Lahore: Inzamam-ul Haq may not wish to read much into it, but Aamer Sohail believes Shoaib Akhtar’s unavailability will mean “advantage India” and “the going getting tougher for Pakistan”.
“This is a big blow for Pakistan. There’s no doubt that Shoaib is a matchwinner and the team doesn’t have his replacement. The bowling is bound to suffer,” the former captain told The Telegraph on Sunday.
“On flat pitches here, Shoaib can unnerve the opposition with his pace. Add to it the fact that the other bowlers aren’t penetrative enough and so, haven’t gained much confidence. Most of them are struggling. There’s no doubt that the psychological edge lies with India after their commanding win in Rawalpindi,” he added.
Despite Pakistan’s Test series wins against England and India, Sohail feels the team hasn’t made much progress. “The simple fact is that we have only cashed in on the home advantage. I’m still not happy with the team’s overall progress. The problem with India and Pakistan is that they aren’t equipped enough to win abroad. The forthcoming England tour will be a big test for Pakistan.
“If you look at the top-order, everyone has been getting runs on flat wickets. This sort of pitches doesn’t allow players to improve. That is the reason why we struggle outside the subcontinent. It’s high time we started having wickets that support fast bowlers,” the former Pakistan opener explained.
“India, too, need to produce quicker wickets. You should be ready to lose one or two matches at the outset, but it will help you in the long run. Pakistan have fast bowlers but the dead wickets reduce a cricketer’s career,” he observed.
Sohail doesn’t wish to give any credit to Bob Woolmer for the team’s show of late. “He has been in charge for two years, but the problems with fielding and no balls persist. The fast bowlers lack consistency? The batting, too, has suffered. Quality players have been dropped and persisting with allrounders isn’t taking Pakistan cricket forward. Pakistan struggled in Australia and the batting got exposed? How can you not have players like Taufeeq Umar and Asim Kamal in the Test side?” the former national selector asked.
Indian bowling hasn’t pleased Sohail either. “There is no doubt that their batting is among the best in the world. But the bowling is inadequate and will keep struggling in conditions that are not suited for them. Pace is so vital in modern cricket, but the pacers lack it. Moreover, there are serious flaws in their actions and that is another reason why they look so mediocre.”
Does India need a bowling coach under these circumstances? “Rather than having a bowling coach I would advise them to prepare positive pitches at home when playing against teams of equal strength. The selection requires to be done in a proper manner and it would be advisable to have the coach at the junior level.
Greg Chappell’s style, however, has quite impressed him. “He has actually been brilliant. The work he has done with the Indian tailenders is amazing? He surely has made it clear that he has long-term plans. He can be an asset to the side.”
Does he believe in the talk that Sachin Tendulkar is over the hill? “Nonsense,” pat came the reply from Sohail. “Batsmen with class require only one innings to come back. Look at Inzy? He was out of sorts in Australia but hasn’t taken much time to be among runs again.”
And Sourav Ganguly? Does he merit a place in the one-day side? “He looked good in Karachi where conditions were quite tough. I don’t know about his fitness? whether he is fit enough to take those quick singles or be athletic on the field. So, it wouldn’t be proper for me to make a comment,” he signed off.
