of the team and playing my first match in an ICC tournament,” Umar, who already has a century and a half-century in ODIs to his name, said after his 51-ball 41. “Our bowlers did a very good job but we struggled slightly with the bat. However, I must thank the team management for all the support as even before coming into bat, I was given a free hand and told to play my natural game.”
Umar, with a career strike-rate of almost 100, did curb his natural ways initially with Pakistan reeling at 61 for 4, Gavin Tonge having taken a career-best four wickets. Easing into his stay onto the pitch gradually, lofted, drove and flicked Pakistan towards the target, hitting six boundaries and carrying on the scintillating start to his international career.
“It was a difficult pitch with uneven bounce and light grass and the batsmen couldn’t hit freely,” Intikhab Alam, Pakistan’s coach, said. “We created problems for ourselves. Most of our dismissals were due to reckless strokeplay as you had to wait for the ball to come onto you and play in the gaps. However, we bowled a good line after losing the toss and that ensured we were not chasing a mammoth total.
“I was impressed with the way Afridi captained the side too. It was a good decision by the board to appoint him captain following Younis Khan’s resignation after the World Twenty20 and that decision was part of future planning. Afridi showed a lot of maturity and responsibility and I’m sure he will get more chances in the future to show more of the same.”
Intikhab also reserved praise for Umar, who got hit on his finger by a beamer from Tino Best, while reminding the youngster of bigger tests that await — Pakistan’s next match at Centurion on Saturday which is against India. “Umar has done a great deal of work and performed well in a very short space of time. We expect great deal from him as he has a great future. However, we must not get complacent since we have a very important match coming up against India.”
While Younis looks all set to return from injury to play that crucial game — India’s opening match of the tournament — their opponents have injury concerns of their own. Already without the services of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, India also lost Yuvraj Singh to a finger injury thus tilting the balance slightly in favour of Pakistan.
“Yuvraj has done wonders for Indian cricket and his services will be severely missed by the team,” Intikhab said. “However, these things happen in cricket and for it to matter in the end, we must ensure we don’t have hiccups as this is a great chance to beat India in an ICC tournament.”
Pakistan’s Mohammad Asif trained with the squad for the first time on Wednesday following the completion of a twelve-month ban for doping offence. Asif, despite the competitive-cricket drought, is match-fit and in contention of a place in the starting line-up for Saturday, according to Intikhab.
“Asif is completely match-fit as he has been training with the academy and club sides in Pakistan. It’s good to have him back and it will provide us with a welcome dilemma whether to include him or not in the team since our bowlers performed really well against West Indies.”
While the initial jitters and poor-starters tag was put to place in a flimsy manner, three points ensure Pakistan go to Centurion on Saturday beaming with confidence. A win will ensure Pakistan make it to the last four of the Champions Trophy for only the first time. A loss, however, will not only need a win against Australia in their final group match but also incur the fans’ wrath, especially with the support both teams are expected to have in the stands on Saturday.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper, Sep 25, 2009.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Afridi, Younis confident of good show
Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain, has opposed Shane Warne’s suggestion of scrapping the 50-over format of cricket and urged the ICC to carry on with all three formats in order to promote the game.
Warne, the former Australian leg-spinner who captained Rajasthan Royals to the inaugural IPL title, was convinced that one-day cricket had past its ‘sell-by date’ and that, going forward, Tests and Twenty20 cricket should be adopted by the ICC as the two recognised formats.
Afridi, who holds the record for the fastest century in ODIs while scoring over five-and-a-half-thousand runs, remained confident that 50-over cricket still had a lot to offer and scrapping the format would rob cricket of some glamour and not achieve the desired results.
“One-day cricket is still very popular among fans and players and I see no reason to do away with this format,” Afridi, who is in England to raise money for the Swat victims, told Dawn on Tuesday. “If the authorities feel that the game drags on, they can reduce the overs to 40, with the required adjustments to the playing conditions. But I don’t believe it has gone past it’s sell-by date and they should definitely not do away with it.”
Pakistan’s next ODI assignment is the Champions Trophy which will be held in South Africa from Sept 22.
Confident of the team performing well despite the recent series-loss against Sri Lanka, Younis Khan, Pakistan’s ODI and Test captain, hoped the three-match winning streak will ensure his team starts well. Losing the Test series 2-0 and the first three ODIs, Pakistan came back strongly to register wins in the final two ODIs as well as the one-off Twenty20.
“Everybody knows how the Pakistan team functions: They start slow and gather momentum as they progress,” Younis, who is also in London for the fund-raising event, said. “We managed to sort things out quickly when they were going wrong in the World Cup and we managed that again in Sri Lanka. The last three wins have given the team the bout of confidence they required for the Champions Trophy. The amazing wins will enable us to do well in the big tournament.”
Afridi also urged the cricketing world, especially the subcontinent teams, to resume tours to Pakistan. Reminding India and Sri Lanka of the visits that Pakistan made when situation in those countries was adverse to foreign teams touring, he hoped for the favour would be returned for the sake of Pakistan cricket.
“In Pakistan, cricket is everything after religion. Winning the World Cup served as an eye-opener for the rest of the world, reminding them that we aren’t bad people and playing cricket is what we want to do. And although our fans in England gave us the support that we would’ve gotten back home, we still need to play in Pakistan for us, for the fans and for the revival of Pakistan cricket.”
While playing at home remains a distant prospect, a hectic schedule awaits Pakistan after the three-month rest following the World Twenty20. Following the Champions Trophy, Pakistan is due to take on New Zealand — location of the series is yet to be confirmed — towards the end of the year before flying to Australia for three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN Aug 20, 2009
Warne, the former Australian leg-spinner who captained Rajasthan Royals to the inaugural IPL title, was convinced that one-day cricket had past its ‘sell-by date’ and that, going forward, Tests and Twenty20 cricket should be adopted by the ICC as the two recognised formats.
Afridi, who holds the record for the fastest century in ODIs while scoring over five-and-a-half-thousand runs, remained confident that 50-over cricket still had a lot to offer and scrapping the format would rob cricket of some glamour and not achieve the desired results.
