Misbah believes drawn series against South Africa to boost morale for New Zealand tour

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Pakistan's newest Test captain, Misbah-ul-Haq Khan, has reckoned that the recently drawn two-Test against the formidable South Africans in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would serve as a morale-booster for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.

“It was quite an accomplishment on our part to have come with creditable performance against our fancied rivals and this show of ours should serve as an inspiration for the tour of New Zealand starting next month,” Misbah observed in his exclusive chat with the APP correspondent, Ehsan Qureshi, soon after returning from the UAE.

"The team put up a fighting performance and holding the powerful South Africans to a draw in both the Test matches was a great sign,” he stated.

"I feel proud and satisfied that I contributed my bit in saving both the games for Pakistan. I want to serve the country to the best of my abilities. My priority is not to prove any of my critics wrong with my batting but my goal is to serve the country,” he commented.

"The credit goes to the whole team not only to me or Younis Khan. It was a team effort all the way," Misbah, having scored 212 runs at an average of 53, added.

"The upcoming series against New Zealand will be tough. But the confidence the guys have gained by competing with South Africa will certainly serve as a moral-booster," the 36-year-old veteran batsman, who has now scored 1128 runs in 21 Test matches at an average of 38.37 with two centuries and seven fifties, remarked.

"I know the ball will be moving around in New Zealand. But our team had done reasonably well there last year and our boys should be able to perform even better this time," he thought.

”The absence of pacers like Muhammad Aamir and Muhammad Asif may be felt.but I think there are some good pace bowlers around in Umar Gul, Tanvir Ahmed and Wahab Riaz We have to rely on the available resources and the team provided by the selectors," he said.

Commenting on the wild-stroke played by Umar Akmal in the first Test, the Pakistan skipper pointed out that even the most aggressive of batsmen needed to be patient in the matches of longer duration.

"Umar is highly talented and aggressive by nature and went after the bowling and paid the penalty. He is expected to learn from his mistakes," Misbah hoped.

Responding to another question about the availability of leg- spinner Danish Kaneria for tour to Down Under, he said it was upto the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and selectors to decide about it.

Similarly, on the selection of former Pakistan Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal, he said it was again the domain of the Board, however, as far as his personal opinion was concerned, he would like them in the team.

He described new stumper Adnan Akmal as talented adding that it would take him time to learn the tact of the trade with the passage of time.

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Intikhab considers UAE series against South Africa a great success

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Although Pakistan could only draw the Test series, after having narrowly lost the ODI series, against South Africa, manager Intikhab Alam very rightly described the just concluded tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a success story for his team.

“I think Misbah-ul-Haq led the team from the front. The boys showed fierce determination to perform under intense pressure which augurs well for the future,” he told APP Sports Correspondent, Ehsan Qureshi, in an interview ahead of their departure to Lahore on November 25.

“It was very heartening that the Pakistan team put up a fighting show against formidable South African placed second in the ICC Test ranking. Overall it was an impressive show by our boys,” he commented.

“Coming from behind and drawing both the Test matches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi was creditable performance. It was an outstanding show under intense pressure,” he reckoned.

Pakistan surprised even their own supporters by having managed to draw both the Test matches after nightmarish starts. The fancied South Africans were unable to either of the two games despite being the firm favourites.

“The fighting performance against South Africa in ODIs and Test matches are great boost for the team ahead of their tour to New Zealand,” former Pakistan Captain Intikhab Alam, who replaced Yawar Saeed as Manager, observed.

He said it was good performance by the team in absence suspended pace duo of Muhammad Aamir and Muhammad Asif and opener Salman Butt.

“Team members showed responsibility and good conduct on and off the field. Misbah led the side well and also proved himself with the bat,” Intikhab added.

He said there was lot of talk criticism on the appointment of Misbah as the captain of the Test team but he fully proved himself worthy of the position.

“The atmosphere in the dressing room remained friendly and congenial and coach Waqar Younis alongwith the support staff played their role admirably,” he said.

Commenting on the pitches prepared for Test matches, tracks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi were more suited for batting but added there was some good performances by Pakistani and South African bowlers on those pitches.

“I think ODI as well as Test series were interesting and absorbing and there was great tussle between the bat and the ball throughout the tour,” he remarked.

Intikhab Alam credited youngsters like Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq, debutant pace bowler Tanvir Ahmed and all-rounder Abdur Rehman. “These guys put in their best and impressed everyone with their outstanding performances. Among the seniors Younis Khan, Umer Gul also fared well,” he said.

Commenting on the areas of concern for his team, he did not mince words in stating that fielding and top level fitness needed to be focussed ahead of the upcoming tour of New Zealand.

To a question about wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider deserting the team on the morning of the fifth ODI in Dubai, he said that he had prepared a report and will be submitting to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, Ijaz Butt, shortly.

