BASIT_IN_PAK_TEAM_26MAR1996

26 March 1996

Basit & Mohammad Akram In: Sohail To Lead Side To Singapore, Sharjah

Lateef Jafri

KARACHI, March 25: After what was described as "absolute unanimity" among the selectors the Pakistan Cricket Board today announced a 14-member squad for the two triangulars in Singapore and Sharjah.

The selectors, made their decision on the lineup known within minutes without any fuss or tiff. Their main stress was on merit and the recent performance.

As was expected Aamir Sohail was named to lead the national side and two changes were made due to the injury to Wasim Akram and the dropping out of Javed Miandad, who has played a long innings and has decided now to keep away from international competitions. Mohammad Akram with plenty of pace and bite in the deliveries, has been given his rightful place in the pack. According to board sources he is a trump card and may harass the rival batsmen with his controlled speed, line and length.

Basit Ali steps in the shoes of Javed Miandad to strengthen the middle order. Now that he was wielding a confident bat in the home matches he could not for long have been kept in the waiting room. With an organised skill much is expected from Basit in the two limited-overs ventures.

The formation is a balanced one with three openers in Aamir Sohail (formally given the charge of captaincy), Saeed Anwar and Rameez Raja. Other batsmen in the conglomerate are Ejaz Ahmed, Inzamam ul Haq, Salim Malik, Basit Ali and Rashid Lateef, wicketkeeper as well.

Waqar Younis will lead the pace attack with Aqib Javed, Ata ur Rahman and the promising Mohammad Akram to aid and assist him. Mushtaq Ahmad and Saqlain Mushtaq will exhibit their spinning craftsmanship and will provide variety to the bowling.

Mr. Arif Ali Abbasi, Chief Executive of the board, could not attend the evening meeting due to indisposition. According to Mr. Abbasi the selectees are a pack of fighting fit cricketers. He dispelled the impression that any member of the team was unfit.

Abbasi is hopeful of Pakistan`s chances despite the fact that the Sri Lankans will be brimful of confidence after their historic and deserving victory in the World Cup. Pakistan, Abbasi thought, would be a popular set in Singapore and perhaps with a determined effort can prove to be a hard nut to crack.

In Abbasi`s opinion India cannot show the fortitude and pugnacity needed to win matches after the regrettable Calcutta incident. Pakistan in any case has the capacity to brush aside their challenge. Perhaps there won`t be a batting slide in Singapore as also in Sharjah where South Africa will be a tough opponent.

Selector Salahuddin was also quite optimistic about the team effort in Singapore and Sharjah. He thought the palsy which afflicted the team was a passing phase. The national combination will give of the best possible performance, Salahuddin said in a hopeful vein.

According to Salahuddin it will be a featherhead in Singapore though the bowlers, especially the pacers, can extract help from the pitch. With four speed merchants, Pakistan may perhaps have the edge on the tracks in Singapore and Sharjah. The slow bowlers too may have their turn to cash in on the strips at a later stage. However, the batsmen have to upstand against the rival bowlers, unperturbed and unruffled unlike Bangalore and have to demonstrate an air of defiance against the essentially spin attack of Sri Lanka and the medium-pacers of India plus their highly-boosted Anil Kumble.

A short cricket camp will start at the National stadium on Wednesday and the selectees have been asked to report to Intikhab Alam, who retains his managerial post. Salim Yousuf is to be the assistant manager. Rashid Lateef has been made vice-captain.

The squad leaves for Singapore on Friday from Karachi.

The team is: Aamir Sohail, Saeed Anwar, Salim Malik, Ejaz Ahmed, Inzamam ul Haq, Basit Ali, Rameez Raja, Rashid Lateef, Waqar Younis, Aqib Javed, Mohammad Akram, Ata ur Rahman, Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq. Dr. Dan Kiesel: physio.

Reserves: Saleem Elahi, Azhar Mahmood, Moin Khan, Sajid Shah, Shahid Anwar and Salman Fazal.

Source :: Dawn Group Of Newspapers (https://www.cricket.org/link_to_database/SUPPORT/DAWN/)