Former greats divided over captaincy issue

Former Pakistan cricketers were divided on PCB’s indecision over the captaincy issue ahead of World Cup 2011.

Iqbal Qasim, the former Test spinner, flayed the move and said that the uncertainty could harm Pakistan’s World Cup hopes.

“By not naming the captain, the PCB has acted unwisely because all this uncertainty might not be good for our team,” said Qasim, a former chief selector.

But Qasim added that apart from the captaincy issue, things seem fine for Pakistan. “As far as the selection is concerned, I believe it’s a balanced team,” he said.

On Mohammad Yousuf exclusion, Qasim said that the aging batter didn’t deserve a place in the squad. “It’s hard to find a place for Yousuf because senior batsmen like Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan are performing really well at the moment.”

He also hailed the decision to select Sohail Tanvir ahead of paceman Tanvie Ahmed. “Sohail Tanvir has the sort of awkward action that can add variety to our bowling attack,” he said.

Abdul Qadir, another ex-Test spinner, also backed the move to overlook Yousuf. “It is a good decision because he wasn’t required after successful comebacks by Misbah and Younis,” said Qadir, also a former chief selector.

Qadir also supported PCB over its decision to delay naming Pakistan’s World Cup captain. “It’s a good tactic and will keep Shahid Afridi under pressure,” he said.

However, former Test fast bowler Sikander Bakht, believes it’s a ‘silly’ decision.

“It’s totally silly not to announce a captain and leaving uncertainty around the team,” he told ‘The News’. “Such foolish decisions cause divisions in the team. Our players would now be looking both at Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq and One-day skipper Shahid Afridi. This can harm Pakistan as loyalties would be divided.”

He said that Mohammad Yousuf has rightly been left out.

“For me personally, Yousuf should only concentrate on playing Tests just like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. He should have retired from one-day and Twenty20 cricket two years back.”

Shoaib Mohammad, the former Test opener, felt that Yousuf has been victimised by the board.

“Yousuf should have been in World Cup team as he is the only top-class player in our team but he has fallen prey to the dirty politics of the PCB,” he said.

Former Test pacer Jalaluddin, however, welcomed the decision to drop Yousuf. “The game today is very fast and Yousuf’s exclusion will not really affect the team.

“Though he has experience on his side but Yousuf is not fit to play in 50-over matches and is not in greatest of form either.

“So calling back him in such a big event could have backfired. We have some talented young batsmen who have shown the guts and we’ve done well by showing trust in them.”

Pakistan can't be written off in World Cup: Raja

Karachi: Cricketer-turned-commentator Rameez Raja on Thursday said Pakistan may not go into the World Cup as one of the favourites but the other teams cannot afford to write them off.

"Pakistan has a fairly settled and a very good one-day side. They know the art of playing one-day cricket. They have struggled in Test cricket because some of the players simply don't have the temperament to graft out long innings but the 50-overs cricket format suits them," he said.

"I don't think Pakistan can be ruled out of title contention. There will be less pressure on them and for our players 50-over cricket is a pretty natural format as they are natural hitters of the ball. And with the World Cup being played on sub-continental pitches I think the conditions will suit them," the former captain said.

Pakistan team united like the 1992 WC winning side: Intikhab

Pakistan's cricket officials believe that the match-fixing scandal in which some of their players were involved has brought the team together ahead of the World Cup in February.

Intikhab Alam, the Pakistan team manager, Thursday said the controversies and uncertainty have actually worked as a catalyst to bond the players of a team that is not really known for its unity.

"All our players are really fired up," Alam was quoted as saying in 'The News' after the tourists drew their second Test against New Zealand at Basin Reserve to win the series 1-0 Wednesday.

"There is a lot of bonding among the boys and they are really backing up each other."

PCB chief leaves for New Zealand to decide on WC captain

"There are no ego problems. Each and every player is trying his best to do his bit for the team," said the former Pakistan captain.

Intikhab was Pakistan's manager when they won their only World Cup victory in 1992 in Australia. He was the team's coach when the Pakistanis clinched the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 trophy in England.

Intikhab believes that the team is now showing the sort of spirit that helped Pakistan win the two world titles.

"Team spirit had a lot to do with our title wins in 1992 and 2009," he said. "On both those occasions, our boys were completely pumped up and there was a lot of unity. I must say that there is similar atmosphere in our dressing room right now and that's a very healthy sign."

Intikhab was also all praise for Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan's Test captain who was named the player-of-the-series for his prolific batting performances in the two Tests played in Hamilton and Wellington.

"The credit goes to Misbah because he has been leading the team from the front," he said. "The players have really responded well. Seniors like Younis Khan are doing a great job."

Intikhab is confident that his team is peaking at the right time.

"With the World Cup just a few weeks away, it is really good to see that our boys are peaking at the right time," he said. "They have just won a Test series which should give the team a tremendous boost."

Intikhab believes that another factor that has contributed to Pakistan's revival is fitness.

"The fitness of our players has been remarkable. They are showing a lot of intensity and the energy level is getting higher."

