Swift Shoaib arrives in style
Scott Coghlan
December 01, 2004
ALL HAIL, the Rawalpindi Express is in town.
Never one to do things by half, Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar made a Hollywood-like arrival yesterday at his team’s first training session of their Australian tour.
While the rest of his team-mates walked from their nearby hotel to the WACA Ground, the man Cricket Australia hopes can re-ignite a dreary summer arrived in rock-star style in a $177,000 silver Lexus sports convertible.
The car, provided by a personal sponsor, is his to use while the Pakistanis are in Perth for the next three weeks or more.
On top of the sports car, he’s also being given a $30,000 1000cc Honda motorcycle for his use while in Perth.
If his modest record on Australian soil was bothering him, the supremely confident Shoaib wasn’t showing it as he cruised into his Test match preparation.
Shoaib didn’t bite at Australia captain Ricky Ponting’s dismissive claim that the Australians had already seen everything he had to offer.
He claimed he had learned from previous trips here and said he had fully recovered from the shoulder injury that kept him out of Pakistan’s second Test against Sri Lanka last month.
“I’m going to let the ball do the talking,” was Shoaib’s simple but straight response to Ponting’s comments yesterday.
“I’m fit, I’m strong, it feels good and I always look forward to coming back to Australia to play.”
It seemed Shoaib’s only concern was when a small plastic sign blew into the side of his car as he pulled into the ground.
But he definitely has a point to prove on this tour.
The 29-year-old has played just three Tests in Australia, all in 1999-2000, for a paltry six wickets at 67.67.
Shoaib worked out with the Pakistan team at practice yesterday but didn’t extend himself, rarely getting above three-quarter pace.
Pakistan officials announced Shoaib would play in the three-day match against the West Australian second XI beginning today at the University of WA’s James Park.
The tourists requested the extra match to give them additional practice for the first Test at the WACA, starting tomorrow fortnight.
After the first game, they have three days off before the annual Lilac Hill festival match next Tuesday.
A four-day match against WA, starting tomorrow week, rounds out their preparation for the Perth Test, which could pit Shoaib against his old pace rival Brett Lee.
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer said today’s match was mainly going to be used as batting practice by his side.
“I think we’ll try to get most of our batsmen going in both games, the three- and the four-day game,” Woolmer said.
"The bowlers, I think we’ll just ease into the tour a little bit, the one-day game and maybe the four-day game after that.
“That’s the idea.”
Former Zimbabwe Test all-rounder Sean Ervine will play against the Pakistanis as he attempts to force his way into the WA side.
WA’s second XI will also include several players with first-class experience, including Luke Ronchi, Adam Voges, Peter Worthington and regular Warriors opener Scott Meuleman.
- West Indies’ dissident cricketers began arriving at a training camp in Bridgetown, Barbados yesterday (AEDT), as a judge was named to arbitrate their contract dispute with national administrators.
Most of the victorious Champions Trophy squad, including captain Brian Lara and deputy Ramnaresh Sarwan, were barred from the camp last week when they would not sign contracts with the West Indies Cricket Board because of a conflict over personal endorsements.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11549890^2722,00.html
:rolleyes:
,so which ^^ part should bother me,
:k:
