KARACHI, 19 February 2005 — Pakistan’s former Test captain and wicketkeeper Rashid Latif believes Pakistan can win the Test series in India because of the specific brand of cricket ball used in domestic, Test and One-Day Internationals in India.
“Our bowlers have not really adopted to exploiting the Kookaburra ball when it loses its shine. But the SG cricket ball used in India is very different because it is harder and has a more prominent seam,” the 36-year-old said.
“The SG ball is very different from the Kookaburra because it has high abrasion resistance and excellent shape retention. Its seam is also very thick and lifted. And our bowlers are very good at using cricket balls that remain hard and have a prominent seam,” Latif said.
“The SG ball gives a lot of assistance to the new ball bowlers but it is far more dangerous when it becomes older as the bowlers get can get more reverse swing and the spinners also get a lot of turn because of its seam condition,” he explained.
He pointed out that in recent years while most of the cricket playing countries are using the Kookaburra cricket ball India still used the SG.
“Which is why on Indian pitches you see that pacers and spinners alike get a lot of wickets.” “With the Kookaburra ball the problem is that its seam is flattened quickly and even getting reverse swing is difficult since the abrasion does not last and the ball gets softer quickly,” the former test player stated. He pointed out that the use of the SG ball was one reason for Pakistan having done well in India in the 90s.
“Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and even our spinners were very good at utilizing the SG balls. But our bowlers struggle a bit with the Kookaburra for which you need to have real skills to get the ball to reverse swing regularly,” he added.
The veteran keeper who has a half brother based in Kolkatta however warned that India would have the edge over Pakistan in the tests because they had a good left arm spinner in Murali Karthik. “Pakistan in recent years have been very fallible to good left arm spin or the ball that spins away.
Visiting southpaws have even enjoyed a lot of success in Pakistan guys like Ray Bright, Nick Cook, Ashely Giles.
That is one area where India has the edge.” “The problem we face is that for years we have not found a quality left armer in Pakistan.
And I would advice the selectors to consider young Abdul Rehman for the Indian tour specifically.”
Rehman plays for the Habib bank team and is also rated as a good batsmen and fielder.
Latif said if India managed to prepare slow turning and dusty tracks for even two of the Test matches they would hold the advantage but Pakistan would not be out of the game because of the SG cricket balls.
Meantime, in a new twist to the Shoaib Akhtar saga before the Indian tour, The Pakistan cricket Board (PCB) has summoned him before its disciplinary committee to hear him out before deciding on the allegations of contractual violations made out against him.
The disciplinary committee is headed by Justice Amir Alam Khan and includes Abdul Salam Khawar (lawyer), Maqboool Ellahi Malik and the legal advisor of the board Syed Asghar Haider.
Significantly the disciplinary committee hearing has been scheduled just a day before the national selection committee meets on Feb. 19 to select the touring squad for India.
The selectors were originally scheduled to meet a day earlier but apparently the change of plans has occurred in a bid by the board to get a final verdict from the disciplinary committee on the charges against Shoaib and also because coach Bob Woolmer does not return home before the Feb. 18 from his vacation.
Pakistan’s injured pacer Umar Gul has claimed that two out three stress fractures in his back have healed up and he is looking forward to a return to competitive cricket by the tour of West Indies in May.
Dismissing recent reports that his career was finished as he had not got proper diagnosis and treatment for his back problem, Gul said he would be going to Lahore in three days time where the medical panel of the board would examine him.
“They will examine me and find out how well my back has healed.
I will than know where I stand as far as my injury is concerned,” he stated.