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South Africa narrowly survive another miracle

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

While other teams dream about bringing about a miracle once in a blue moon Pakistan’s cricketers have been brought up watching such upsets as being part and parcel of their usual business.

Take it positively or otherwise the fact remains that Pakistan could never be ruled out of the game until they are finally beaten. Abdul Razzaq was the architect of a win in the most unlikely of circumstances in the second One-day International against South Africa in Abu Dhabi.

South Africa, despite having been blown out by Razzaq the other night, must have reckoned that the match was in their grab when they dismissed the danger man with Pakistan still needing 76 runs in the last eight overs with only four wickets standing in the third ODI in Dubai.

South Africa held all the cards in their pocket at this stage, in their bid to defend the total of 228. Their bowlers had been on target and there was not much to complain either from the fielders.

The boundaries had dried up and the task of getting nearly 10 runs every over with not much batting resources left it needed yet another miraculous onslaught to alter the course of the proceedings.

I had written while analyzing the second ODI that when Pakistan get on the rampage every other thing takes back seat. I had pointed out that it was Abdul Razzaq who caused the damage to South Africa but it could have been Shoaib Akhtar too in the similar role.

Well it was not Shoaib Akhtar but it was the unlikely duo of Fawad Alam and Wahab Riaz who cut South Africa to size to very nearly pull off yet another incredible win. Both of them stunned everyone with their heroics.

South Africa, who bowled and fielded terribly in the final phase of the game when they actually needed to seal the fate with just normal game, came perilously close to losing yet another tie which they had in their bag all the time.

The sloppy work of the South Africans, who are known otherwise for their brilliance in the field, didn’t cost them the game but it must have provided them enough shock to keep them unsettled for sometime.

The South African batsmen, with the sole exception of Hashim Amla, were found wanting in conditions that were not all that demanding. The dismissal of A B de Villiers courtesy a rank bad decision by third umpire, Zamir Haider, didn’t help their cause either.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), which is headquartered in Dubai where the match was taking place, should do away with the policy of ‘risking’ home umpires in One-day Internationals because obviously such decisions create a bad feeling among the affected team.

Amla held the South African innings together with another masterful century, his fifth of the year in the ODIs. It’s quite amazing how he has improved him game over the last couple of years.

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Call it a miracle or a fluke that’s how Pakistan cricket lives

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Never rule Pakistan out of any contest has been a famous saying. You are never sure when the Nature will collaborate with them to achieve the impossible. We have seen it so many times when they have performed wonders in the unlikeliest of circumstances.

The latest episode was witnessed in the second One-day International between Pakistan and South Africa in Abu Dhabi on October 31 with Abdul Razzaq being the catalyst of bringing about another miracle.

I had mentioned in my write-up on October 30 that unless and until something very dramatic happens or the external factors come into play in a big way, South Africa should be winning the remaining four ODIs and both the Test matches that follow without much botheration.

There was not even the remotest possibility of Pakistan winning the game when they had lost their top five batsmen with many more runs required at a very demanding asking rate. That’s why the majority of the cricket enthusiasts back home had either switched off their television sets or changed the channel to watch something that had an element of entertainment or fun in it.

It was only when they woke up in the morning they learnt about the miracle having taken place in the desert with Abdul Razzaq having blasted a kind of century that would have made even the likes of Don Bradman and Viv Richards proud.

That’s the beauty of Pakistan cricket. You never know when any of their batter will turn the master blaster of the century. It was Abdul Razzaq’s night. It could have belonged to anyone else too. I would not have been surprised even if Shoaib Akhtar played that kind of cameo having come at number eleven.

I think it was exactly a year ago at the same venue when Daniel Vettori and his team had narrowly survived an even bigger embarrassment when the last pair of Mohammad Aamer and Saeed Ajmal had turned it around with a huge partnership.

Vettori, I suppose, would remember that night for a long time. Known and respected for bowling the tightest of line and length that keeps even the most fluent of batsmen guessing, the champion left-arm spinner was whacked for a couple of sixes in an over by Aamer of all people.

The one-wicket victory has opened Pakistan’s account in the series but it’s not expected to cause much discomfort or anxiety in the South African camp. Having suffered similar fate against the same opponents a few times in the past as well they must have known that there’s no point in taking Pakistan for granted irrespective of their form, fitness or anything.

While the South Africans would be looking to prevent another miracle during the course of the ongoing series Pakistan would be hoping for the repeat of such an act a few more times which obviously seems unlikely but cannot be ruled out entirely.