I'm out of cash: Zulqarnain Haider

Former Pakistani wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider, who fled the team hotel in Dubai hours before the final one-day international against South Africa last year, said on Thursday that he has run out of money.

Haider told the British media that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is withholding 15,000 pounds in wages from him.

The cricketer had fled from Dubai to the UK due to death threats he received while the Pakistan cricket team were playing a series against South Africa in November 2010.

Haider arrived in England and immediately claimed asylum in order to gain entry to the country.

“This country is very humane, very co-operative, and there are very nice people here and there are very good rules here for my safety. That’s why I came here,” he said.

Later in a press conference with the media, the ex wicketkeeperclaimed he was approached by a person who had asked throw the fourth and the fifth ODIs between the two playing countries.

He also insisted that he had no knowledge of any other players being involved in match fixing or if they had been approached like him. “I think the best way is to record all the players’ phones and all their activities,” he added.

He also expressed contentment that his wife Shazia and daughters, Zahra and Fizza, will be joining him soon.

The player is currently in process of a deal with the Kent-based Lashings World eleven and is  hopeful that it  will come through.

Zaheer suggests PCB to appoint captain on players’ performance

 Former skipper Zaheer Abbas has suggested to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to hand over the reigns of stewardship of national team for the World Cup to a player whose performance has remained consistent for quite some time. Pakistan’s coach Waqar Yunis and some other former cricketers including former fast bowling great Wasim Akram criticised PCB’s decision for delaying to announce the captain for the 2011 World Cup, starting from February, 19. 

The board on Tuesday announced 15-member squad for the mega event but held back the name of the captain, adding to speculations that test captain Misbah-ul-Haq might be picked to lead the side in place of ODI skipper Shahid Afridi.
Talking to APP on Thursday Zaheer said, he believed that captain should be “a performer and not an entertainer.” 
Asked who he felt was a better choice to lead Pakistan in the World Cup, Shahid Afridi or Misbah-ul-Haq, he said:” any body who performs well and lead from the front.”
He said although he also felt that the captain should have been announced along with the team but the board could have some certain reasons for delaying his name. 
“I don’t think it is a big issue. The board could not have any problems to name a captain. The only reason I see is that the selectors want to gauge the performance of players and if so, it is not a bad thing,” he said. 
Zaheer however, hailed Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq for leading the team to its first Test series win in four years in New Zealand.  “Most of the players in the team were young and Misbah as a captain did remarkable job. He deserved a lot of credit for the way he handled his team besides himself performing as a player,” he said.
He was of the view that after the Test series win, the forthcoming six-match one-day series against Kiwis would determine Pakistan’s tone for the World Cup. He said Pakistan outfit was talented enough and could finish at some respectable position provided they play as a unit.

PCB issues notice to Waqar Younis

The PCB has issued a notice to Waqar Younis after his remarks on the board's decision to withhold the captain's name for the WC.

PCB media manager Nadeem Sarwar told PTI that the board had taken notice of Waqar's statement in New Zealand regarding the captaincy issue.

"We have issued him (Waqar) a notice asking him to explain his comments on the captaincy issue since he is under contract with the PCB," Sarwar said.

He said under PCB's media policy it was binding on all team officials and players to avoid giving statements that question or negate the policies of the board.

"We have asked him to give an explanation on his statement that he was surprised by the decision not to announce the captain for the World Cup," Sarwar said.

Earlier, Waqar had expressed his surprise over the PCB's decision to delay naming of the captain for the WC.

"This is also surprising to me. I don't know what reasons the board could have for delaying naming the captain but personally I feel it would have been better to announce the captain along with the World Cup team," Waqar told Geo Super from Wellington.

The PCB on Tuesday announced the World Cup squad but held back the name of the captain, adding to speculations that Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq might be picked to lead the side in place of regular skipper Shahid Afridi.

Asked who he felt was a better choice to lead Pakistan in the World Cup, Waqar said he was not in a position to respond to this even as a layman.

"But whoever is the captain, his name should have been announced along with the team. Not announcing the captain will only lead to issues," Waqar said, adding that all other teams have announced their squads with their captains.

The former pacer, however, hailed Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq for leading the team to its first Test series win in four years in New Zealand.

"I think he has done an outstanding job on and off the field as captain. He deserves a lot of credit for the way he has handled the team issues and players, besides for his own personal contribution as a player."

Waqar said that after the Test series win, the forthcoming six-match one-day series against New Zealand would be a tough challenge.

"How we perform against New Zealand in the one-dayers will basically decide our tone for the World Cup. It will give a clear indication of how we are going to perform at the mega event."

The decision to not announce the captain has been criticised by many former captains and ex-selectors, who feel by delaying the decision so close to the World Cup the board will only create problems in the team.

In recent times, the PCB has adopted a new media policy for the players and officials and come down hard on any violations of this policy that include limiting direct interaction with the journalists and depending more on press releases.

Waqar, a former captain, guided the national team to its first Test series win since 2006 when Pakistan won the defeated New Zealand 1-0 in the two-match series on Tuesday.

