Fast bowlers will hold the key for Pakistan in theforthcoming Indo-Pak series which will mark the return of the most competitiveand festive cricket. The Ashes are also much awaited but no contest can matchthe battle between the sub-continental neighbours.
Most of the Pakistani and Indian players are goodfriends. But the charged atmosphere has its effect on the players. Some tend toraise their levels like never before and provide cherished memories. Theincredible run-feast at Karachi set the tone for the last series. The triplehundreds of Virender Sehwag and double by Rahul Dravid are like badges of honour.
When Australia visited India at the start of theseason, their fast bowling trio of Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath and MichaelKasprowicz got 43 wickets (63 per cent) while Michael Clarke, Nathan Hauritz andShane Warne had 25 scalps (37 per cent). In the last series between India andPakistan, 21 wickets (66 per cent) of the visitors were claimed by Pakistanipacemen.
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Indeed, fast bowlers will hold the key for Pakistan. Mohammad Sami is amatch-winner but he needs a show of confidence from the captain and the PakistanCricket Board. Waqar Younis as coach will start with an advantage since he hasseen all these bowlers from close quarters in Australia.
Pakistan have left behind Abdul Rauf, Shahid Nazir andMohammad Irshad from the touring party and they are all worthy youngsters. Iwould have preferred Mohammad Irshad as he is genuinely quick and with Sami hispace could have been disconcerting.
Pacemen of course will be assisted by the SG balls, tobe used in the series instead of the Kookaburra ones. The SG balls are quitehard with a high-up seam. The first 20 overs with a SG ball by genuine fastbowlers can daunt any batting line-up in the world. It has good grazeresistance, hardness and is this able to retain its shape longer. It also helpsgood spinners. It tends to reverse swing a lot and batting line-ups can suffersudden collapses.
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If Sami and company can create havoc in the Indianline-up, high-action leg-spinner Danish Kaneria with the harder ball can playthe key role with quick wickets at critical stages. Arshad Khan will be a verygood spinning foil. Pakistan unfortunately does not have a quality left-armspinner and it could tell in the series as you need bowlers to exploit theroughs on the fourth and fifth day.
Shahid Afridi was a spinner reborn in Australia. He is an automatic starter inthe one-dayers but if Pakistan find an under-prepared wicket in a Test, Afridishould be an automatic choice. He can also score quickly which could be tellingin a low-scoring encounter.
Pakistan need a left-right hand batting combination atthe top of the order to counter the left-arm pacemen of India. Thus, YasirHameed and Salman Butt should be the first choice openers. Both are attackingplayers and that is how modern Test openers approach their cricket. Hameed needsconfidence from the team management. He is a very good, aggressive player andwell-suited to all conditions. Percentage of stroke play would come with time.
Younis Khan is one of the bravest players in the teamand has a record better than Mohammad Kaif or Yuvraj Singh. He should come atone-down. Number four and five are the preserves of Inzamam-ul Haq and YousufYouhana. At their best, they easily match the brilliance of Dravid and SachinTendulkar.
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Asim Kamal should make the number six spot his own.Technically speaking, Asim is one of the best going around. Kamran Akmal hasbeen preferred ahead of Moin Khan and it could be a make-or-break tour for him.A wicketkeeper will find the spotlight particularly harsh -- a bad performanceand it is not the selectors but the fans who will decide his fate.
Arshad, at number eight, can bat well and his off-spinners could trouble thefour left-handers in the Indian line-up. Sami is developing as a reliable numbernine. Although Naved-ul Hasan Rana played with infectious zeal in Australia, heis more suited to one-dayers like my good friend Shoaib Malik. I feel too manyall-rounders in the Tests is not a good policy.
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Coming to Shoaib Akhtar and his pull-out, controversycould have played a part in it. Why does it always involve Shoaib Akhtar? It isbecause the Pakistan team management for the last two years has been weak. Onecannot be strict and lax at the same time. Management too needs to beconsistent. Shoaib is a natural gem and it all depends on the leader how andwhen to use him. Most of the times he was misused during the Australian summer.
Shoaib and Inzamam need to sit together and sort outtheir differences. It cannot be all that distinctive and sharp. Both of themwant to do well for Pakistan cricket. They are the flagships of Pakistan'sbatting and bowling. They are keys to overall strategy and have a role to playin grooming youngsters. They might have different views about taking Pakistancricket forward. Honest dialogue between them, carefully facilitated by PCB, canbring about a common vision. If both play together with pride and passion,Pakistan can beat any team in the world.
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I feel both sides have equal chance of winning the Testand one-day series. The team which shows better nerves and plays as a well-knitunit will come out with flying colours. It will indeed be a close encounter.
PTI
