KARACHI: Amidst growing demands that Pakistan should appoint a new captain for next year’s World Cup in place of the aging Inzamam-ul-Haq, a national cricket official reiterated Pakistan Cricket Board’s “full faith” in the hulk from Multan.
“Inzamam remains our first choice captain for the World Cup, there shouldn’t be any doubt about that,” PCB’s Director of Board Operations Abbas Zaidi told this correspondent in an interview on Monday. While responding to a query whether the PCB is keeping its options open over the captaincy issue, Zaidi said that the Board is just pinning its hopes in the leadership qualities of Inzamam.
“The captain is a great cricketer and is leading the team by example,” said Zaidi. The Board official added that Inzamam is the prime reason behind the existing harmony in the Pakistanteam dressing room. “Each and every national team player supports Inzamam as the captain. All of them respect him and look towards him for inspiration. This is the reason why there is complete harmony within the team,” he said.
He said that recently Pakistan’s vice-captain Younis Khan publicly announced that he and fellow team members fully back Inzamam and the master batsman is the best man to lead Pakistan in the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.
While the PCB has complete faith in Inzamam, a few former Test cricketers have suggested Pakistan should go for a change at the top considering the demanding nature of the World Cup, a contest where the bulky 36-year-old might not be fit enough to captain the former champions in a successful manner.
With the World Cup just ten months away, the list of critics is only growing. Recently former Pakistan skipper Aamer Sohail also joined the bandwagon saying that Inzamam’s suspect fitness makes him a bad choice to spearhead Pakistan’s campaign in the Caribbean. He also added that Pakistanshould replace him with somebody younger and fitter.
Zaidi refrained to comment on the issue of Inzamam’s fitness saying that it is up to the player to decide whether he can go on playing competitive cricket at the highest level. “Cricket is a very high-profile sport and an elite player will only remain in it if he is fit enough.”
He added that the PCB is not taking the criticism of former seriously over the captaincy issue saying that the Board is not there to cater anybody’s whims and fancies. “It is not important for us what those (former) players say because some of them don’t like anything we do. The important point for us is what the current members of the (national) team believe and I must say that they are all for Inzamam.”
Re: 'Inzmam best man to head Pakistan at World Cup 2007’
Waheed Khan and Osman Samiuddin both would had a hard time catching their collective breaths in this air space, let alone writing the above article. There is too much optimism running around.
Re: 'Inzmam best man to head Pakistan at World Cup 2007’
Except fielding :CareBear: I also hope that youngsters are not taking any notes of "How to be captain" for his "infield" activities (:CareBear: again) unless the title of those notes is "What not to do as captain on fiedl (:CareBear: again).
Re: 'Inzmam best man to head Pakistan at World Cup 2007’
Recommendations - What not do as a captain on/off the field:
[1] Dose in the field
[2] Just stand in the slips when there is a bowling change
[3] Not Consult your fellow senior players especially the vice captain
[4] Recommend personnel friends over the right candidates all the time
[5] Not take part in the fielding drills seriously
Can anyone think of anything else? I am sure there are other recommendations.
Re: 'Inzmam best man to head Pakistan at World Cup 2007’
:cb: Yes. Dhobi_Bhai , there is no harm in having a laugh about the legend Inzi whilst he still is the captain as there isn’t long to go before he eventually retires or is shown the door, after which he will be history.
I wonder who Inzi is talking to on the phone? Maybe someone from Tableegi Jamat.
Re: 'Inzmam best man to head Pakistan at World Cup 2007’
The team is winning under him. That is **all* that matters. No wonder they are under so much pressure; they have to face moronic fans who treat them like crap whether they win or lose :o .*
Re: 'Inzmam best man to head Pakistan at World Cup 2007’
Im a great fan of his batting abilities,but im not too sure about his captaincy,he seems abit lazy in making important decisions when they are necessary,he lacks creativness,and he can be hardheaded at times(doesnt listen to his team mates).ANother person i like to blame is woolmer,if he can see during a test match/one day that he isnt making the right decision,bowling/fielding changes,he shud communicate with inzi abt it.Its our sheer skills and his batting during most of 2005 which won us lots of matches,rather than his captaincy.
