Taking responsibility: Waqar, Afridi want young talent to fill Ajmal’s shoes
Coach, skipper say team needs to move on and build for 2016 World T20.
DUBAI:
Pakistan cricket team coach Waqar Younis urged his bowlers to step up and fill the considerable void that has been left behind by ace spinner Saeed Ajmal’s suspension when they face Australia in the home limited overs and Test series.
Ajmal, ranked number one in one-day cricket, was suspended last month after his bowling action was found illegal following an assessment in a bio-mechanical laboratory in Australia.
Ajmal has been a huge success in the T20 format, having taken 85 wickets in 63 matches; the highest by any bowler in the format.
The wily spinner had previously missed only three T20 matches out of the 66 that Pakistan have played since his debut in 2009. However, that number is now sure to increase and Waqar believes Pakistan will have to live with the fact that Ajmal is not available in the short-term.
“Ajmal has been a world beater for the last seven years and he has been at the top of his game but we have to live with it and we have to find some new boys and make sure the youngsters deliver,” said Waqar in a press conference.
Pakistan have included left-arm spinner Raza Hasan to replace Ajmal and also have an exciting leg-spinning all-rounder in Saad Nasim, who will be hoping to make his debut on Sunday.
“In a way it is an opportunity for young players like Hasan, or some other spinners we might bring into the Test squad, and also the responsibility of some of the senior bowlers to step up and perform,” said Waqar.
Pakistan had a miserable World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in April, when they failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time in the tournament’s history, prompting captain Muhammad Hafeez to step down.
Since then, the responsibility has been handed over to all-rounder Shahid Afridi, and the new captain, who will be starting his second stint against Australia on Sunday, also felt the team needs to move on from Ajmal’s suspension in order to build a team for the World T20 in 2016. “We don’t have to look back at who is not available,” he said. “We have to think about building a squad for the 2016 World Twenty20.”
New faces for Australia
Australia too have a new captain in Aaron Finch, who took over after George Bailey stood down to concentrate on one-day and first class cricket in order to win back a place in the Test side. Australia were also knocked out of the last World Twenty20 in the group stages, but have won six out of nine this year, compared to Pakistan’s two from four.
Finch, like Afridi, has a young and inexperienced squad at his disposal, after experienced all-rounder Shane Watson was ruled out of the tour with an ankle injury. Watson’s likely replacement, Mitchell Marsh, is also doubtful for Sunday’s game due to a hamstring injury.
Paceman Pat Cummins will also miss out due to his involvement in the Champions League Twenty20, but big-hitter Glenn Maxwell and uncapped leg-spinner Cameron Boyce are likely to join the squad.
Like Afridi, Australia’s new captain is also looking to build a team for the World T20. “It goes without saying that I will do my utmost in this role [as captain] as we head into the World T20 in 18 months’ time,” said Finch.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 4th, 2014.
Pakistan cricket team coach Waqar Younis urged his bowlers to step up and fill the considerable void that has been left behind by ace spinner Saeed Ajmal’s suspension when they face Australia in the home limited overs and Test series.
Ajmal, ranked number one in one-day cricket, was suspended last month after his bowling action was found illegal following an assessment in a bio-mechanical laboratory in Australia.
Ajmal has been a huge success in the T20 format, having taken 85 wickets in 63 matches; the highest by any bowler in the format.
The wily spinner had previously missed only three T20 matches out of the 66 that Pakistan have played since his debut in 2009. However, that number is now sure to increase and Waqar believes Pakistan will have to live with the fact that Ajmal is not available in the short-term.
“Ajmal has been a world beater for the last seven years and he has been at the top of his game but we have to live with it and we have to find some new boys and make sure the youngsters deliver,” said Waqar in a press conference.
Pakistan have included left-arm spinner Raza Hasan to replace Ajmal and also have an exciting leg-spinning all-rounder in Saad Nasim, who will be hoping to make his debut on Sunday.
“In a way it is an opportunity for young players like Hasan, or some other spinners we might bring into the Test squad, and also the responsibility of some of the senior bowlers to step up and perform,” said Waqar.
Pakistan had a miserable World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in April, when they failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time in the tournament’s history, prompting captain Muhammad Hafeez to step down.
Since then, the responsibility has been handed over to all-rounder Shahid Afridi, and the new captain, who will be starting his second stint against Australia on Sunday, also felt the team needs to move on from Ajmal’s suspension in order to build a team for the World T20 in 2016. “We don’t have to look back at who is not available,” he said. “We have to think about building a squad for the 2016 World Twenty20.”
New faces for Australia
Australia too have a new captain in Aaron Finch, who took over after George Bailey stood down to concentrate on one-day and first class cricket in order to win back a place in the Test side. Australia were also knocked out of the last World Twenty20 in the group stages, but have won six out of nine this year, compared to Pakistan’s two from four.
Finch, like Afridi, has a young and inexperienced squad at his disposal, after experienced all-rounder Shane Watson was ruled out of the tour with an ankle injury. Watson’s likely replacement, Mitchell Marsh, is also doubtful for Sunday’s game due to a hamstring injury.
Paceman Pat Cummins will also miss out due to his involvement in the Champions League Twenty20, but big-hitter Glenn Maxwell and uncapped leg-spinner Cameron Boyce are likely to join the squad.
Like Afridi, Australia’s new captain is also looking to build a team for the World T20. “It goes without saying that I will do my utmost in this role [as captain] as we head into the World T20 in 18 months’ time,” said Finch.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 4th, 2014.