Pakistan playing with three injured bowlers (17 October 1998)

17 October 1998

Pakistan playing with three injured bowlers

By Our Special Representative

PESHAWAR, Oct 16: Pakistan's three bowlers are carrying serious injuries with Mohammad Zahid unlikely to bowl again in the second cricket Test against Australia.

Pakistan coach Javed Miandad confirmed to Dawn that Mohammad Zahid has aggravated his groin injury, Mushtaq Ahmad was suffering from a badly bruised knee and Azhar Mahmood's was carrying a bleeding little finger of the left foot.

"The bowlers are struggling with injuries. But they were the best available to us. We couldn't have brought (bowlers) from outside," Miandad said.

Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail said Zahid did not bowl in the second half of the day's play "because he aggravated his groin injury."

"Zahid had a little pain but probably he exerted more and it aggravated."

The team management had the option of picking Shakeel Ahmad, the left-arm spinner, and Arshad Khan, the off-spinner, but both were ignored because they thought the wicket would assist the seamers.

Miandad considered it a big achievement that none of the players came out of the field. "You must be seeing that after a long time none of the players came back in the dressing room. All of them have fielded in the first two days.

"Zahid and Shoaib Akhtar came out to take treatment," he said.

Asked if it was a wise decision to go into the Test with injured bowlers, Miandad replied: "It is not the bowlers but the wicket which has deceived everyone. It has changed colour and behaviour. No one expected to be that straight."

However, the bottom line is that could Pakistan afford to play this Test with injured bowlers knowing very well that according to new ICC rules, 90 overs have to be bowled.

The attitude of the Pakistan and Australian team management can be judged from the fact that the visitors left out Darren Lehmann despite the fact that the man in-form was 80% fit. But Pakistan fielded three half-fit bowlers despite being 1-0 in the three-Test series.

One wonders what is the policy of the selection committee. At one stage, they are ignoring Waqar Younis because of elbow injury but picking players who can't fulfil their duties with the leather.

Miandad also justified his decision of playing with three specialist bowlers. In fact, he stressed that the team had six bowlers. "Azhar Mahmood, Aamir Sohail and Salim Malik are also bowlers," he maintained.

The Pakistan coach defended the lacklustre performance of the team in the two Tests saying that the side was still struggling to find the winning combination.

"We haven't played with our full strength. The boys haven't played five-day cricket for months. We are coming out of a long lay-off.

"You must not forget that we are pitted against the best team in the world today. They have done their home work and it appears that they had been preparing for this tour for months.

"This is the best Australian side ever to tour Pakistan."

Miandad admitted that Pakistan team has not yet found the right combination for Tests. "We won the Sahara Cup against India because it was one-day cricket. Test cricket is a different ball game.

"Fitness problems are not allowing us to settle down. In every game, there is an injury. Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmad are not in the best of physical conditions."

Aamir Sohail said Pakistan has been struggling in Tests for the last couple of years. "We are not delivering our best. We are struggling badly but we are in a rebuilding process. It will take time to put the pieces in their right spots."

Pakistan, in the last Test series at home, white-washed the West Indies but now face a clean sweep.

Miandad and Sohail vowed they were not concerned if they were fired after the series.

"I know this is the tradition that the captain and the coach have to pay for team's loss, but I am not bothered. It's upto the cricket board. If they think I am not the right man or they can get a better man than me, they should get him," Miandad said.

Sohail said: "I am more worried about this Test and the third one. I am not thinking about my future as captain. It's the prerogative of the authorities whom they put in-charge."

Miandad and Sohail were optimistic that their batsmen would make a strong reply to Australia's challenging score.

"We know they are in a very strong position but we are capable of fighting back. We have done that in past and can do it again," said Sohail.

Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)