“One-day cricket is still very popular among fans and players and I see no reason to do away with this format,” Afridi, who is in England to raise money for the Swat victims, told Dawn on Tuesday. “If the authorities feel that the game drags on, they can reduce the overs to 40, with the required adjustments to the playing conditions. But I don’t believe it has gone past it’s sell-by date and they should definitely not do away with it.”
Pakistan’s next ODI assignment is the Champions Trophy which will be held in South Africa from Sept 22.
Confident of the team performing well despite the recent series-loss against Sri Lanka, Younis Khan, Pakistan’s ODI and Test captain, hoped the three-match winning streak will ensure his team starts well. Losing the Test series 2-0 and the first three ODIs, Pakistan came back strongly to register wins in the final two ODIs as well as the one-off Twenty20.
“Everybody knows how the Pakistan team functions: They start slow and gather momentum as they progress,” Younis, who is also in London for the fund-raising event, said. “We managed to sort things out quickly when they were going wrong in the World Cup and we managed that again in Sri Lanka. The last three wins have given the team the bout of confidence they required for the Champions Trophy. The amazing wins will enable us to do well in the big tournament.”
Afridi also urged the cricketing world, especially the subcontinent teams, to resume tours to Pakistan. Reminding India and Sri Lanka of the visits that Pakistan made when situation in those countries was adverse to foreign teams touring, he hoped for the favour would be returned for the sake of Pakistan cricket.
“In Pakistan, cricket is everything after religion. Winning the World Cup served as an eye-opener for the rest of the world, reminding them that we aren’t bad people and playing cricket is what we want to do. And although our fans in England gave us the support that we would’ve gotten back home, we still need to play in Pakistan for us, for the fans and for the revival of Pakistan cricket.”
While playing at home remains a distant prospect, a hectic schedule awaits Pakistan after the three-month rest following the World Twenty20. Following the Champions Trophy, Pakistan is due to take on New Zealand — location of the series is yet to be confirmed — towards the end of the year before flying to Australia for three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN Aug 20, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Younis Khan’s men — poor starters, great finalists
Second chances are rare in sports. Unimaginable, especially in the shortest form of international cricket. Seldom is a poor performance overturned by sparks of brilliance to win matches. Rarely is an array of poor fielding displays — that continuously let opposition off the hook — followed by shattered stumps that pulls them right back. It simply belies all cricket ethos and sits against the norm.
But the Pakistan team was never the one to bow to ethos and adhere to norm. It seemed an eternity to wake them from the Bhurban conditioning camp and the many Selfridges’ trips. The load-shedding, it seemed, had tampered with the veins and an early exit loomed as the team took to the field in their first warm-up.
As the team progressed unconvincingly, temperament went astray with the bat in hand. Until Younis Khan, followed by Kamran Akmal, came of age. Accuracy seemed a lost art with the ball and overstepping was adopted as norm. Until Umar Gul treated opposition with swinging spaghetti. The fielding display went from poor to wretched. Until Shahid Afridi galloped towards long-on boundary, clutching onto his prize from the heavens.
And out of nowhere, against expectations and predictions, it all seemed to fall in place. Just like that. Younis had issued repeated reminders that Pakistan have always been slow starters and will pick up pace with each victory. Never had that statement been more aptly illustrated on the field as the men in green saved their best for the best, South Africa at Trent Bridge, in an attempt to appear in their second successive final. Pakistan’s route to the semi-final is as much courtesy a favourable draw as spurts of brilliance. Skipper Younis and Intikhab Alam, the team’s coach, shared plans that contradicted, and fouled any hopes the fans had of a decent performance by their idols. While Younis wanted stability at the top, Intikhab preferred aggression. Neither seemed to work and the experiments that the team management vociferously pointed out would lead to an improved performance landed flat, failing to make an impression.
Not so much the cornered tigers, but cornered nevertheless.
And out of nowhere, as Salman Butt was put out of his misery by the team management, Akmal repaid Younis’ trust and gamble in him. Shahzaib Hassan deposited a few in the stands but it looked as if the injury to all-rounder Yasir Arafat, and the subsequent arrival of Abdul Razzaq, brought with it a change of fortunes and a bag of miracles.
Gul seemed to realise he still had it in him to bowl fast and swing the ball. Young Aamir was the surprise packet while Saeed Ajmal left doubts about the legality of his action behind and continued to flux batsmen.
Afridi, first-ball slogs and rash stroke-play aside, remembered he has improved as a bowler of late. Then came his batting which was, indeed, a revelation with a renewed vigour to occupy the crease and accumulate runs for his team. And Akmal, as a wicket-keeper with no Danish Kaneria in the side, held onto catches and created world records.
Younis, who had up until the semis shouldered batting responsibilities, sat back concentrating and scripting the perfect plot. Tweaking Shakespeare, with mirth and laughter let the greatest prize come, hoped the captain.
The route to success, surprisingly, was smooth off the field as well. With Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif in a different time-zone, the team rather became a damp squib as far as the sniffing paparazzi were concerned. No curfew-breaking clubbing nights, no training scuffles, no bat-fencing at team-mates, no blazing-up to speak of.
Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain who was sidelined for much of the tournament due to injury, did try and help matters by blurting out desperate excuses to justify the humiliation received at the hands of Umar Gul. To no avail, unfortunately as his ‘informal inquiry’ for the match referee to look into the state of the magic white ball was shooed away and buried forever.
There were also reports of a rift in the camp, as Abdul Qadir, post-resignation, decided to reveal all. But rifts have been omnipresent in the dressing room since time began and that, on most occasions, failed to affect the combined performance on the field. Beffiting, perhaps, was the presence of Shoaib Malik, who Qadir would have omitted from the squad had he been able to ‘do things his own way’, in the middle as the winning run was scored.
Younis on the eve of the tournament made it clear that he wanted to face India in the final and beat them this time. That changed as short balls grew tall on the Indian batsmen. He then wanted it to be South Africa but in the end, it did not really matter to him.
