The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Akram pins hopes on spin duo

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Monday, Feb 21, 2005

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Akram pins hopes on spin duo

KARACHI, FEB. 20. Legendary left-arm seamer Wasim Akram is pinning his hopes on the ``exciting'' Pakistani spin duo of Danish Kaneria and Arshad Khan to trouble the prolific Indian batsmen in the forthcoming cricket series.

Akram said the two spinners would play an important role in ensuring Pakistan ``stay in all five days'' of the three Test matches that the two teams are slated to play.

``It is an exciting spin combination. To stay in all five days of a Test in India, you need spinners who can take wickets and contain the batsmen. I think this combination has the class and variety to do that,'' Akram said in Karachi where he had come for a commercial shoot.

Akram was the last captain to lead Pakistan in a Test series in India when his side played three matches in 1999.

Skipper Inzamam-ul Haq, Yousuf Youhana and Shahid Afridi are the only surviving members from that tour when Pakistan won at Chennai and Kolkata and lost at New Delhi, thanks to a perfect 10 by Anil Kumble.

The 34-year-old Arshad Khan was on Saturday recalled to the Pakistan cricket team after nearly five years in the wilderness.

He last played his eighth Test against England in November 2000. Danish Kaneria, a wrist spinner, has played 23 Tests in which he has bagged over 100 wickets.

``Kaneria is probably the most improved spinner in the world whereas I am pleased with the return of Arshad Khan. I am sure the lanky Pathan must have matured since he last played nearly four years ago,'' the former captain said.

``Arshad is not afraid of giving the ball air and I have been told that he is bowling a good doosra. He has a big role to play in India because I think the wickets there will suit his type of bowling,'' Akram said.

Litmus test

``I think the selectors have done the right thing to recall Arshad. I am expecting that the combination of experience and youth will create problems for the Indians,'' said the former captain.

Kaneria and Arshad will face the litmus test in India as V.V.S. Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and skipper Sourav Ganguly total a little under 26,000 runs and 70 centuries between them.

``I am not saying it's going to be easy for the two. But in the presence of Kaneria and Arshad, Pakistan will remain all five days in the Tests,'' the 39-year-old stated.

Akram, who was also a member of the 1986 Pakistan team that won the five-Test series 1-0, believed that the forthcoming series would be well fought.

``I know that the Indians have a strong and matured batting and also a balanced bowling attack. But the way the Pakistan team fought back in the tri-series in Australia and that too without Shoaib Akhtar, it is commendable.

``Pakistan was a feared team in the 90's because it had tremendous skills to stage a fightback when the chips were down. I saw the same zeal and determination in the tri-series because don't forget they had entered the competition after being literally thrashed in the Test series.'' Akram said.

Akhtar's brave decision

Akram, who led Pakistan in 25 Tests between 1993 and 2000 in four stints, also welcomed Akhtar's ``brave'' decision to withdraw from the series, saying an unfit Akhtar would have been a liability.

``I think he has made the right decision. A half-fit Shoaib would have become a liability on the team. Besides his own performance would have been affected badly.

``I believe he was mentally also disturbed knowing that he was not fit. And now that he has made a brave decision which, of course must not have been easy, I am confident that he will now concentrate on his fitness and would join the squad when he is convinced he has regained complete fitness.''

Akram said he was convinced that Akhtar had taken the right decision, which will be beneficial to him in the long run.

``Fast bowlers don't require fitness certificates or clearance from the trainers or physiotherapists. They themselves know how fit they are because they are different from batsmen because of the force they put in ball after ball.

``I am convinced that Shoaib has made the right decision which would certainly prolong his career,'' he said. — PTI

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