Salman hopeful of good news

Speaking for the first time since being provisionally suspended, Pakistan opening batsman Salman Butt has said he will be more clear on his future after a decision is made by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Salman, who was suspended by the ICC after the News of the World alleged that the then Pakistan captain had a role in spot-fixing during the last Test against England, has appealed and is set to contest his case before the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit on October 30 in Doha.
“I was relishing the peak of my career,” Salman told The Express Tribune.
“In the last five years, Pakistan had never won two Tests on one tour. Beating Australia after 15 years was like a new beginning for all of us but unfortunately we had to cope with hurdles straightaway.”
Salman was appointed Test captain after Shahid Afridi stepped down and announced his retirement from the format after the first match-loss against Australia.
The opener tasted victory straightaway as Pakistan drew the two-match series against Australia before losing 3-1 against England. It was the last match against England where three Pakistan players were alleged to have been involved in spot-fixing by the British tabloid.
“I hope these hurdles are crossed as soon as possible. I think after passing through so much difficulty in your career, your exposure helps you become wiser. You start to understand your surroundings better and especially who is more sincere with you. This is a hurdle which is a learning process of life.”
The left-hander also said his form and fitness were not a concern since he was practising regularly and hopeful of playing for Pakistan soon.
“You know what the concerns are [stopping me from playing cricket] otherwise there is no issue of my performance or anything else,” said Salman.
“I am just waiting for the decision and the reason I am practising hard and keeping my fitness, is to be available for Pakistan selection,” said Salman as he eyed the Test series against South Africa in UAE that starts next month.
Pakistan play South Africa in the first of two Twenty20s on October 26 before taking on the Proteas in a five-match One-Day International series and two Tests.
Salman, not selected for the series due the suspension, however remained confident of playing the Tests that start on November 12.
“I’m hoping for some good news after the hearing in Doha. I’m training according to the conditions in Dubai. South Africa have a couple of really tall bowlers in their team but I’m trying to practise in UAE-like conditions so that it’s easy for me to get used to them and do well there.”

'Pakistan were never appreciated for their cricket’

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis regrets that the allegations that surfaced during the England tour have overshadowed the performance of the players and that the team was never appreciated for their cricket.
“I am satisfied with the team’s performance in our tour of England,” Younis told The Express Tribune. “The players all played good cricket but their performance was ignored after the spot-fixing outrage.
“Nobody appreciated Mohammad Amir and his outstanding bowling, Salman Butt and the authority with which he was batting or Azhar Ali, just to name a few. But instead, once the claims came out all their efforts were overshadowed and no one was appreciated for their individual performances in England’s tough conditions.”
High hopes against South Africa
However Younis was eager to put the spot-fixing claims aside and is now aiming for a good show as they face South Africa later this month. Pakistan will be competing against South Africa in two Twenty20 Internationals, five One-Day Internationals and two Test matches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi starting from October 26. “We have set up a six-day camp from October 17 before departing for the UAE on October 23,” added Younis.
Younis also seems to have chalked out his main priority for what he claims may be a weak spot in the team. “Although I am placing emphasis on the three departments of batting, bowling and fielding – fielding, once again is our highest priority as it has never been good,” said Younis. “Fielding has been an issue for Pakistan. I see weak fielding in the ongoing domestic Twenty20 championship as well even though it is a vital aspect of the game and if you start working on it at the lower levels it can help you at the top at the international level.”
The coach has welcomed the appointment of middle-order batsman Misbahul Haq as captain. “No doubt, Misbah is very humble as captain and has a good cricketing mind, but the important thing is how he will be fare with the bat against South Africa.”

