I dont agree with Waqar. Sri Lanka have the experience bowlers, Murli & Vaas. Combined they have a 1000+ test wickets yet they weren’t a factor either in this match. Pakistan lost ONLY 2 wickets to bowlers, 3rd was a suicidal run by Malik.
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Waqar blames lack of experience for poor performance
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
By our correspondent
KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis believes an inexperienced bowling attack was one of the major reasons behind their poor showing in the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka here at the National Stadium.
“Our fast bowlers are too inexperienced,” said Waqar, one of the most successful fast bowlers in international cricket with 373 wickets from 87 Tests and 416 ODI scalps from 262 appearances.
“I mean our three fast bowlers have a total of 20 or 25 Tests combined. Only Umar Gul has some Test experience while Sohail Khan is a debutant while Yasir Arafat has played just one Test,” he told reporters here at the National Stadium.
Gul is the most experienced pacer in the side with 17 Tests, while Arafat is playing only his second Test. The Pakistani attack was slaughtered by Sri Lanka, who smashed a mammoth first innings total of 644-7, to bat the hosts out of the first Test.
Waqar, 39, also pointed out that even Danish Kaneria — the lone specialist spinner in the line-up — hasn’t played any international cricket in the last 14 months. “No matter how many first-class or county matches you play, Test cricket is a different ball game. The pressure is completely different,” he said.
Waqar said that he was surprised that Pakistan selected Sohail for the Test. “He (Sohail) is certainly not of Test class yet,” he said. “He is too raw and too inexperienced.” The former Test pacer said that Pakistan should refrain from putting all the blame on the lifeless pitch for disappointing performance on the first two days of the match.
He said that the Karachi Test is still going on and it is not a good sign that team officials are already blaming the pitch for their team’s disappointing bowling performance.After stumps on the second day, Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam blasted the local curators for preparing a flat track, saying that the team management had asked for a lively wicket for the Test.
“The criticism of the pitch could have waited until the end of this Test,” said Waqar, a former Pakistan captain. “The more important thing to do right now is to somehow save this Test,” he stressed.
Pakistan ended the third day at 296-3 with captain Younis Khan unbeaten at 49. Waqar said that the home team will have to continue batting well to save the match. “I believe that drawing the Test would be like a victory for Pakistan.”