As the light training sessions failed to replicate the growing tension among fans, the players, especially the youngsters, had realised destiny was a tiger tamed.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper, June 26, 2009
But the Pakistan team was never the one to bow to ethos and adhere to norm. It seemed an eternity to wake them from the Bhurban conditioning camp and the many Selfridges’ trips. The load-shedding, it seemed, had tampered with the veins and an early exit loomed as the team took to the field in their first warm-up.
As the team progressed unconvincingly, temperament went astray with the bat in hand. Until Younis Khan, followed by Kamran Akmal, came of age. Accuracy seemed a lost art with the ball and overstepping was adopted as norm. Until Umar Gul treated opposition with swinging spaghetti. The fielding display went from poor to wretched. Until Shahid Afridi galloped towards long-on boundary, clutching onto his prize from the heavens.
And out of nowhere, against expectations and predictions, it all seemed to fall in place. Just like that. Younis had issued repeated reminders that Pakistan have always been slow starters and will pick up pace with each victory. Never had that statement been more aptly illustrated on the field as the men in green saved their best for the best, South Africa at Trent Bridge, in an attempt to appear in their second successive final. Pakistan’s route to the semi-final is as much courtesy a favourable draw as spurts of brilliance. Skipper Younis and Intikhab Alam, the team’s coach, shared plans that contradicted, and fouled any hopes the fans had of a decent performance by their idols. While Younis wanted stability at the top, Intikhab preferred aggression. Neither seemed to work and the experiments that the team management vociferously pointed out would lead to an improved performance landed flat, failing to make an impression.
Not so much the cornered tigers, but cornered nevertheless.
And out of nowhere, as Salman Butt was put out of his misery by the team management, Akmal repaid Younis’ trust and gamble in him. Shahzaib Hassan deposited a few in the stands but it looked as if the injury to all-rounder Yasir Arafat, and the subsequent arrival of Abdul Razzaq, brought with it a change of fortunes and a bag of miracles.
Gul seemed to realise he still had it in him to bowl fast and swing the ball. Young Aamir was the surprise packet while Saeed Ajmal left doubts about the legality of his action behind and continued to flux batsmen.
Afridi, first-ball slogs and rash stroke-play aside, remembered he has improved as a bowler of late. Then came his batting which was, indeed, a revelation with a renewed vigour to occupy the crease and accumulate runs for his team. And Akmal, as a wicket-keeper with no Danish Kaneria in the side, held onto catches and created world records.
Younis, who had up until the semis shouldered batting responsibilities, sat back concentrating and scripting the perfect plot. Tweaking Shakespeare, with mirth and laughter let the greatest prize come, hoped the captain.
The route to success, surprisingly, was smooth off the field as well. With Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif in a different time-zone, the team rather became a damp squib as far as the sniffing paparazzi were concerned. No curfew-breaking clubbing nights, no training scuffles, no bat-fencing at team-mates, no blazing-up to speak of.
Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain who was sidelined for much of the tournament due to injury, did try and help matters by blurting out desperate excuses to justify the humiliation received at the hands of Umar Gul. To no avail, unfortunately as his ‘informal inquiry’ for the match referee to look into the state of the magic white ball was shooed away and buried forever.
There were also reports of a rift in the camp, as Abdul Qadir, post-resignation, decided to reveal all. But rifts have been omnipresent in the dressing room since time began and that, on most occasions, failed to affect the combined performance on the field. Beffiting, perhaps, was the presence of Shoaib Malik, who Qadir would have omitted from the squad had he been able to ‘do things his own way’, in the middle as the winning run was scored.
Younis on the eve of the tournament made it clear that he wanted to face India in the final and beat them this time. That changed as short balls grew tall on the Indian batsmen. He then wanted it to be South Africa but in the end, it did not really matter to him.
As the light training sessions failed to replicate the growing tension among fans, the players, especially the youngsters, had realised destiny was a tiger tamed.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper, June 26, 2009
Players repaid the trust and confidence I reposed in them: Younis
It was a script that bellowed splendour as the victorious captain sat down to answer questions for one last time. Perhaps God had given Younis Khan a sneak preview on how the World Cup would curtail on the sun-drenched afternoon when the script was crafted, for he gave a look of a man who knew the ending even before the directors had started casting.
There was no fits of laughter, no continued references to his favourite word ‘fun’, the eyes were not popping out, he termed the sport cricket and not WWF and as he sat draped in the green flag, he wore a calm expression that merely said ‘I told you so’. And as the world stood dumbfounded by the revival that led to the final victory, Younis alluded to the confidence he had in his team from the start and how the win was not a complete surprise.
“Before the start of the tournament, I had labelled ourselves and West Indies as semi-finalists and people laughed at me when I said it,” Younis said. “Even when we failed to perform in the warm-up match, I had complete faith in my players and I knew that we have special something that would take us through.
“Everybody knows we are slow starters but my players knew we needed to win this tournament to lift our nation. It is indeed a huge achievement for us and I’m glad to have given this gift to our troubled nation.”
The win, as Younis pointed out, carried extra meaning as Pakistan had lost the last two finals played on this ground: World Cup 1999 and Natwest Series 2001, both against Australia. Pakistan also lost the inaugural World Twenty20 final against India and with survivors from each of those matches present in the squad, the captain’s plea not to succumb to pressure and apply the finishing touch was heard.
“I chatted to Razzaq and Afridi prior to the final and asked them to hold their nerves and apply the final touch. And I think it worked as Afridi batted sensibly — he even took singles and twos! — and the senior guys performed.’
As he talked of the senior players — adding his own name to the list repeatedly — Younis also took time out to remember Bob Woolmer, the former Pakistan coach who died following Pakistan’s early exist in World Cup 2007, and dedicated the win to the ‘father figure of the team who I owe this trophy and captaincy to’.
“He did well for the team whole incharge, especially me as an individual. If it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t have been the captain of Pakistan so credit must go to him for our achievement. I can just see how happy he would’ve been had he been sitting here right next to me.”
