I've learnt my lesson: Moin

By Rizwan Ehsan Ali

ISLAMABAD, DEC. 25. Pakistan captain Moin Khan, under fire for his negative tactics that cost his team the series against England this month, said on Sunday that he had learnt his lesson well.

``I know my performance in the series was below par but it is only a lean patch and I am confident of picking myself up for the forthcoming assignments,'' said Moin.

Pakistan lost the decisive third Test in Karachi to England by six wickets to lose the series 0-1 after the first two matches in Lahore and Faisalabad were drawn.

So woeful was Moin behind the stumps that he dropped catches at crucial stages of the Tests. His showing with the bat was no good either and he even failed to handle the pressure on the last day of the third Test.

``Bad light and our reliance on spinners proved costly for us,'' Moin said. Moin said that he would try not to repeat his mistakes and at the same time would aim at regaining his batting and wicketkeeping form. ``I will double the time I spend in the nets and I feel that it is only a lean patch and I sure I'll overcome it.''

Although Moin has been retained till the summer series against England, he has been told quite clearly to shape up by the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Lt. Gen Tauqir Zia. ``A captain should have the ability to turn the tables on the rival, Moin lacked in this area,'' Tauqir told a news conference in Lahore the other day. ``I hope that he does not repeat these mistakes in future.''

The cricket supremo, clearly upset with Moin, told the wicketkeeper to keep mum when behind the stumps and not to shout instructions to his team-mates. ``You cannot think and plan a strategy when you are shouting all the time,'' said Tauqir.

Meanwhile, the PCB is contemplating nominating new umpires on the International Cricket Council following the adverse report given by the match referee about Riazuddin and Mian Aslam.

Both umpires, who gave some poor decisions in the one- day series against England, got adverse comments from Match Referee Barry Jarman of Australia.

Both Riazuddin and Aslam are on the ICC panel with the former having been assigned to stand in the series between South Africa and Sri Lanka.

A PCB official who did not want to be identified confirmed that Jarman had given a poor report about the umpires. He said that Saleem Badar and Z.I. Pasha were now being considered to replace them.

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