Winning second Test not a priority for Whatmore

Pakistan coach believes ‘1-0 series win is as good as 2-0’ against South Africa.

DUBAI:

Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore drew on bitter personal experience to warn his players that world number one Test team South Africa can bounce back in the second Test starting in Dubai on Wednesday.

Pakistan won the first Test in Abu Dhabi by seven wickets on Thursday, but Whatmore recalled a personal experience of South Africa’s resilience when he was the coach of Sri Lanka in 2000/2001.

“This South African unit is quite resilient,” said 59-year-old Whatmore yesterday.

“I’ve had first hand experience in Sri Lanka where they lost by an innings in Galle and came back to win in Kandy,” said Whatmore of the series in Sri Lanka.



“I think there was a drawn game in Colombo so it was 1-1 in the series, so you leave them off at your peril.”

South Africa’s unbeaten series run away from home since losing to Sri Lanka in 2006 is also under threat and Whatmore, born in Sri Lanka but who emigrated with his family aged eight, said Pakistan will do their best to win.

“Well 1-0 is just as good as 2-0 as I think because a hard fought draw is also very important for any team, having been 1-0 up in the series, but we enter the game to win,” added Whatmore, whose team lost to Zimbabwe in the second Test in a 1-1 drawn series last month.

Whatmore, who played seven Tests and one limited-overs international for Australia, refused to agree that Pakistan’s win was an upset.

“I wasn’t surprised we did well, people leading up to this series in Pakistan were alluding to the fact that we lost against Zimbabwe and here you are going to play the number one team in the world, no chance.

“But that was never the case, in my mind I knew that we can be competitive.”

South Africa await Amla, Donald returns

South Africa are anxiously waiting on star batsman Hashim Amla’s return to Dubai in time for the second Test, according to team manager Mohammed Mossajee.

Amla is in Durban with his wife for the imminent birth of the couple’s second child.

Mossajee told reporters after team practice yesterday: “We are still waiting for Amla to return.”

Meanwhile, bowling coach Alan Donald has returned home on family business.

“Alan [Donald] has returned home for family reasons, he has been granted excess leave, we are not sure whether he will return or not because he needs some time to sort things out,” said Moosajee.

Pakistan ODI players start preparations

Pakistan cricketers, who were picked for the forthcoming ODI series, will give final touches to their preparations at the training camp, starting in Lahore today.

According to a Pakistan Cricket Board official, all the eight players were expected to report in the camp by yesterday night.

The training camp that will continue till the players’ departure for the UAE will be held under the National Cricket Academy coaches.

Players, who will attend the camp include Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, Nasir Jamshed, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Sarfraz Ahmed and Sohaib Maqsood.

The five-match series that will follow the two Test matches against South Africa will start from October 30 in Sharjah.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2013.

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