Not forgetting the performing youngsters in the team, Younis sent out a plea to nations to resume playing in Pakistan. It will, according to Younis, not only provide a distraction for the terror-struck nation but will also promote the sport among the Pakistani youth.
“Everybody is following Twenty20 cricket and since we are the champions now, I request all the countries to come to Pakistan. The law and order situation is not good but that’s not our fault and we need international cricket in Pakistan to motivate youngsters, especially at school and college level and I believe this will help build new cricket structure in Pakistan.” While that plea is not the one to be answered in the foreseeable future, by lifting the trophy Younis not only ensured a temporary grin on the Pakistan faces, but also fulfilled his personal dream of following in the steps of Imran Khan as a world-cup winning captain but issued a warning that there exists a world outside Twenty20.
“Imran Khan was my hero and I had dreamt of lifting the World Cup and being remembered as a world-cup-winning captain after I leave the sport. Although it brings me a lot of pleasure to have accomplished that, we must perform well in the coming series and ensure all the hard work does not go to waste.
“I still believe Twenty20 is a fun game and a great entertainment factor and we came out emphatic winners [by eight wickets]. However, if we promote it too much then there will be no Test matches and therefore we must do something about this [Twenty20].”
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 23, 2009
There was no fits of laughter, no continued references to his favourite word ‘fun’, the eyes were not popping out, he termed the sport cricket and not WWF and as he sat draped in the green flag, he wore a calm expression that merely said ‘I told you so’. And as the world stood dumbfounded by the revival that led to the final victory, Younis alluded to the confidence he had in his team from the start and how the win was not a complete surprise.
“Before the start of the tournament, I had labelled ourselves and West Indies as semi-finalists and people laughed at me when I said it,” Younis said. “Even when we failed to perform in the warm-up match, I had complete faith in my players and I knew that we have special something that would take us through.
“Everybody knows we are slow starters but my players knew we needed to win this tournament to lift our nation. It is indeed a huge achievement for us and I’m glad to have given this gift to our troubled nation.”
The win, as Younis pointed out, carried extra meaning as Pakistan had lost the last two finals played on this ground: World Cup 1999 and Natwest Series 2001, both against Australia. Pakistan also lost the inaugural World Twenty20 final against India and with survivors from each of those matches present in the squad, the captain’s plea not to succumb to pressure and apply the finishing touch was heard.
“I chatted to Razzaq and Afridi prior to the final and asked them to hold their nerves and apply the final touch. And I think it worked as Afridi batted sensibly — he even took singles and twos! — and the senior guys performed.’
As he talked of the senior players — adding his own name to the list repeatedly — Younis also took time out to remember Bob Woolmer, the former Pakistan coach who died following Pakistan’s early exist in World Cup 2007, and dedicated the win to the ‘father figure of the team who I owe this trophy and captaincy to’.
“He did well for the team whole incharge, especially me as an individual. If it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t have been the captain of Pakistan so credit must go to him for our achievement. I can just see how happy he would’ve been had he been sitting here right next to me.”
Not forgetting the performing youngsters in the team, Younis sent out a plea to nations to resume playing in Pakistan. It will, according to Younis, not only provide a distraction for the terror-struck nation but will also promote the sport among the Pakistani youth.
“Everybody is following Twenty20 cricket and since we are the champions now, I request all the countries to come to Pakistan. The law and order situation is not good but that’s not our fault and we need international cricket in Pakistan to motivate youngsters, especially at school and college level and I believe this will help build new cricket structure in Pakistan.” While that plea is not the one to be answered in the foreseeable future, by lifting the trophy Younis not only ensured a temporary grin on the Pakistan faces, but also fulfilled his personal dream of following in the steps of Imran Khan as a world-cup winning captain but issued a warning that there exists a world outside Twenty20.
“Imran Khan was my hero and I had dreamt of lifting the World Cup and being remembered as a world-cup-winning captain after I leave the sport. Although it brings me a lot of pleasure to have accomplished that, we must perform well in the coming series and ensure all the hard work does not go to waste.
“I still believe Twenty20 is a fun game and a great entertainment factor and we came out emphatic winners [by eight wickets]. However, if we promote it too much then there will be no Test matches and therefore we must do something about this [Twenty20].”
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 23, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
We want to win World T20 for the nation: Younis
Skipper Younis Khan has made it crystal clear how badly Pakistan wants to win the World Twenty20 on Sunday with reasons ranging from the dearth of silveware in the last decade to his team getting labelled serious contenders in major tournaments once again. But most of all, he wants to win it for the terror-struck nation facing a bleak future.
Speaking after defeating tournament favourites South Africa in a pulsating semi-final at Trent Bridge, Younis lauded Shahid Afridi’s match-winning all-round performance but made sure the audience were reminded of the sufferings in Pakistan.
“The World Cup is everything for us,” Younis said. “I want to win it for the team, the nation and the millions suffering back at home, especially in the northern areas where I’m from. There are fights going on on a daily basis and I believe that winning the trophy will bring some smiles on their faces for a change.”
While the captain and team are unable to affect changes on the war-field, they ensured that they left the playing field at Trent Bridge with their best performance in the tournament so far, something Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, agreed with.
“Although we played great cricket throughout the tournament and today as well, credit must go to Pakistan as they played their best game of the tournament today,” Smith said. “Afridi had a great game with the bat and then the ball and he basically was the difference between the two sides.” We lost to a better team and that is something we’ll have to deal with.’
Afridi, consistent performer with the ball, repaid Younis’ trust and decision to promote him to number three. While he had shown glimpses of sensible batting, albeit in patches, as the tournament progressed, a significant contribution was surely missing.
He had told Dawn in an earlier interview how he was available, and prepared, to be promoted up the order to prove his worth with the bat. And although his aptly-timed first half-century in international cricket since January 2008 resembled one of a changed, and matured, cricketer, Afridi was adamant he was still as aggressive as ever.
“I was given a huge responsibility and told to play my natural game,’ Afridi said. “The captain really supported me and that’s always a benefit for any player. Playing aggressive cricket is my nature and I always enter the ground with the aim to win as I firmly believe it is my right to win and I have to fight for it.”
