Aamir, Rashid called for national camp (26 August 1999)

26 August 1999

Aamir, Rashid called for national camp

Our Sports Reporter

Karachi, Aug 25: Former captains Aamir Sohail and Rashid Latif are amongst the 24 probables named on Wednesday for a 10-day training camp for next month's Toronto mini-series against the West Indies.

The camp begins from Sept 1 at the Qadhafi Stadium under the supervision of new coach Wasim Raja.

Col (retd) Naushad Ali, chairman of selectors, said the 24 probables include 12 World Cup players, 10 who have represented Pakistan previously and just two new faces (Yasir Arafat and Shabbir Ahmad).

They 24 probables are:

Moin Khan, Saeed Anwar, Wajahatullah Wasti, Shahid Afridi, Abdur Razzak, Yousuf Youhana, Inzamamul Haq, Waqar Younis, Azhar Mahmood, Shoaib Akhtar, Mushtaq Ahmad, Saqlain Mushtaq (all 1999 World Cup team members), Aamir Sohail, Rashid Latif, Shahid Nazir, Arshad Khan, Hasan Raza, Imran Nazir, Akhtar Sarfaraz, Mohammad Wasim, Mohammad Akram, Naveed Qureshi, Yasir Arafat and Shabbir Ahmad.

Aamir Sohail and Rashid Latif return to the cricket scene after having styed away from it for about 12 months.

But there was no place for Kabir Khan, the left-arm pacer from Peshawar and Habib Bank, who established a new national record by capturing 113 wickets in the 1998-99 season. He also captained Peshawar to their first Quaid-i-Azam Trophy triumph. Instead, the injury-prone Mohammad Akram and Shahid Nazir have been invited for the camp.

Sohail was ignored after the first Test against Zimbabwe at Peshawar last November while Latif was sacked as captain and player after the tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe in February 1998.

Naushad defended the selection of the two players for the training camp arguing that a lot of cricket was still left in the pair.

On Aamir Sohail, Naushad admitted that he had a discipline problem as he had been fined almost on all tours "but it is hoped that he will mend himself."

Sohail was dropped from the tours of India, Sharjah and England after refusing to attend a training camp. He had cited domestic problems for missing the camp.

The chief selector also admitted that the left-hander didn't enjoy a good rapport with other cricketers, particularly after having accused them of betting and match-fixing. "I know there is a problem but he is a useful cricketer, a player who can still serve the country with distinction."

Naushad stressed that Sohail had played the entire 1998-99 season but added that he was not an automatic selection. He said although Sohail has not played cricket for nearly seven months "yet so are the other cricketers. We want to see how fit he is and whether he still has that magic touch."

Naushad dismissed claim that Sohail's selection contradicted the selectors earlier promises that they would induct fresh blood. "We have many youngsters in the team," he said but parried the question when told that Sohail being an opener was 33 while his other partner Saeed Anwar was 31.

When pressed, he said in an irritated tone: "You want to ignore Sohail on cricketing or administrative reasons?"

Sohail has a history of indiscipline behind him. Last season, he clashed with the cricket board chairman and then the selectors before lashing out at the former coach Javed Miandad. In 1997, he was dropped from the tour of Sri Lanka after his verbal confrontation with former chief executive Majid Khan during the semi-final of the National One-day Championship in Lahore.

But despite his conduct, Sohail has been a great performer, winning matches on several occasions. Besides being a courageous opener, Sohail is regarded as one of the best slip and close-in fielders. In addition to this, he is a useful left-arm spinner known for breaking partnerships.

Sohail has represented Pakistan in 45 Tests and 149 limited overs internationals scoring 2,777 and 4,651 runs respectively. He has caught 34 batsmen in Tests and 49 in One-day Internationals. In Tests, he has taken 20 wickets and 82 in one-dayers.

Rashid Latif earns the selectors' nod despite not keeping wickets for Pakistan A in last year's tour of New Zealand and then in the National One-day Championship. On the New Zealand tour, he was injured and Javed Qadeer stood behind the wickets. In the One-day Championship, Humayun Farhat kept wickets and excelled with the bat and gloves whereas Latif opened the innings.

But Naushad said Rashid Latif has been told that he will have to keep wickets.

Naushad further added that one wicket-keeper will go to Toronto.

Rashid, who will celebrate his 31st birthday in October, has played 22 Tests and 101 one-dayers. His brilliance behind the wickets can be judged from the fact that he has dismissed 80 batsmen in Tests and 122 in One-day Internationals.

Nevertheless, Rashid has been preferred over Wasim Yousufi of Customs and Peshawar who dismissed a record 77 batsmen behind the wickets in the 1998-99 season.

The selectors have ignored highly promising Sajid Shah who was one of the five reserves in the World Cup. Shah was a key performer in last season when he helped Habib Bank clinch the prestigious Patron's Trophy with his match figures of eight for 77, including five for 64 in the second innings.

Also overlooked was highly talented speedster Fazl-i-Akbar who was the architect of Peshawar's victory against Karachi Whites in the final of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy last season.

He recorded a hat trick in that match with his match figures of 10 for 126.

Source :: The Dawn (www.dawn.com)