Pakistan have solved their disciplinary problems and head into todays first Test against Australia as a united force confident of victory, said the new Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi. The 30-year-old Afridi came out of a four-year Test retirement to pick up the pieces after Pakistan's dismal tour of Australia this year ended in bitter recriminations.
The two previous captains, Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan, were both banned indefinitely for alleged infighting as part of widespread punishments dished out by the Pakistan Cricket Board following the 3-0 Test series whitewash, plus defeats in all six limited-overs internationals.
The PCB later overturned the suspensions handed down to Shoaib Malik and to Younus, who was not selected for the tour of England, while Yousuf retired in protest. Afridi was a controversial replacement as captain, given he has not played Test cricket since 2006 and he received a two-match ICC ban for biting the ball during a one-day international in Perth.
But the 30-year-old believes he has ironed out the unrest and he is confident nothing will derail Pakistan as they enter back-to-back Test series against Australia and England.
"The guys are united," Afridi said today. "I am trying to keep the guys as close as I can. I take them for dinner and the communication problem is not there now.
"We sit together and chat to each other. If they have any problems they can come to me and the coach and share them. It is a difficult job, especially with the different cultures and the different cities but I respect these guys and whatever their problems are I listen and talk to the management.
"They are feeling good playing with my captaincy. I am trying to be a good man-manager."
Pakistan have lost 12 consecutive Test matches to Australia, dating back to 1999, but Afridi believes there has never been a better time to beat the world Test champions.
Australia's captain, Ricky Ponting, confirmed that the wicketkeeper Tim Paine and spinner Steve Smith will both make their Test debuts at Lord's.
Pakistan warmed up for the Tests with two Twenty20 wins over Australia and Afridi said: "Winning in any form of the game keeps morale high. We are confident.
"They don't have the same players like [Shane] Warne, [Glenn] McGrath and [Matthew] Hayden. It is a totally different team. This is a time you can take these guys."
Australia will stick by the same team that played in the drawn two-day game against Derbyshire last week. Ponting confirmed Michael Clarke will continue batting at four – with Mike Hussey coming in at five – right the way through to the Ashes series against England later this year.
Clarke has batted at four just seven times in his 60-Test career and averages only 16.67 in the position, compared with 56 when he comes in at five.
But Ponting said: "I think his game's very well suited higher up the order against the newer ball, more than Hussey's is at the moment. He has been our most consistent player and that is in all conditions around the world.
"He has developed his game over the last couple of years and when guys are playing that well they need to be batting as soon as possible. That is why he has moved up a spot and that is the way it will be, not only for this series but right through the Ashes as well."
Australia were beaten by England at Lord's last year in the second Test of the 2009 Ashes series.
Ponting believes they return to the home of cricket stronger for it and he hopes that experience rubs off on Paine and Smith in particular. "The guys that have been here and done it before will hopefully be better for the experience of last time," he said.
"We will be talking to the young guys about the enormity of the game. There is already enough pressure on them to be worrying about where they are playing and who they are playing in front of. "Playing your first Test is always a special occasion. It is something I have never forgotten 140-odd Test matches later."
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment