The Hindu : Sport : Pakistan should go all out for a win

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 25, 2006
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Pakistan should go all out for a win

Younis Khan is an exuberant, aggressive captain, and these qualities are helping the team, writes Imran Khan

PHOTO: AFP

MAN OF THE HOUR: Abdul Razzaq has, more often than not, responded splendidly in a crisis. So his heroics against Sri Lanka did not come as a surprise.

Pakistan's superlative performance against Sri Lanka came as a great Id gift for cricket fans here. We will be celebrating Id on Wednesday, and a win at Mohali will certainly add to the festivities here. Winning against Sri Lanka in those conditions was really unexpected, and it showed that the team has resilience.

I had said that the game would be a test of character for them, and they came out with flying colours. That win has really opened up the group, but Pakistan should go all out for a win on Wednesday, because that will put them firmly on the road to the semifinals. Under these conditions, they have already won their toughest game, so that should give them the confidence to beat New Zealand.

Experienced captain

However, Stephen Fleming is an experienced captain, and if Shane Bond plays, there will be serious competition. The New Zealand team played well on a difficult pitch against South Africa, but they looked all at sea against Muralitharan.

Pakistan may have missed a trick by not asking for Danish Kaneria in these conditions once Shoaib and Asif were sent back. However, Mohali is one of the few Indian grounds that has something in it for the pacers.

The Pakistan team looks focused and that is a huge bonus considering what they have been through these past weeks. Younis Khan is an exuberant, aggressive captain, and perhaps these qualities are helping the team remain positive.

I was happy to see that most of the batsmen got a start, while Abdul Razzaq's bowling showed once again how invaluable he is in a crisis.

Pretty open

Looking at the tournament so far, both groups look pretty open, but the quality of cricket has suffered a bit. The conditions have had too big a role to play in the results, and the dew problem is something that seriously needs to be addressed. The captains of all teams should get together and think of a solution.

They tried frequent ball changes in this tournament, but it hardly made a difference. The ball becomes a wet, bloated thing that neither swings nor spins after only a couple of hits along the ground. The only solution is to start the games earlier so that it's all over by the time the dew descends.

Unfair advantage

As things stand, the toss becomes too crucial, with the team winning it and batting second holding an unfair advantage. Heroic as Razzaq's batting was in Pakistan's opening game, there is no denying that Sri Lanka struggled with the wet ball.

The case against Shoaib and Asif continues to take new twists and turns, but with the team looking focused and winning, everyone is more interested in the game. There still is not much clarity about when the Sample B reports will arrive, and till then it's no point adding to the comments that have been made so far.

Gameplan

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