Pakistan hopes giant paceman will shine in ODI series
Published: Sep 7, 2010 22:04 Updated: Sep 7, 2010 22:04
CARDIFF, Wales: Cricket may still not be in focus in the real sense of the word but things are slowly returning to normal as Pakistan gets ready for the five One Day Internationals against England.
Following the second and last Twenty20 International here at Swalec Stadium on Tuesday evening, Pakistan were set to travel to Durham on Wednesday in northeast England for the first ODI scheduled for Friday.
In Durham, they will be joined by Mohammad Irfan, regarded my many as the tallest cricketer in the world. The pacer, who stands at 7-foot-1 has been brought in as a replacement for Mohammad Amir, the 18-year-old currently under investigation for bowling no-balls on demand during the fourth and final Test against England at Lord’s late last month.
Also joining Pakistan in Durham will be young batsman Asad Shafiq, who will come in for Salman Butt, Pakistan’s Test captain and opening batsman, who is also accused of accepting bribes from match-fixers. The tourists’ 16-man squad was cut down to 13 after Salman, Amir and Mohammad Asif — the third player accused of ‘spot-fixing’ — were suspended last week but Pakistan official opted to summon just two players to replace the trio.
Irfan’s selection has created quite a stir in England’s cricketing circles as fans are waiting to see the giant pacer in action during the one-day series.
Pakistan are hoping to use the 28-year-old from Gaggu Mandi as a surprise weapon during the series which they hope to win to avenge their 1-3 Test series defeat last month.
“Irfan is really good,” said Shafqat Rana, Pakistan’s associate manager. “He is tall and he has pace and we think he is going to do well here,” added the former Pakistan Test cricketer.
Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s one-day captain, is also impressed by the bowler whom he faced in the nets in Lahore before the ICC World Twenty20 championship earlier this year.
“Irfan is going to be really effective in these conditions,” Afridi told Arab News. “His greatest advantage is his height which will give him an awkward bounce. I’m sure he would create a lot of problems for the England batsmen in the one-day series,” he predicted.
Umar Gul, Pakistan’s fast bowler, agrees with Afridi.
“I’ve seen Irfan and I can tell you that he is good,” Gul told Arab News. “Irfan is so tall that he is bound to find a lot of help from the pitch. He could be like Harmison, who really used his height well to extract a lot from the pitch. The good thing is that Irfan is even taller than Harmison,” smiled Gul. The Peshawar-born player was referring to England fast bowler Steve Harmison, who is 6-foot-4.
Irfan has just played 10 first-class matches and was unlucky not to make his international debut in the World Twenty20 championship in the West Indies earlier this year. Pakistan selected him in their initial squad only to drop him a couple of days later.
The left-armer, who almost gave up cricket to work in a plastic pipe factory to support his family, is coming to England from Sri Lanka where he was playing for Pakistan A team.
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SALMAN
Sep 8, 2010 21:05
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