Shoaib yet to produce a sensational feat (13 June 1999)

13 June 1999

Shoaib yet to produce a sensational feat

The Dawn

London, June 12: Most Pakistani cricket fans will have enjoyed the win over Zimbabwe on two fronts. It confirmed Pakistan's involvement in the semi-finals, and also condemned India to an exit from the World Cup! Perhaps only winning the trophy itself will better that!

My view of Pakistan's performance was different. At this stage of the tournament - with, suddenly, the finishing line in sight after a long, tortuous and highly-tactical race - I am looking very closely at the body language of each team.

The Zimbabweans, for instance, looked mentally jaded after their great effort to hold Australia at Lord's two days earlier. The Aussies have come on strong in recent games, but their inability to thrash Zimbabwe or to keep them to a moderate score will have had an effect on their confidence.

South Africa, having endured their one bad game, against Zimbabwe at Chelmsford in the final group match, regained momentum thanks to Lance Klusener's assault on Pakistan's bowling at Trent Bridge a week ago and showed by blowing away New Zealand that they are only now peaking as a unit.

Pakistan, sloppy against Bangladesh when the result was irrelevant, unlucky if a touch unprofessional against the South Africans, and too tense against India, needed a big win to get their campaign back on line.

And, from the moment Saeed Anwar was dropped by Zimbabwe's captain Alistair Campbell at slip early in their innings, confidence and self-belief flooded back.

Wasim Akram said after the match that his only cause for concern going into the semi-finals is the batting form of Ijaz Ahmed, but he said it in a way that suggested he has every faith in the experienced Ijaz rising to the challenges ahead. Saeed, Man-of-the-Match for his brilliant if sometimes flawed 103, said he had felt a big innings was just around the corner - but acknowledged how important his century was both for his own confidence and that of the team's.

If Pakistan go on to win the World Cup then the Campbell missed catch off Saeed will be seen to be the turning point in fortunes. But you tend to make your own luck in sport, and what Pakistan at last got absolutely right was the decision to pair Saeed with Wajahatullah Wasti at the top of the order and use Shahid Afridi's hitting power in the middle-order.

I said in a previous column that I could not believe the decision by Pakistan's selectors to drop Wasti for the India game, to include instead the out-of-touch Salim Malik and persist yet again with Afridi as an opener.

Yousuf Youhana's hamstring problem is another reason why Afridi had to be dropped down the order and, after Afridi's inspired 39 from 27 balls against Zimbabwe - including one of the biggest offside sixes ever seen at the huge Oval ground - he could well be retained for the semi-final even if Youhana gets himself fit again.

Youhana, in the group matches, looked Pakistan's most assured batsman. He could, conceivably, be chosen ahead of Ijaz for the semi-final - but I would be highly surprised if Wasim chooses anything other than an unchanged line-up for the next match.

Wasim knows better than most the importance of momentum, of getting on a roll and sustaining it for what in England are called "the hard yards". Pakistan are not looking quite as well-oiled as the South Africans - but then they are almost certain to have another game to play yet before there can be any fulfilment of the widely-tipped pre-tournament prediction of a meeting with Hansie Cronje's side in the final.

Saeed's hundred, the confirmation of Wasti's extra technical ability against the white ball, Afridi's re-emergence, and Saqlain Mushtaq's memorable hat-trick all added up to a good news day for Pakistan at a crucial stage.

Saqlain's three victims might not be the most distinguished batsmen in the world - in fact Henry Olonga, Adam Huckle and Pommie Mbangwa might even be three of the worst - but the smiles on the Pakistan players' faces as they celebrated Saqlain's feat showed that the wounds of three successive defeats have all butbeen healed at a stroke.

Azhar Mahmood and Abdur Razzaq also continued to take important wickets in the middle of the innings, while Shoaib Akhtar ran in with new purpose and self-belief after bowling Grant Flower through sheer pace with the new ball.

Shoaib also began to rediscover his reverse swing when he was brought back towards the end of Zimbabwe's innings. He showed he has learned the hard lessons of the South Africa match, and I feel Shoaib still has a truly sensational performance in him for one of these World Cup matches. What a time to convert one of his consistent two or three-wicket returns into a four or five-wicket haul!

If Ijaz and Inzamam-ul-Haq can get runs in the semi-final, Pakistan will be very difficult to beat. Batsmen are beginning to find conditions slightly more in their favour now we are into mid-June and the pitches are drying out, but it is still the bowlers who will win this World Cup.

I take Wasim, Shoaib, Azhar, Abdur and Saqlain to out-perform their rivals. And any side with Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed as mere reserves must be worth backing. Mustn't they?

Source :: The Dawn (www.dawn.com)