COLOMBO, 6 October – Young Faisal Iqbal has high cricketing pedigree. He is the nephew of Javed Miandad, Miandad’s eldest sister’s son. His career has been rife with controversy, Miandad being accused by all and sundry of nepotism. Former captain Miandad was the coach of the team when Faisal made his Test debut. He scored two half centuries as the three-Test series was drawn 1-1. When Pakistan toured England, Faisal played in the Old Trafford Test and failed in both innings. In the one-off Test against Bangladesh in Multan, he was unlucky to be out for nine as five Pakistani batsmen helped themselves to centuries. Faisal was recalled when senior players either opted out or were forced out due to injuries. He grabbed the chance with both hands as he batted brilliantly under highly adverse conditions in Pakistan’s first innings on Friday. “I thought this is a good chance for me to bat well and save the team from follow-on. So instead of getting under pressure, I decided to play my natural game,” Faisal told journalists at the end of the day’s play. Even the Australians were impressed as they tried in vain to needle him with their verbal jibes. “He did not get upset and did not respond. So we knew he had the right genes,” said Australian wicketkeeper and vice-captain Adam Gilchrist. Leg-spinner Shane Warne could not believe his eyes as Faisal stepped out and lofted him to the boundary four times in an over. “It was unbelievable. That lad is really talented,” said Warne. Faisal at 20, missed his maiden Test century to be out for 83 but he had helped Pakistani save the ignominy of following on. Only time will tell whether he has the streetfighter instincts of his uncle Miandad but he has certainly inherited a cricketing legacy that will take him far.
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Infighting in Pak team
THE worst kept cricketing secret is the infighting in the Pakistan cricket team. Pakistani newspapers were full of the internal wranglings and matters came to a head when prolific batsman Yousuf Youhanna was sent back from the Nairobi tournament ostensibly because of a shoulder injury. However, the secret of his fight with captain Waqar Younis was soon out when he reached home. Youhanna was duly reinstated in the team for the ICC Champions Trophy. The team’s poor performance in the tournament resulted in the sacking of coach Mudassar Nazar and manager Yawar Saeed. There were also reports that Waqar and Saeed had joined hands against senior players. With the first Test of the neutral series set for Colombo, Wasim Akram and Saeed Anwar opted out while Inzamam and Youhanna were ruled out due to injuries. Now with mainly youngsters in the team, the dressing room atmosphere is reported to be much more convivial. The Pakistan Cricket Board have extended Waqar’s captaincy till the 2003 World Cup. This will help in bringing greater stability in the team and Waqar should be able to assert his authority and work toward molding the team into a cohesive unit by the time the World Cup comes up.
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Steve’s baggy green cap
STEVE WAUGH, the Australian captain has worn the same baggy green cricket cap during all his 149 Tests, including the current one against Pakistan. This is definitely a record that deserves a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. The cap has signs of wear and tear due to its constant use over the years. One wonders what the reason is behind Steve’s preference for this particular cap, whether it is superstition or something else. Meanwhile, the Australians have a way of celebrating the fall of a wicket even before the umpire raises his finger. They start congratulating each other with high fives and backslapping as the batsman stays glued to the ground. While the celebrations have generally been justified, there have been a couple of occasions when the players had to give up midway as the umpire turned down their appeal.
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Ranatunga in trouble
FORMER Sri Lanka captain and current parliamentarian Arjuna Ranatunga appears to be in trouble over a criminal case in which he is alleged to have assaulted some schoolboys. Someone familiar with the case told me that Arjuna has been trying to settle the issue out of court. But that is not possible since this is a criminal case and the state is trying Arjuna. Arjuna and his father Reggie Ranatunga, a former minister, are both members of Parliament, representing the People’s Alliance party. A jail term will result in Arjuna losing his Parliament seat. Hence the last-minute bid to settle the case. A former classmate of Arjuna told me that he was present in the court when the case came up and he tried to persuade Arjuna to go for a compromise. At which Arjuna is reported to have said: “My only regret is that I did not bash them up properly.”