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South Africa on course of whitewashing Pakistan

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

I incline to agree with the observations of the former South African coach, Mickey Arthur, that Pakistan, being at an absolute low, stand no chance whatsoever of coming to terms with the Proteas in the ongoing series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

South Africa, after having overwhelmed Pakistan in both the Twenty20 Internationals, cruised to a most comfortable victory in the first of the five One-day Internationals at Abu Dhabi on October 29.

Unless and until something very dramatic happens or the external factors come into play in a big way, South Africa should be winning the remaining four ODIs and both the Test matches that follow without much botheration.

“I can't see us having any trouble beating them. Our real test will come when we play against India at home at the end of the year," Aurthur, now coach of Western Australia after he resigned from the Proteas job in January, said while mentioning the problems surrounding the Pakistan team at the moment.

I don’t think anybody will argue with Arthur at this stage. The momentum is with South Africa and they have a balanced and strong outfit for every format of the game while Pakistan find themselves in an exactly the opposite situation.

Thanks to Ijaz Butt and his cronies, Pakistan have had problems in finding a regular captain besides fielding a settled team for the last couple of years. Far too many changes with total disregard to merit have pushed the Pakistan cricket to a corner from where they can only dip further.

If we talk purely in terms of cricket, there’s a huge gap between the two teams. The South African outfit is not only super-fit and agile but they seem to be playing with purpose. They have a goal in their mind and they are executing their plans accordingly.

The World Cup, less than six months away, is very much in their minds and they are doing their best to raise the level of their game. They have had the problem of choking in the big tournaments in the past and I am sure they would be working overtime to overcome this chronic weakness of theirs.

The South African youngsters have come to the party in a big way which augurs well for the future of their cricket. The young guns will certainly keep the veterans on their toes and there will be pressure on the seasoned campaigners to perform consistently or be replaced.

The performance of Jacques Kallis, returning to the side after a layoff, would delight their team management and his all-round expertise would be immensely helpful to their cause. It’s quite extraordinary how Hashim Amla has transformed his game, having become a dasher top of the order.

A B de Villiers, as he showed in the first ODI, has no problems in keeping the scoreboard moving as will while Graeme Smith and J P Duminy also have also hit form without wasting time.

The pace of Morne Morkel can frighten the best of batsmen and he’s going to be a major threat for Pakistan. With another genuine fast bowler in Dale Steyn raring to go at the other end it can only mean further trouble for their opponents.

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South Africa draw first blood unconvincingly

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Can you imagine chasing a target of exactly run a ball for the entire length of a T20innings on the flattest of pitches in conditions near perfect for batting with so much of hassles and uncertainties?

The South Africans certainly won the first Twenty20 International against Pakistan by six wickets in the end with quite a few deliveries left in Abhu Dhabi on October 26 but it wasn’t the kind of chase that would have lifted their spirits.

The only way Pakistan could have won the match, after being dismissed for 119, was to bowl South Africa out. That looked very much a possibility when South Africa had crashed to 26 for three after 5.1 overs.

It was really amazing to find the South African top-order looking like novices against a bowling attack that wasn’t high in confidence either. Shoaib Akhtar, whose fitness always remains a cause of concern, was spearheading the attack after sometime and Abdul Razzaq was entrusted with the new ball a bit surprisingly.

Neither of them would have been operating with the new ball if Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer had been there. Yet the credit goes to the South African batsmen to have kept the contest alive until the very end.

If the likes of Graeme Smith, Loots Bosman and A B de Villiers were found demanding in conditions devoid of any pressure then one can understand what their fate could be in a closer or more significant match.

That explains why the South Africans have been proving as chokers in nearly every major event. They have had a better record as far as bilateral series are concerned but the uncertain manner in which they overcame Pakistan while chasing the easiest of targets leaves a question mark about their abilities.

The pace of Lonwabo Tsotsobe and the spin of Johan Botha combined excellently to send Pakistan crashing to 119 all out inside 20 overs. It’s not often that any team gets bowled out in T20 game but you can never rule out such possibilities when experimentations are being carried out rather senselessly.

Pakistan’s batting has let them down on so many occasions and the kind of combination they fielded in the opening game there’s little doubt that a lot needs to be done to enhance their efficiency.

South Africa remained on top of the Pakistan batsmen and even Shahid Afridi’s typically agricultural shots didn’t derail them. The returning Misbah-ul-Haq struggled to get his timing right and there was not much he could have done against a balanced and potent bowling attack.

The match was won and lost in the first session and there were very few people who thought in terms of Pakistan staging a comeback. The failure of Smith, Bosman and de Villiers prevented the match from becoming a totally one-sided affair.

The 66-run fourth wicket partnership between Colin Ingram and JP Duminy brought the South Africans back in control and even the dismissal of the latter couldn’t change the course of the proceedings.

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Lady luck now smiles on Misbah

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Everybody knows that the strangest of things happen in Pakistan. Be it national politics or the most talked about game of cricket one is never tired of watching the most unlikeliest of events taking place.

