Only Sachin and Jadeja are mentally strong, says Pakistan wicket-keeper Moin Khan
khel.com, NewsAsia
The effervescent Pakistani wicketkeeper Moin Khan feels only skipper Sachin
Tendulkar and Ajay Jadeja are mentally strong in the Indian team and the side’s
continued defeats in the ongoing cricket triseries are due to “lack of motivation
and confidence” among the players. “Indian players seem less motivated to me.
To me, only Tendulkar and Jadeja appear mentally strong. There is nobody else in
the team who is big-hearted or confident”, he said explaining why India
invariably lost close ties to his side. “I think Indian players are not mentally
strong. They think too much of themselves and not about the team. They are
individuals and never a team”, Moin said after Pakistan’s 32-run win in the
triseries tie at Hobart on January 20.
Asked why Pakistan always played well against India, Moin attributed it to
“attitude”.
“Against India, we play with a lot of enthusiasm. We are always pumped up”.
India let Pakistan come into the game in their opening tie at Brisbane and
allowed Saqlain Mushtaq and Waqar Younis to add 43 runs for the unbroken
ninth wicket and pull off a last-ball victory in the latest instance of their losing
their nerve in close matches against their sub-continental rival.
Moin Khan said: “The present Indian team is not trying hard to win matches.
They are not playing for the country. They are all playing to keep their places in
the team”.
Moin Khan expressed surprise over the exclusion of his seasoned counterpart
Nayan Mongia from the Australian tour. “I am surprised at Mongia’s exclusion. I
don’t think he has kept badly ever in his career and he has played useful knocks
from time to time. I can understand if he was injured. But that is not the case. M
S K Prasad is okay but Mongia is so experienced”, he said.
Asked whether he kept talking from behind the stumps even when someone like
Tendulkar was batting, the combative Moin Khan said “no never. In case of
Sachin I can’t even think of it. But since I speak to bowlers and fielders all the
time, it must be having some effect on the batsmen”.