Credit must also go to the team effort, according to Afridi, as it was the self-belief in the playing eleven that got Pakistan through their toughest opponents thus-far. While marked improvements are constantly witnessed by the bowlers, Pakistan’s fielding — two dropped catches — and batting in the death overs — no boundaries in the last five overs — has become a cause for concern. Younis, with his customary light-hearted jokes and laughs, shrugged aside the concerns and said the plan for the final was simple: “Just go out there, do your best in all departments of the game and the cup is ours.”
Pakistan’s earlier experiments of juggling the batting line-up and playing elevens seemed to backfire at will, resulting in an inconsistent show on the tour. Keeping with his trend of parting with humorous and straight-forward remarks, Younis reckoned it was impossible for his side to be consistent. “We’re from Pakistan, nothing is stable there so how can we be stable,’ he said before adding that the slow-starters tag is something his team seems to carry into every series but it was the ‘momentum that we carry with every win that enables a strong performance in the following match’ was what mattered most.”
“It is important that we deliver the right thing at the right time and going into the final, I expect a strong performance from our match-winners namely Misbah-ul-Haq, Afridi, Umar Gul and Kamran Akmal. South Africa is the toughest team in world cricket right now and now that we have beaten them, I believe we can go and win the cup.”
While Pakistan await the winner’s of the second semi-final that took place at The Oval last night, Jacque Kallis, the South African allrounder, must be ruing the barrage of short balls that faced Afridi’s wrath and, in turn, delivered a damning verdict on the outcome of the match, sealed with a kiss.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 20, 2009
Speaking after defeating tournament favourites South Africa in a pulsating semi-final at Trent Bridge, Younis lauded Shahid Afridi’s match-winning all-round performance but made sure the audience were reminded of the sufferings in Pakistan.
“The World Cup is everything for us,” Younis said. “I want to win it for the team, the nation and the millions suffering back at home, especially in the northern areas where I’m from. There are fights going on on a daily basis and I believe that winning the trophy will bring some smiles on their faces for a change.”
While the captain and team are unable to affect changes on the war-field, they ensured that they left the playing field at Trent Bridge with their best performance in the tournament so far, something Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, agreed with.
“Although we played great cricket throughout the tournament and today as well, credit must go to Pakistan as they played their best game of the tournament today,” Smith said. “Afridi had a great game with the bat and then the ball and he basically was the difference between the two sides.” We lost to a better team and that is something we’ll have to deal with.’
Afridi, consistent performer with the ball, repaid Younis’ trust and decision to promote him to number three. While he had shown glimpses of sensible batting, albeit in patches, as the tournament progressed, a significant contribution was surely missing.
He had told Dawn in an earlier interview how he was available, and prepared, to be promoted up the order to prove his worth with the bat. And although his aptly-timed first half-century in international cricket since January 2008 resembled one of a changed, and matured, cricketer, Afridi was adamant he was still as aggressive as ever.
“I was given a huge responsibility and told to play my natural game,’ Afridi said. “The captain really supported me and that’s always a benefit for any player. Playing aggressive cricket is my nature and I always enter the ground with the aim to win as I firmly believe it is my right to win and I have to fight for it.”
Credit must also go to the team effort, according to Afridi, as it was the self-belief in the playing eleven that got Pakistan through their toughest opponents thus-far. While marked improvements are constantly witnessed by the bowlers, Pakistan’s fielding — two dropped catches — and batting in the death overs — no boundaries in the last five overs — has become a cause for concern. Younis, with his customary light-hearted jokes and laughs, shrugged aside the concerns and said the plan for the final was simple: “Just go out there, do your best in all departments of the game and the cup is ours.”
Pakistan’s earlier experiments of juggling the batting line-up and playing elevens seemed to backfire at will, resulting in an inconsistent show on the tour. Keeping with his trend of parting with humorous and straight-forward remarks, Younis reckoned it was impossible for his side to be consistent. “We’re from Pakistan, nothing is stable there so how can we be stable,’ he said before adding that the slow-starters tag is something his team seems to carry into every series but it was the ‘momentum that we carry with every win that enables a strong performance in the following match’ was what mattered most.”
“It is important that we deliver the right thing at the right time and going into the final, I expect a strong performance from our match-winners namely Misbah-ul-Haq, Afridi, Umar Gul and Kamran Akmal. South Africa is the toughest team in world cricket right now and now that we have beaten them, I believe we can go and win the cup.”
While Pakistan await the winner’s of the second semi-final that took place at The Oval last night, Jacque Kallis, the South African allrounder, must be ruing the barrage of short balls that faced Afridi’s wrath and, in turn, delivered a damning verdict on the outcome of the match, sealed with a kiss.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 20, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
We can’t afford to relax despite good show: Younis
Demons were buried convincingly. Worried faces breathed a sigh of relief. A repeat of the 2007 Jamaican debacle was too much to ask for from the Irish as a convincing 39-run win at The Oval confirmed Pakistan's place in the semi-finals of the ICC World Twenty20 2009.
Younis Khan, Pakistan's captain, had earlier asked his team to 'crush Ireland and march on'. Although the darker shade of green did not quite crush their opponents, Younis was adamant his side, who were hammered in the first two games at this ground, had what it takes to go all the way.
“We've always been slow starters,” Younis said at the post-match press conference. “It's not necessarily a good thing but what matters most is that we peak at the right time and carry forward the momentum that we have gained from the wins.”
Admitting his side fell short by twenty runs, Younis had complete trust in his bowlers – comprising three of the top six bowlers in this tournament – to carry Pakistan through.
“Opting to bat, I wanted to post at least 180 as it was a good batting pitch and the conditions were suitable for batting. However, despite the team falling short, I had complete faith in our bowlers and in the end, they kept my faith and, as you can see, we are through to the semis.”
Of the bowlers, Gul, once again, proved deadly with the ball. Younis, while complimenting his fast-bowler, was not pleased with New Zealand making an informal inquiry about the condition of the ball following their dismissal for 99.