'Variety important on the sub-continent'

Brett Lee is all set to travel with a bag full of tricks to the sub-continent for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

The speedster who was included in the 15-member World Cup squad on Tuesday said, "The batsmen are trying different things and to counter those shots it's important that the bowler works on the things in the nets and tries things as well, and that's happened for me.

"With the slower wickets it's still important you bowl fast over there but you need the extra bit in your repertoire. It's slower bouncers, wide lines and these types of different balls," the 34-year-old explained.

The fast bowler has developed a slow-ball bouncer that New South Wales coach Matthew Mott described as "one of the best in world cricket."

Ecstatic at his inclusion in the squad Lee, who missed the last World Cup in the Caribbean four years ago, told Sydney Morning Herald, "All the pieces are fitting in the jigsaw puzzle, it's all going according to plan."

"I was hoping to be available and to be chosen and that's happened. As I said, this is a massive moment in my career and one that I'm very proud of," said Lee, second only to Glenn McGrath on Australia's all-time ODI wicket-takers list.

Misbah’s approach costs Pakistan dearly

 Pakistan could have easily won the second Test against New Zealand at Wellington but were denied a clean sweep against the hosts, thanks to extra-cautious batting by skipper Misbahul Haq. 

Chasing a modest and quite achievable target of 274 runs in 90 overs was by no means difficult, as the wicket was batsman-friendly and the Kiwi bowlers looked out of sorts against the Pakistani batsmen. When a captain is supposed to lead his side from the front and sets example before others to follow, how can Misbah, after losing the golden chance, be made the captain of One-Day squad. His position as Test captain is less than satisfactory. 

There is no question that he has played well with the bat and made important contributions in both the innings but as a leader his performance is below than average. Rather than focusing on team performance he is found trying to strengthen his position in the team though without realising how much time and how many deliveries he consumed in this process.

Misbah undoubtedly is a good Test player but by no means deserves a place in One-Day squad. The One-Day cricket is a different ball game and his style of game doesn’t suit that shorter format. Although Shahid Khan Afridi is not performing well as ODI captain yet he is a fighter by nature and can lead the side without any fear of any opposition. This is the right time that PCB should announce Afridi as ODI captain for the World Cup as delay in naming the captain will serve no purpose for the team and will only weaken the morale of the team.

Ponting’s example is before us as he was a complete failure against England in the recently concluded Ashes series, but the Aussie selectors reposed faith in Ponting and named him the skipper of the side for the World Cup. 

NZ Test series win big boost for team: Waqar

 Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has said the Test series win against New Zealand is a boost for his team.

“A win always gives you confidence. We will go into six-match One-day Internationals series against Black Caps with a lot more aggression and positivity.

“We have got a few players and a few going back. We know that New Zealand are always a tough team in their home conditions, so we are not going to take it easy,” he said after the drawn second Test at Wellington on Wednesday.

Pakistan had hammered home team in the first Test at Hamilton.  Waqar praised efforts of his experienced batsmen.

“They`ve been batting well since South Africa, which was another tough series. Full credit to Younis Khan, he`s an experienced campaigner and he knows what to do and he did exactly what we needed.”

Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq embellished his record as captain, adding 70 to take his series tally to 231 in three innings, and picked up man-of-match and man-of-series awards. His average since taking over leadership is 112.75 in four Tests.

“For some [becoming Test captain] goes wrong and for some it brings a lot of luck,” Waqar said. “He`s been playing good, defensive but positive cricket.”

The coach said the plan had been to chase down the 274 set by New Zealand for victory at Wellington, but early wickets caused his side to change tack.

“270 odd is a par score nowadays in Test match cricket. But on fifth day it sometimes gets a little tricky. We wanted to win this match but losing three early wickets didn`t really help the cause and it took a bit too long to recover from that and that`s why we didn`t manage it.

“Hafeez was our trump card. If he had carried on for bit longer it might have been a different story, but it was tough after that. We always knew (Daniel) Vettori could be [dangerous] on this fifth day pitch, so we`re happy with the result.”

Waqar expressed his surprise over Pakistan Cricket Board`s decision of delaying naming captain for the World Cup while announcing the 15-member squad.

“This is also surprising to me. I don`t know what reasons the board could have for delaying naming the captain but personally I feel it would have been better to announce the captain along with the World Cup team,” Waqar said.

PCB on Tuesday announced World Cup squad but held back skipper`s name.  Asked who he felt was a better choice to lead Pakistan in the mega event, he said he was not in a position to respond.

“Captain`s name should have been announced along with the squad. Not announcing captain will only lead to issues,” Waqar said, adding that all other teams have announced their squads with their captains.

He said he had always supported young players in T20 and ODI squads.

“I am happy selectors have included Ahmed Shahzad, Asad Shafiq and retained Umar Akmal. It is in Test cricket that you need loads of experience but in T20s and ODIs, I believe young players add freshness to the team.”

Manager Intikhab Alam felt Test series win over New Zealand was right tonic for the World Cup.

“It is a great win and reason we didn`t go all out to win Test match today was because we felt securing series was far more important as we have not won a series since 2006.”