Mohammad Asif went wicketless in his 17 overs as the Leicestershire batsmen ensured Pakistan’s new-look attack toiled in the two-day match. Asif, who was not picked for the Twenty20 squad, failed to bother the batsmen as Smith added 65 runs with Joshua Cobb to guide his team out of trouble.
With Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer both being rested, it was the right time for Wahab Riaz and Tanvir Ahmed to impress.
The 31-year-old Ahmed, who is yet to make his international debut and was the highest wicket-taker in the domestic Quaid-i-Azam trophy, returned with figures of two for 41. He got the first wicket when he had Will Jones caught by Imran Farhat before five runs later, Shoaib Malik ran out Matthew Boyce to reduce Leicestershire to 52 for two.
Saeed Ajmal then had Jacques Du Toit caught by Farhat as Leicestershire were in a bit of bother at 75 for three. But Smith then combined with Cobb to take his team to 140 before another run-out, this time by Ajmal, broke their partnership.
And it was Ahmed again, who put Pakistan on top as he dismissed wicket-keeper Steve Adshead for a painstaking three off 27 deliveries.
But the next success for the tourists, which was also their last, came when Riaz had Smith for a valiant 87 before another meaningful partnership between White and Jigar Naik took the score to 277 at the finish. Salman Butt, leading the side after Shahid Afridi opted out, will lead Pakistan’s batting today, in a bid to gain some batting practice ahead of the first Test against Australia that starts on Tuesday.
With Pakistan resting a bunch of players, including Kamran and Umar Akmal, it was a chance for the newcomers to prove their mettle. The list included the returning Yasir Hameed and Farhat along with wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider and batsman Azhar Ali — yet to make his debut for Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune July 9th, 2010.
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