Pakistan go into second Test with injuries (15 October 1998)
PESHAWAR, Oct 14: With already 1-0 down in the three-Test series, the last thing Pakistan would have wished to avoid while going into the crucial second Test against Australia were injuries to three key players
15-Oct-1998
15 October 1998
Pakistan go into second Test with injuries
By Samiul Hasan
PESHAWAR, Oct 14: With already 1-0 down in the three-Test series, the
last thing Pakistan would have wished to avoid while going into the
crucial second Test against Australia were injuries to three key
players.
Well, that isn't the case. Pacemen Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar and
burly wrist spinner Mushtaq Ahmad are all on injury list which has
made them doubtful starters for the Test beginning at the Arbab Niaz
Stadium from Thursday.
Akram has a severe throat infection, Akhtar twisted his ankle in a
training session on Wednesday and Mushtaq Ahmad has a bruised left
knee.
But team sources said the three were still likely to be named in the
playing lineup though Mushtaq Ahmad will have to undergo a fitness
test early Thursday morning.
"Wasim (Akram) and Shoaib (Akhtar) feel that they are fit to play the
Test. But Mushtaq wants to try out his knee for the last time on
Thursday morning," sources said.
Mushtaq Ahmad, however, said he was confident that he would make into
the playing side.
"I rate myself 70% fit. Another 10% would be enough to pass the
(fitness) test. The injury is not in the knee which was operated upon
two years ago. It's in the other one and I think it got bruised
during the first Test," Mushtaq told Dawn.
Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail admitted that the injuries would upset
his stomach. "I think I will have a sleepless night. The three
bowlers are key to success and any captain would get his stomach
upset by thinking whether they would be fit for the Test which is so
very important to us."
While Mushtaq Ahmad is ready to take chance if 80% fit, Australia
have left out their man in form, Darren Lehmann, who is yet to regain
complete fitness after suffering a groin injury during the four-dayer
against Rawalpindi earlier this week.
"Darren (Lehmann) is 80% fitness but we are not ready to take any
chances. He has to be cent percent fit if he has to play. Naturally
he isn't and therefore, he has been replaced by Ricky Ponting,"
Australian skipper Mark Taylor told reporters.
Lehmann scored a century in each innings against Rawalpindi and
missed the three figures in the first Test when he was out for 98.
"It's a blow but Ricky Ponting is as good a player. I and Mark Waugh
are not among runs but we are coming from a long off season. We both
scored centuries (against India) in the last Test of the previous
season," Taylor, who has crossed the 50-mark only once in five
outings in Pakistan, stated.
Taylor said the 12 players have been decided out of whom the 12th man
would be finalized in the morning. He said the tie for the last
position is between utility bowler Colin Miller and paceman Michael
Kasprowicz.
Pakistan has maintained the tradition of keeping the newsmen guessing
about the actual team by not announcing the playing lineup until the
morning of the Test. But indications are that they have decided
against taking the risk of playing with the combination that
backfired at Rawalpindi where the team lost the opening Test by an
innings and 99 runs.
At least three changes are on cards from the team which suffered its
first defeat against Australia in 39 years on home soil.
Ijaz Ahmad is likely to reclaim his one-down position, Yousuf Yohanna
is expected to bat at No 6 while Shoaib Akhtar would replace Mohammad
Husain.
Speculations of Shahid Afridi getting his first Test cap evaporated
on Wednesday afternoon when the pinch-hitter batted well after
Mushtaq Ahmad in the final training session.
The Pakistan cricket selectors had also beefed-up the injury-hit
squad by adding Rawalpindi's Mohammad Naveed and Shakeel Ahmad. But
both will be carrying the towels.
Naveed scored a magnificent 48 and 115 not out in the four-day
against Australia while Shakeel had captured 10 wickets in the match
conceding 169 runs.
If history has anything to do with the Test at Arbab Niaz Stadium,
Pakistan should inflict an innings defeat on Australia.
In the previous two Tests played here, Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by an
innings and 40 runs three year ago and last year, whipped the West
Indies by an innings and 19 runs.
But matches are won on present form which at the moment Australia are
in. They blasted KCCA in the tour opener by 333 runs and than notched
up a historic triumph at Rawalpindi.
The wicket prepared for the Test appears to be solid with small
patches of grass. PCB curator Bashir Ahmad believes that it would
have an even bounce and should produce a result.
"Having a green top doesn't mean that it would be a quick one or
would assist the seamers. It is the surface which matters and this
pitch is really hard. The ball would come at a decent height," he
remarked.
With overnight dew and wind blowing across, the pitch might help the
fast bowlers in the first session but should ease out as the match
would progress. By the third day, it might start helping the
spinners.
"There's a bit of grass on it (wicket). We might decide to play with
an additional seamer (Michael Kasprowicz)," Mark Taylor said.
However, he said that the wicket reminded him of the one at Sydney.
"I don't know how much it would turn but it is as hard as the ones we
have at Sydney, probably harder than Sydney," he added.
Pakistan coach Javed Miandad termed the wicket as a result-oriented
one. "It is a good pitch and mind you we have not intervened in its
preparation.
"Looking at the surface, we might play with three regular seamers
with Azhar Mahmood as back-up," Miandad said.
He agreed the preparation of the wicket was the discretion of the
home team but stressed that he wasn't worried if it was a quick track
or a spinning one.
"We have good pacers and good spinners. We are not bothered," he
said.
Both the teams are tight-lipped about their strategies as what they
would do in case they won the toss. But independent sources said
Australia and Pakistan have decided to put the opposition to bat in
an effort to extract the early morning advantage.
All said and done. The next five days should produce a better tussle
between the bat and the ball as compared to what we had in the
Rawalpindi Test.
Teams
Australia: Mark Taylor (captain), Michael Slater, Mark Waugh,
Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Ian Healy, Stuart MacGill,
Damien Fleming, Glenn McGrath, Collin Miller, Michael Kasprowicz,
Gavin Robertson, Darren Lehmann.
Pakistan: Aamir Sohail (captain), Saeed Anwar, Ijaz Ahmad,
Inzamam-ul-Haq, Salim Malik, Yousuf Yohanna, Shahid Afridi, Moin Khan,
Wasim Akram, Azhar Mahmood, Mushtaq Ahmad, Shoaib Akhtar, Arshad Khan,
Mohammad Zahid, Mohammad Naveed, Shakeel Ahmad.
Umpires: Steve Bucknor (West Indies), Nazir Junior (Pakistan)
Third Umpire: Said Shah (Pakistan)
Match Referee: Peter Van der Merve (South Africa).
Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)