“Reverse swing is an art, not cheating. Gul has a perfect action for reverse swing and he has pace so he doesn't need to get involved with cheating. Although we weren't really upset at the comments and inquiry, It's really disappointing to hear what happens. But then they got out really cheaply so maybe they inquired because of that.” Laughing off the Daniel Vettori's comments, Younis reminded all that Pakistan was surrounded by enough controversies and did not really need another one. “We need to forget these things and concentrate on cricket. That's what we do best.”
With Pakistan carrying the momentum, Younis shrugged aside signs of complacency as “bigger things and teams were to follow.” While Pakistan's passage through to the semi-finals has been confirmed, their position in the group will depend on the result of the New Zealand and Sri Lanka match taking place at Trent Bridge today and could see them up against South Africa in the last-four.
“We're through to the semi-final but we can't relax. The beauty of the Twenty20 format is such that it can change very quickly and you need to do the right things at the right time in order to come out on top. It's all about how you turn up on the day.”
Now that the team has acclimatised to the conditions, and have a chance to lift the trophy, Younis assured fans of his team's, and his, commitment on the field, promising a hundred per cent in all three departments of the game. “Although this game is good entertainment for the fans, with lots of boundaries being hit and bowlers like Gul hitting the stumps, I can assure everyone that we still take it very seriously. When we take the field for a match, we play with dedication and commitment that is expected, and asked of, by our fans.”
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 16, 2009
Younis Khan, Pakistan's captain, had earlier asked his team to 'crush Ireland and march on'. Although the darker shade of green did not quite crush their opponents, Younis was adamant his side, who were hammered in the first two games at this ground, had what it takes to go all the way.
“We've always been slow starters,” Younis said at the post-match press conference. “It's not necessarily a good thing but what matters most is that we peak at the right time and carry forward the momentum that we have gained from the wins.”
Admitting his side fell short by twenty runs, Younis had complete trust in his bowlers – comprising three of the top six bowlers in this tournament – to carry Pakistan through.
“Opting to bat, I wanted to post at least 180 as it was a good batting pitch and the conditions were suitable for batting. However, despite the team falling short, I had complete faith in our bowlers and in the end, they kept my faith and, as you can see, we are through to the semis.”
Of the bowlers, Gul, once again, proved deadly with the ball. Younis, while complimenting his fast-bowler, was not pleased with New Zealand making an informal inquiry about the condition of the ball following their dismissal for 99.
“Reverse swing is an art, not cheating. Gul has a perfect action for reverse swing and he has pace so he doesn't need to get involved with cheating. Although we weren't really upset at the comments and inquiry, It's really disappointing to hear what happens. But then they got out really cheaply so maybe they inquired because of that.” Laughing off the Daniel Vettori's comments, Younis reminded all that Pakistan was surrounded by enough controversies and did not really need another one. “We need to forget these things and concentrate on cricket. That's what we do best.”
With Pakistan carrying the momentum, Younis shrugged aside signs of complacency as “bigger things and teams were to follow.” While Pakistan's passage through to the semi-finals has been confirmed, their position in the group will depend on the result of the New Zealand and Sri Lanka match taking place at Trent Bridge today and could see them up against South Africa in the last-four.
“We're through to the semi-final but we can't relax. The beauty of the Twenty20 format is such that it can change very quickly and you need to do the right things at the right time in order to come out on top. It's all about how you turn up on the day.”
Now that the team has acclimatised to the conditions, and have a chance to lift the trophy, Younis assured fans of his team's, and his, commitment on the field, promising a hundred per cent in all three departments of the game. “Although this game is good entertainment for the fans, with lots of boundaries being hit and bowlers like Gul hitting the stumps, I can assure everyone that we still take it very seriously. When we take the field for a match, we play with dedication and commitment that is expected, and asked of, by our fans.”
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 16, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Poor start spoiled our act: Younus
Pakistan captain Younus Khan blamed poor starts with both bat and ball as the main reason for his team’s loss to Sri Lanka in the Super Eights match here at Lord’s on Friday.Good starts, by the looks of things is what Pakistan is dearly missing, an absence of which throughout the tournament seems to worry the Pakistan camp as well.
‘We have the potential but our players seem to miss out on good starts, both while bowling and batting,’ Younus Khan, Pakistan’s captain, said after the 19-run loss.
‘In this match, for example, we had a poor first over by Sohail Tanvir who gave away 18 runs including a few extras. Then again with the bat we lost Salman Butt in the very first over. So obviously that is something we need to work on.’
The horrendous first over by Tanvir — labelled a match-winner by Younus — provided an ideal platform for Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillekaratne Dilshan to latch onto. They did so for the first nine overs and prior to Shahid Afridi’s timely intrusion, Sri Lanka looked oncourse for a healthy total.
‘I was quite happy to have restricted them for 150. At one point it looked as if they would easily reach 200. Our spinners once again put in a good performance and we looked comfortable chasing that target if not for the regular wickets we kept losing.’
Afridi, shining once again with the ball, took two for 23 while briefly overtaking Umer Gul as international Twenty20’s leading wicket-taker. As a bowler, he has been Pakistan’s saviour and go-to guy of late.
With the bat, however, he poses a huge worry. A first-ball slog today failed to help Pakistan’s cause but Younus refused to show much concern.
‘We have all seen Afridi in the past. All he needs is one innings to get back into form but unfortunately for us it didn’t come today.
However, he still is a very important member of the side and his contribution with the ball and in the field has been tremendous.’
‘Though our fielding wasn’t that bad today, we gave away too many runs where we should not have [extras]. In a match like this, where the total is in front of you, we needed to form partnerships, perhaps someone who could’ve batted for 20 overs. We failed to do that and hence lost,’ said Younus.
In the end, it was Sri Lanka’s commitment to the task at hand, and pin-point accuracy with the ball by Lasith Malinga, that has left Pakistan with lot of thinking before Saturday’s late match against New Zealand at The Oval.