I mentioned politics and cricket in particular because these are the prime areas of interest for the common man in Pakistan. Every newspaper and television channel covers the minutest of details of cricket because that’s the sport having a massive following in the urban as well as the rural areas of the country.

Yet the game of cricket is governed most controversially. In other words it are the emotions of the people being played with. But who cares here. The present Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ijaz Butt, has broken all records of indecency and his adventures continue unabated despite the consistent and loud media criticism.

The latest from Ijaz Butt is the appointment of Misbah-ul-Haq, who was not even a member of the national team for quite sometime because of the loss of batting form, has suddenly been elevated to the rank of the captain.

Misbah should not be believing his luck. He hardly deserved to be there in the team and now he would be leading it during the upcoming Test series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

There are rumours that Misbah won the nod upon the recommendation of an influential politician, who is also believed to have facilitated the return of Mohammad Yousuf during the Test series against England a few months ago. The stories were also doing rounds that Shoaib Akhtar’s comeback in the team was also made possible by another high-profile political figure.

Such possibilities could not be ruled out because Ijaz Butt has been ‘ruling’ Pakistan cricket for the past couple of years primarily with the support of the politicians who get their work done with the blink of an eye.

Former captain Wasim Akram didn’t take time in having expressed shock at the appointment of Misbah as Test captain.

"I was surprised when I heard that Misbah has been named the Pakistan captain. He has been out of the team since the beginning of the year and to bring him back as a captain was a bit shocking," he remarked.

"They did not have too many choices. Kamran Akmal is there but he is inexperienced. They have also tried Shoaib Malik. Mohammad Yousuf is making a comeback after a long time and he should just concentrate on his batting at the moment. If they have named him the captain for one series, it's okay. He is already 36 and the PCB needs to find a long-term solution to this problem. I do not know the vision of the selectors," he added.

Wasim reckoned that Misbah will have a key role as a leader in the South Africa series, “He will be under pressure. He will have to improve the image of Pakistan cricket. For Misbah handling the media and getting runs himself could be demanding. The wickets in Dubai might suit his style of batting, but you cannot take the South Africans lightly. They are a very tough opposition under any conditions. Misbah needs to work hard and make sure he earns the faith of the team. If he gets runs, everything else will take care of itself," the former captain felt.

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Intikhab's reappointment another nail in coffin of Pakistan cricket

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The appointment of Intikhab Alam as manager of the national cricket team for the upcoming series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is another step in the backward direction.

While the other nations remain on the lookout for better personnel who could add value to the team the story seems completely different altogether in Pakistan cricket where nepotism and favoritism are the deciding factors.

By the look if things Intikhab has been brought back as manager to maintain status quo as Ijaz Butt, the man calling the shots, has blind faith in him. They needed someone to protect their interests and replacing Yawar Saeed was just an eyewash.

Ijaz Butt, the older he gets, probably feels uncomfortable with the idea of opening up things. He rather prefers to have men of his choice at the key posts who provide him all the inside information to satisfy his ego.

Be it Yawar Saeed or Intikhab Alam their duties will be the same. Disciplining the team or working on the improvement of performance in the field will hardly ever be in their agenda. After all they get paid hefty sums basically for ‘spying’ for Ijaz Butt and there’s no point in thinking toward the welfare of the team.

What Yawar Saeed did as manager Intikhab Alam could probably do better. Ijaz Butt could get comprehensive report about the activities of all the members of the squad in order to enable him to form his opinion which of the team members speak in his favour and who are opposed to his policies.

It goes to the credit of Yawar Saeed to have paved the exit of Younis Khan. The most prolific Pakistan batsman of the recent years, who was also the captain of the team, became a victim of the intrigues of the manager during the tour of Sri Lanka last year leading to the revolt against him just a few weeks later.

Let us see who’s going to be trapped by Intikhab whose record as captain was far from satisfactory with his teammates accusing him of over bowling himself against the interests of the team.

Intikhab, despite his poor record as a leader, has been a part of the management primarily because of his standout quality of being a yes-man to the establishment. His role as manager and coach in the past was as disgusting as his tenure as captain.

Intikhab has remained acceptable to all kinds of Board’s helmsmen because he never dared compromising on their interests. Be it Arif Ali Khan Abbasi or Ijaz Butt,they are fond of the ever-smiling ‘Inti’ who will never disobey his masters come what may.

Ijaz Butt has caused irreparable damage to the Pakistan cricket already and the reappointment of Intikhab as manager can be described as another nail in their coffin. It’s a hugely controversial decision because there were innumerable better candidates, having the desired administrative and managerial capacity, who could have proved asset at a stage when each and every move of the Pakistan cricketer is monitored.

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