By Aamna Mahboob SPORTS
After their early and embarrassing exit from the 2007 World Cup to rookies Ireland the Pakistani cricket team has a chance to win back some dignity in the upcoming one-day-international tournament against World Cup finalist Sri Lanka at a three-match series in Abu Dhabi from May 18.
Pakistan is injecting new blood in the likes of Najaf Shah and Fawad Alam to its side at the expense of the more experienced players such as spin magician Danish Keneria, all-rounder Azar Mahmood and Younis Khan. Young Shoaib Malik has been appointed captain over a number of senior players. Sri Lanka too will not include its star bowlers, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas and wicket keeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara. All three have county commitments in England.
While the Sri Lankan cricketers are in high spirits after becoming runners-up, the Pakistan side is, understandably, feeling a little dejected and demoralized due to their controversy-ridden exit from the World Cup. Following coach Bob Woolmer’s tragic death and former captain Inzamam Ul-Haq’s resignation in less than 24 hours after their Ireland debacle the team members must be feeling slightly dispirited. Add to that, they’ll be facing the World Cup finalist and thus, psychologically they’ll be playing under pressure.
Spokesperson for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Salahuddin Ahmed said on selecting some new players that focus was on the future and therefore some youngsters had been inducted to provide them with the chance to show their mettle at international level.
The PCB officials have confidence in their new captain.
“Malik is a fine, thinking and confident young man and one hopes he will develop into a good leader. Age is on his side and he can be expected to remain at the helm for at least a decade,” the PCB was quoted as saying.
A fan had this to say on the choice of Mohammad Asif as vice captain: “We need a new start. With Shoib as the captain none of the other senior players could be considered for the vice captain’s job. This excludes Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Yousuf and some others. Among the young players Kamran Akmal or Salman Butt could have been considered for the position of vice captain. But Salman Butt has been in and out of the side for several years and Kamran Akmal's wicket keeping skills are erratic. I think among the remaining players Mohammad Asif is the only one whose place in the side is a certain for now.”
The PCB seems to believe that the team they have selected will deliver. However, a fan I contacted via e-mail does not seem to agree.
“I think Razzak should not have been included in the squad, and also the selection of five openers is beyond comprehension; Shahid Yousaf should have been selected. We need to groom somebody in place of Inzi and Younis. Shahid has been consistently performing in domestic cricket. He also performed well in the practice match. The PCB has selected four allrounders and six fast bowlers and I think they should have selected more batsmen and should have tried them alternatively in three matches. With the exception of Fawad Alam and Najaf Shah there are no new faces in the team,” he said.
Looking back at the World Cup, the two major Asian giants, Pakistan and India were ousted by relatively weaker teams and the only hope for the Asians was Sri Lanka which fought well but lost to the super Kangaroos at the final. But Sri Lanka remained the only team that was able to salvage Asian pride.
The entire cricket-crazy south Asian region will be focused on the contest between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Abu Dhabi and the upcoming test series between India and Bangladesh. The Indians are looking to avenge their defeat at the hands of Bangladesh in the World Cup. They have a point to prove to a billion Indian cricket fans. They went into yesterday’s third and final one-dayer against Bangladesh with a 2-0 lead. In Abu Dhabi it will be up to Sri Lanka to provide ample entertainment to the cricket fans there and keep their already soaring spirits high. They will be looking to keep their World Cup form alive and Pakistan will want to show that they are far from becoming a cricketing non entity.
Barely two weeks after the World Cup the region will come alive yet again in the spirit of cricket, a sport which knows no racial or religious boundaries. Millions wait with baited breath.
After their early and embarrassing exit from the 2007 World Cup to rookies Ireland the Pakistani cricket team has a chance to win back some dignity in the upcoming one-day-international tournament against World Cup finalist Sri Lanka at a three-match series in Abu Dhabi from May 18.
Pakistan is injecting new blood in the likes of Najaf Shah and Fawad Alam to its side at the expense of the more experienced players such as spin magician Danish Keneria, all-rounder Azar Mahmood and Younis Khan. Young Shoaib Malik has been appointed captain over a number of senior players. Sri Lanka too will not include its star bowlers, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas and wicket keeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara. All three have county commitments in England.
While the Sri Lankan cricketers are in high spirits after becoming runners-up, the Pakistan side is, understandably, feeling a little dejected and demoralized due to their controversy-ridden exit from the World Cup. Following coach Bob Woolmer’s tragic death and former captain Inzamam Ul-Haq’s resignation in less than 24 hours after their Ireland debacle the team members must be feeling slightly dispirited. Add to that, they’ll be facing the World Cup finalist and thus, psychologically they’ll be playing under pressure.
Spokesperson for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Salahuddin Ahmed said on selecting some new players that focus was on the future and therefore some youngsters had been inducted to provide them with the chance to show their mettle at international level.
The PCB officials have confidence in their new captain.
“Malik is a fine, thinking and confident young man and one hopes he will develop into a good leader. Age is on his side and he can be expected to remain at the helm for at least a decade,” the PCB was quoted as saying.
A fan had this to say on the choice of Mohammad Asif as vice captain: “We need a new start. With Shoib as the captain none of the other senior players could be considered for the vice captain’s job. This excludes Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Yousuf and some others. Among the young players Kamran Akmal or Salman Butt could have been considered for the position of vice captain. But Salman Butt has been in and out of the side for several years and Kamran Akmal's wicket keeping skills are erratic. I think among the remaining players Mohammad Asif is the only one whose place in the side is a certain for now.”
The PCB seems to believe that the team they have selected will deliver. However, a fan I contacted via e-mail does not seem to agree.
“I think Razzak should not have been included in the squad, and also the selection of five openers is beyond comprehension; Shahid Yousaf should have been selected. We need to groom somebody in place of Inzi and Younis. Shahid has been consistently performing in domestic cricket. He also performed well in the practice match. The PCB has selected four allrounders and six fast bowlers and I think they should have selected more batsmen and should have tried them alternatively in three matches. With the exception of Fawad Alam and Najaf Shah there are no new faces in the team,” he said.
Looking back at the World Cup, the two major Asian giants, Pakistan and India were ousted by relatively weaker teams and the only hope for the Asians was Sri Lanka which fought well but lost to the super Kangaroos at the final. But Sri Lanka remained the only team that was able to salvage Asian pride.
The entire cricket-crazy south Asian region will be focused on the contest between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Abu Dhabi and the upcoming test series between India and Bangladesh. The Indians are looking to avenge their defeat at the hands of Bangladesh in the World Cup. They have a point to prove to a billion Indian cricket fans. They went into yesterday’s third and final one-dayer against Bangladesh with a 2-0 lead. In Abu Dhabi it will be up to Sri Lanka to provide ample entertainment to the cricket fans there and keep their already soaring spirits high. They will be looking to keep their World Cup form alive and Pakistan will want to show that they are far from becoming a cricketing non entity.
Barely two weeks after the World Cup the region will come alive yet again in the spirit of cricket, a sport which knows no racial or religious boundaries. Millions wait with baited breath.
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