Some eyes may be on Salman Butt’s performance at the top of the order and some, perhaps, will be on a late arrival into the team, Abdul Razzaq.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 13, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Take mind off Pakistan unrest to excel: Younus
An early exit loomed briefly before Pakistan laboured into the Super Eights. But the Super Eights may not be as forgiving as the orange threats as Pakistan take on the ferociousness and twirls of Sri Lanka at Lord’s on Friday.Pakistan captain Younus Khan has focussed on getting the basics right in order to go past the first hurdle while hoping his wish of playing India in the final comes true.
Speaking to the media on the eve of the match, Younus urged his team to focus on the job in hand, despite the law and order conditions back home, and do well in tournament for the nation’s sake.
‘They (Sri Lanka) are a very good side and we all are aware of this,’ Younus said. ‘We have played a lot against them recently and we know their team very well. However, we must ensure that we get things right at the right time and, providing that happens, we are capable of beating anyone.’
While backing his batsmen to counter the spin threat that Sri Lanka poses, Younus welcomed the inclusion of Abdul Razzaq – who is due to arrive in England late Friday afternoon – despite his past links with the ICL and termed it a relief after losing Yasir Arafat due to injury.
‘Although Razzaq will arrive here tomorrow [Friday] it will not be possible for him to play the match after spending seven to eight hours on the plane. However, being the fantastic allrounder that he is, especially in Twenty20 cricket, he can be in our playing eleven for the remainder of the tournament. His return will be good for Pakistan cricket,’ said Younus.
With the potential the Pakistani team possesses, it sometimes appears as though they lack focus thus resulting in being caught off-guard and being handed heavy losses.
‘It is hard for my team to focus at times, especially with the situation back home. That bomb blast in Peshawar, for example, which happens to be my hometown, did take our minds off cricket and it becomes difficult to concentrate on cricket. But this is what cricket’s about and we need to ensure we start this round well.’
In Sri Lanka they have an opposition which has endured tough times off the field. They have also dumped Australia out of the tournament before stopping West Indies well short of a healthy target of 192.
With the team scoring runs, taking wickets and holding onto their catches, complacency can easily be a bigger threat than Pakistan’s unpredictability but the Sri Lankan captain chose to label it confidence.
‘Yes, we have a lot of confidence going into tomorrow’s match, especially after beating two good teams, but this is Twenty20 cricket and a bad five-minute spell on the field can bring about your downfall,’ Kumar Sangakkara said at Lord’s on Thursday.
‘We played against Pakistan recently and we know the team inside out but these are different conditions and a different game altogether. It all depends on tomorrow’s performance, whichever team wants it more will come out on top basically.’
The biggest threat to Pakistan will arguably be that almost-40 maestro at the top of the order, Sanath Jayasuriya, especially following a blistering 47-ball 81 against Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards and Co on Wednesday. But Sangakkara is refusing to put much pressure on Jayasuriya.
‘As a side we’ve never had any doubts over what he [Jayasuriya] can do. It added to his and the team’s confidence that he got those runs [against West Indies] and the manner he got them in. However, we have a strong batting line-up that follows so despite the opening partnership being crucial, it won’t be the end of the world if he fails to click.’
Not wanting his bowlers to take a back seat, despite Pakistan’s potentially-explosive batting line-up, Sangakkara also laid much emphasis in his spinners, namely Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan.
Five wickets in the tournament for Mendis so far while Murali only has a solitary scalp against West Indies to bring into the match, Sangakkara is keen for the duo to form yet another great partnership.
‘Spin has been our strength for years and it won’t change tomorrow. If you’re a good bowler, batsmen will find it difficult to play you no matter what format of the game it is in. Hopefully, our spinners will keep performing and adding to their strengths and win us games like they have done in the past.’
With forecast of overcast and windy conditions, it is perhaps time for Pakistan’s fast bowlers, especially Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Aamir, to show why they are considered among the best in the country. And while Sangakkara plans one match at a time, Younus is already hoping for a Pakistan-India final at Lord’s.
‘I have good memories of Lord’s having managed good scores everytime I have turned up,’ Younus said. ‘Therefore, although we have hurdles to cross before that, I hope I lift the trophy at Lord’s at the end of the tournament.’
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 12, 2009
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Younus keen to see his men go all the way
Missing the hysterical laughter from the previous press conference, Pakistan skipper Younus Khan did not shy away from labelling Twenty20 as entertainment yet again as he faced the media in a post match conference, even comparing the event to WWE.
However, with a comprehensive win under his belt, a win made possible by his senior players delivering what was asked by him, Younus has now set his sights on taking the cup home. ‘We’ve always been slow starters, the whole world knows that,’ Younis said. ‘Now that we are through to the Super Eights, showing fighting spirit at just the right time, we must now ensure we win the tournament.’
While Pakistan’s batting and bowling showed signs of considerable improvement, albeit against a weaker team that their previous opponents, the fielding still left much to be desired.
Salman Butt, who faced his captain’s wrath after a dreadful time in the field against England, was guilty of dropping another catch today before managing to hang onto a top-edged sweep. Apart from Butt’s drop, a few half chances went begging but luckily for Pakistan, they did not prove fatal.
‘We formed good partnerships, both with the bat and with the ball. However, for those achievements to matter in the end, we need to improve our ground fielding and hold onto the catches,’ emphasized Younus.
‘The simple plan is go out, bat well, bowl well and play the role that you’re been assigned in the team. We have a good momentum going into the Super Eights and we will need to ensure that we carry it forward and put it to good use.’
Pakistan went into the must-win match with two changes: Fawad Alam coming in place of Ahmed Shehzad and Sohail Tanvir replacing the injured Yasir Arafat. While Fawad’s contribution to the team was three runs and a few stops in the field, Sohail’s miserly figures of 13 runs in his three overs impressed Younus.
‘He (Sohail) has been out of form and it was essential for him to come forward and have a good match, especially considering it had become such an important match for Pakistan,’ said the captain.
‘The pitch and the conditions were suitable for him and he gave it his all and a repeat of such performance is simply what we need in order to make it through the next round.’
The destroyer-in-chief, however, was Shahid Afridi, who briefly entertained with the bat (a towering six over long-on in his 7-ball 13) but returned to haunt the Dutch batsmen.