Not necessary to consult coach, captain: Mohsin

Responding strongly to statements by coach Waqar Younis and captain Shahid Afridi, chief selector Mohsin Khan said it was not mandatory to consult the coach or captain while selecting the national squad.
Both coach Younis and limited-overs captain Afridi have complained about team selection for the UAE series. Afridi went on to express his resentment in the media while Younis discussed the situation in the National Assembly Sports Standing Committee meeting this week.
The chief selector, however, said it was unjust to protest over the lack of consultation saying the selection committee was not obliged to take input from them. “It’s not necessary for selectors to ask the coach or captain. The selection committee is only responsible to give the team to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management before the deadline,” said Mohsin.
Although Mohsin claimed it was always his priority to consult the team management, he also added protesting for not being asked was an unjust act on part of the team.  “I made it clear on day one that I want to take the captain, coach together but we were asked by the PCB management to select a squad on very short notice.”
Mohsin defends selection before Twenty20 Cup
Mohsin also defended selection for the UAE series and said the series mainly consists of One-Day Internationals (ODI) and Tests. “We will play five ODIs, two Tests and only a couple of Twenty20s and the performance in the ongoing Twenty20 competition does not count much. The youngsters giving a good performance would definitely be considered for  future events,” said Mohsin.
The selectors received fierce criticism from several former and current players who said selection before the tournament affected the performance of the youngsters.

Never ending expectations from “Boom Boom Afridi”

Shahid Afridi scored the fastest century in his first innings in international cricket against Sri Lanka in 1996. That knock surely dazzled the world with and revolutionised modern hitting as the century came off 37 balls – skyrocketing Afridi towards stardom.
Although he joined the Pakistani cricket team as a full-time leg spinner, but sheer chance, luck and faith changed his playing role from a proper leg spinner to a bowling all-rounder. His bowling credentials are way better than his batting, but cricket fans and viewers adore his aggressive batting style.
Almost all former Pakistani captains that Afridi has played under, only had one thing to say about the player that Afridi could have done and achieve a lot more, but he just never listened to anyone. Former and senior players such as Imran Khan, Rameez Raja, Wasim Akram, and Moin Khan have spoken so proudly about Afridi’s potential to do well at the international stage. And there is no doubt that on a given day, Afridi has the ability to single-handedly help any team win a match. But the sad part is that he was never given a chance to play in the test format, which ensured that he was never able to build the right temperament or level of patience.
At present, the 30-year-old is the ODI and T20 skipper of the Pakistani national team. Arguably, 5 years ago, one could have never pictured “Boom Boom” to lead the team at the national level, since based on his credentials in all formats; he had never shown the maturity and the cricketing sense to be a leader. However, based on his aggressive cricketing style, experts and senior players thought that maybe a combination of responsibility and aggressiveness would bring out Afridi's real potential.
In his 14 years of international cricket, the veteran has played 298 ODI matches, scoring 6,250 runs, at a modest average of 23.85. He has 6 centuries and 30 half-centuries to his credit, with a personal best of 124 runs to his credit. Afridi has a massive collection of 280 ODI wickets, at a bowling average of 34.88 runs. He also has 3 five-wicket hauls, with a best of 6 for 38.
The reason for Afridi’s inability to captain Pakistan in the longer version of the game, is due to his temperament and the mere fact that he has never put up with captaining the test side for long, since according to him, it doesn’t suit his cricketing style. He has played 27 test matches, scoring 1,716 runs at an average of 37.40 runs. The master blaster has 5 centuries and 8 half-centuries to his credit, with a best of 156 runs in a single innings. He has a handful of 48 wickets in test cricket, at an average of 35.60 with best bowling figures of 5 for 52.
Shahid Afridi is one of the most blessed natural cricketers one would ever come across. However, one can only hope that the captaincy role will force him to alter his cricketing style and develop a mature approach towards the game.
Nevertheless, Afridi’s leadership was extremely commendable in the recent ODI series in the controversial tour of England; post the spot-fixing controversy. Afridi handled the team with utmost maturity, as he led from the front and concentrated in playing as a team.
One can hope for the best that Afridi can become the leader that his fans want him to be, not to forget, the country needs Afridi to bring back cricketing glory back to Pakistan.