The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Rashid hopes new speedsters will deliver

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 12, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Rashid hopes new speedsters will deliver

By Our Special Correspondent

RAWALPINDI, APRIL 11. "Well done boys, very good practice session,'' shouted an energetic Javed Miandad as the Pakistani team ended its training at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, here, on Sunday.

However, it was not Miandad, but manager Haroon Rashid who shared his thoughts with the media.

Rashid conceded that the pacemen had niggling injuries to grapple with, but hoped they would still be able to deliver in the decider. "They have to bowl with the niggles. It's a part and parcel of the game. Mohammed Sami does not have a serious injury to his back. I hope he will be fit for the third Test.''

Sami did not bowl at the nets, but with the Pakistan selectors putting off naming the 15 for the Test to Monday, he does have a chance of figuring in the squad.

The Pakistan manager dwelt on the importance of discipline for the pacemen, irrespective of the kind of surface, they operated in. "Whatever be the nature of the pitch, whether it is a green-top or not, you have to bowl in the right areas. The rhythm that our pacemen showed in Lahore was a good sign.''

On Umar Gul being sidelined due to a back injury, he said, "Obviously, it is a blow. If a bowler performs well, his confidence level rises. If he is not able to play the next match due to an injury, then it becomes a problem. Gul was very disappointed. But nobody expected him to perform so well before the second Test. We are hoping that the boys we have called in now will be able perform as well.''

On the four new pacemen in Pakistan's provisional squad of 17 — Fazl-e-Akbar, Abdul Rauf, Rao Iftekar, and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan — he said, "They are all fast medium bowlers. They have all been doing very well in first class cricket. Fazl-e-Akbar has already played Test cricket. They are basically seam bowlers.''

Pace spearhead Shoaib Akhtar's two hostile spells during the Indian second innings in Lahore has left Rashid pleased. "You expect such a performance from a key player and Shoaib Akhtar is a key bowler for Pakistan. He has won matches for us before.''

He was heartened too by the fact that young batsmen Imran Farhat and Asim Kamal came up with crucial knocks in Lahore. "We were depending so much on Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana. But the back-up we have got from the youngsters has been very encouraging. Kamal is a technically correct batsman. He has been playing first class cricket for the last six to seven years. Farhat has now become a regular feature of the Pakistan team.''

Rashid expected a stirring fare in the third Test. "Mentally the players are aware of the expectations. There has been so much intensity in this series.''

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