He took three wickets in ten deliveries at one stage and his return of 4 for 11 — the fourth best figures in International Twenty20 history — was labelled by the opposing captain as the difference between a win against England and a thrashing against Pakistan.
‘We were simply unable to play him [Afridi],’ Smits said after the match. ‘Although we played Adil Rashid, the legspinner, in the previous match, it proved really difficult to bat against Afridi today and his bowling was what made the difference.’
A side looking much relaxed that the one that left The Oval on Sunday, Pakistan now have two days off before taking on Sri Lanka at the same venue on Friday afternoon in the first of three Super Eights matches.
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper June 10, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
All-rounders can do the trick for Pakistan: Younis
Speaking at Lord’s during the captains’ press conference on the eve of Pakistan’s first warm-up against South Africa, Younis played down the lack of aggressiveness at the top of the order and, instead, pointed out the presence of all-rounders as his side’s secret to success.
‘I wouldn’t worry about slow openers because we have big hitters like Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq, who is a top Twenty20 player,’ Younis said.
‘We actually need players like Salman Butt at the top of the order since the ball is seaming and swinging and he’s someone who can last 20 overs in the middle.’
Apart from Salman, Pakistan have two other specialist openers in the side, Ahmed Shahzad and Shahzaib Hasan, both of whom are yet to make their Twenty20 International debut.
Younis, reluctant to divulge exact details, hinted at the possibility of Kamran Akmal or Afridi opening the batting if the situation arises. He also urged his team, lacking the killer instinct in the last World Twenty20 Championship, to ensure the added experience since then is utlilised effectively.
‘We played really well last time round [in South Africa] but failed to lift the trophy as we lacked the finishing touch. We lost to India prior to the final because we failed to hit the stumps [in the bowl-out] and in the final we failed to overcome the final hurdle after getting so close.
‘We have, however, worked on that since and we would love to be in the final again and hopefully going one better this time.’
Younis also termed the tournament as ideal preparation, especially for youngsters, if the plans of having a ‘home’ series against Australia in England due to security concerns go ahead. While the PCB has been in discussions with their Australian and English counterparts, Younis is already looking ahead to receiving good support from the ‘passionate’ Pakistan fans based in England.
‘Playing in Pakistan is more important than playing anywhere else. However, with the current situation, playing in England, especially county and Test cricket is everybody’s dream.
‘I was particularly excited when I was playing my first Test here at Lord’s. So I think it’s a good decision [playing Test series against Australia] since we have terrific support all over England. It will also allow our supporters to see their team in action especially with no team willing to visit Pakistan now.’
For now, following the warm-ups matches against South Africa and India, Pakistan kick off their campaign against hosts England on Sunday before taking on the Netherlands two days later.
A place in the semi-final is the least Younis wants to achieve in the tournament as he hopes to take back something for the fans to cheer about, especially with the current state of affairs in Pakistan.
‘We have good, experienced players and I see no reason for us not to feature in the last four at least. Obviously I’d love to be holding the trophy at the end of the tournament as it will help bring Pakistan back on the world cricket stage.
‘It will also give our public something to cheer about at home, especially with the absence of international cricket they may witness at home in the coming months,’ Younis concluded.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper Jun 1, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Not Cricket
FOUR hundred and seventy-five days. That is how long it has been since Karachi last witnessed Test cricket. So when Pakistan took on Sri Lanka in the first Test at the National Stadium last Saturday (21), big things and big crowds were expected.
After all, it was Pakistan’s first Test since December 2007 and the visitors possessedthe twin spin threat of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.
The first day bore an uncanny resemblance to the Karachi Test in October 2007 against South Africa – a limited and inexperienced home bowling attack struggling against a talented and experienced opposition at the crease. But as the day, and the match progressed, cheers and applause became scarce. Security officials outnumbered spectators. Phone conversations and light naps, often a rare sight at National Stadium, became the order of the day.
The days that followed witnessed world and individual records, dubious decisions, dropped catches, elegant strokeplay and even daily prize draws to encourage public interest. All of them failed, despite the free entry, as the heat and poor facilities at the stadium kept enthusiasts away.“Watching cricket here [at the National Stadium] is a nightmare,” said Afzaal Khan, a student. “We can understand the security procedures but not being allowed to bring food and drinks inside the stadium cannot be justified.”
The opposition, according to those fans who turned up, was also a deciding factor. Since this series is no comparison to a crossborder duel, it was understandable why the stands remained vacant. Even the Sunday bazaar (market) witnesses a greater following, despite it being a repeated affair, perhaps because it has something of interest for all those who visit.
“If it was India playing Pakistan, I would have gladly suffered through the heat, hugely overpriced food, atrocious toilet facilities and the great mission that is entering the stand due to the numerous security checks,” said Kamal, who had opted to stay away.
Younis Khan, Pakistan’s captain, touched upon the same issue while blaming the unsporting pitch for the lack of interest. “Test cricket gets boring if we play on such wickets. If we play on such tracks then it’s not a surprise why people are staying away,” he said.
But Khan enjoyed batting on the lifeless pitch, scoring a careerbest score of 306 not out (when EE went to press), becoming only the third Pakistani batsman to make a triple century.
Some supporters blamed the absence of star attractions including Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Yousuf and Mohammad Asif for the low turnout. “It is encouraging to see Pakistan invest in youth and opt to include them in the playing 11,” said supporter Iqbal. “However, these youngsters will not bring the excitement that Sho aib and Afridi bring when they are in the middle. So unless we see some excitement on the field, we will be watching the match at home or at work.”
The few who did make the journey said they were mostly unsatisfied. “It has been a waste, a total waste and I will make sure I don’t attend any more cricket if the pitches remain the same,” said frustrated spectator Asma. “To go through all the trouble that I did, and to witness such dull action... I think it is truly shameful on the cricket board’s part and no wonder people are staying away.”
So as the shadows invaded the protected zone on the pitch, I sat there pondering my decision to travel such a long way for my love of cricket. Maybe the locals were right after all.
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in Eastern Eye Feb 27, 2009.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)